Another one is gone

Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 11:43 pm

And now Mamiya is gone:

N E W S
8 Westchester Plaza, Elmsford, NY 10523
tel: 914.347.3300 fax: 914.347.3309
email: info@Mamiya.com
www.Mamiya.com

Mamiya Transfers Camera and Optical Division
Elmsford, NY, April 24, 2006 –

Mamiya O/P has announced that it’s Optical Equipment Division, manufacturer of the leading medium format cameras and lenses will be transferred to a new company. The new company, Cosmo Digital Imaging Company, Ltd. was formed by Cosmos Scientific Systems, Inc., a leading company in IT technology. Cosmo Digital Imaging will be able to combine its software expertise with Mamiya’s photographic
capabilities to further advance in the digital direction of professional photographic imaging technology. Building on Mamiya’s reputation and world wide distribution network, the new company will be able to
achieve an even higher level of customer satisfaction. Service of Mamiya cameras, lenses and accessories will also be handled by the existing Mamiya distribution network. Coming in the wake of a number of industry changes, this positive development gives Mamiya a new
direction and a vision for the future. Cosmo Digital is planning to execute these changes on September 1, 2006 and will retain a substantial
number of present staff and facilities and acquire all the assets including inventory, property, trademarks and patents to assure a smooth transition.

Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 11:57 pm

Interesting.. Thank you for sharing the news Chris.

Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 9:01 am

I sure hope this means that the price of digital backs will be dropping.... I was kind of hoping that mamiya would merge with a digital back manufacturer.

:) keithwms

Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 9:07 am

What's happening with the Photo Industry? first the Konica Minolta, now the Mamiya =(

Soon the Sony and Panasonic will reign the Photo Industry (I hope not)

Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 10:24 am

I suppose an increasing number of people buying cameras know more about computers and electrical goods than they do about cameras. Therefore to them Sony and Panasonic are better known brands than the likes of Nikon, Pentax, Konica Minolta. The same doesn't really apply to Canon since they have a finger in every pie.

Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 10:33 am

Anyone who knows anything about electronics will do research before sinking into a camera. I would hope. But I doubt this will be a trend.

Joined: 05 Aug 2005 Posts: 545 Location: KS - USA

Cid wrote:

Anyone who knows anything about electronics will do research before sinking into a camera. I would hope. But I doubt this will be a trend.

That describes you and me, and most everyone on this forum. Sadly, though, the sheep of the world don't bother researching anything. It's all "name-brand".

After 9 months, I'm STILL having trouble getting my wife to use my older digital P-n-S. She had a "auto" 35mm Minolta that finally gave out last year (we've had it about 20 years). The digital is easier to use, but she's still afraid of it.

Unfortunately, she also has me reset her $3 digital watch every couple of months, when she "messes" it up punching buttons. And set the VCR, the clocks, etc. She won't use the 'net, email or a computer in anyway. A virtual technophobe. *sigh*

If she were to go out and get something on her own - it would strictly be based on a "name-brand" - nothing else, except maybe price.

Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 3:34 pm

adorski wrote:

What's happening with the Photo Industry? first the Konica Minolta, now the Mamiya =(

Soon the Sony and Panasonic will reign the Photo Industry (I hope not)

I feel that is the direction the industry is heading, the consumer electronics giants like Sony, Samsung, Panasonic and like will be the future Nikon, Pentax and Minolta. The CE giants have the manufacturing, the distribution channels and the name.

Medium format is a rapidly dieing format, it was the mainstay of the pro market but most working pros have switched to dslrs thus are dumping the MF gear. With no market to sustain them MF manufacturers have little choice but to exit the business. Hasselblad is not looking all that healthy at this time, Pentax is no longer making MF equipment, Contax is gone and now Mamiya.

Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 4:08 pm

ChrisL wrote:

Medium format is a rapidly dieing format, it was the mainstay of the pro market but most working pros have switched to dslrs thus are dumping the MF gear. With no market to sustain them MF manufacturers have little choice but to exit the business. Hasselblad is not looking all that healthy at this time, Pentax is no longer making MF equipment, Contax is gone and now Mamiya.

Hold on, partner! This doesn't mean MF is dead, it just means that film backs will be more rapidly replaced by digital backs. Right? I mean, MF is not merely film/sensor size, it is much more than that.

I actually read this announcement in a very positive way. I have two great mamiya bodies and 6 great lenses, which will continue to serve me very well just as long as I can get 120 film. The only reason I could even afford to have what I have is because so many people threw their hands in the air and put their stuff on the used market. Most of my gear used to be priced way, way out of my range.

Also I really like the thought that the photography I do may soon be regarded as unique and rare simply because of the medium that I choose!

And my parting shot: let's just look at the photo auction market, does anybody know of a digital image that has sold for $1M? But film images routinely sell for very large sums of money. Digital has been aorund long enough for people to take excellent shots- have they not done so? Or is the point that a digital file, which can be almost instantaneously copied and distributed all over the world, intrinsically worth less than, say, Ansel's negatives? Wouldn't his work be worth less if everybody could just download it and print it at home?

I know I am preaching to the choir, Chris, these are just open rhetorical questions.

:) keithwms

Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 5:48 pm

keithwms wrote:

ChrisL wrote:

Medium format is a rapidly dieing format, it was the mainstay of the pro market but most working pros have switched to dslrs thus are dumping the MF gear. With no market to sustain them MF manufacturers have little choice but to exit the business. Hasselblad is not looking all that healthy at this time, Pentax is no longer making MF equipment, Contax is gone and now Mamiya.

Hold on, partner! This doesn't mean MF is dead, it just means that film backs will be more rapidly replaced by digital backs. Right? I mean, MF is not merely film/sensor size, it is much more than that.

I think that even digital medium format is nothing but a passing fancy.

Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 6:28 pm

Unless you are printing ad banners along highways I dont know why you would need it.

Premium Member Joined: 29 Oct 2004 Posts: 5758

That 7-II rangefinder has been on my long term want-list. I'd bet the price for something like that is only going to go up if they're no longer in production.

Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 9:35 pm

drpablo74 wrote:

That 7-II rangefinder has been on my long term want-list. I'd bet the price for something like that is only going to go up if they're no longer in production.

You are probably right.

I can tell you that my mamiya 6 has definitely appreciated over the last few months. I know because every so often I consider picking up a second body and now I can no longer afford one! This news about mamiya makes me wonder about getting a 7ii with haste! The 7ii probably will appreciate a lot, whereas the 7, I'm not so sure. But I love the 6 so much, I don't know if I can part with it for the sake of a 7ii. It would be like upgrading my only child.

Now as for that ultrawide lens you covet, that will almost certainly hold its value or appreciate. If it goes out of production, the price will almost certainly shoot through the roof. Using that lens with a mamiya 7ii rangefinder may be the absolute best way to do ultrawide photography, period. I really don't think an SLR/ultrawide combo can touch it.

In related news, I have been watching the fuji gsw690 prices for about a year now and those have definitely appreciated, they are now over $1000 and climbing. Long the low-end alternative to the mamiyas, these are real gems that are becoming also impossible to find.

:) keithwms

Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 6:36 am

Sad to say, I believe alot more camera makers are headed this way. The digital revolution has added to the demise of the builders of fine cameras and optics. After talking to a Kodak rep a few days ago even Kodak will be ending the manufacture of building even digital camera's because they can not compete with the giants. They shipped all film production to China and have not introduced any new professional films or done research in the area for over a year.

He did mention that they (Kodak) will continue to persue consumer production of digital cameras as well as the production of one time use cameras. Kodak's analysis of the current market indicates that roughly 50% of the consumer market is converting to digital while the remaining 50% is still using one time use cameras. However, they predict that the one time use camera market will begin to drop sharply as the price of higer resolution megapixel digital cameras becomes lower and more common place over time. Kodak, also, just wrote off a five billion dollar research project for a film development kiosk because the digital market took off faster then even they had anticipated.

The Kodak rep also mentioned that at present they see the developemnt of digital cameras with a 13 megapixel or higher as equivalent to medium format film for both the consumer and the professional photographer. Time will tell if this is case....

Joined: 14 Apr 2006 Posts: 621 Location: New Mexico, USA

Since Nikon announced last year that they will no longer make film cameras, except the F6 and the FM?, I've been wondering whether the value of my F3, N80, and F100 has gone up or down. Any ideas?