From dpreview.com news:
Sources at Kyocera have confirmed that the company is to cease
production of film and digital cameras, putting a huge question mark
over the future of one of the oldest brands in photography, Contax.
Contax cameras have been produced since the early 1930's, when the
brand was launched by German optical legend Zeiss Ikon. Contax joined
forces with Japanese manufacturer Yashica in the 1960's, becoming part
of electronics giant Kyocera in the mid-1990's.
Kyocera has had some success in the digital camera market with models
bearing Yashica, Kyocera and Contax branding, though the company's
first foray into the digital SLR market (the Contax N Digital) was
widely regarded as an expensive failure. There is some confusion over
the future of the Contax brand, or the widely anticipated digital
rangefinder (G digital) and Mark II 645 cameras. When we spoke to a
Kyocera UK representative at the UK's Focus on Imaging exhibition this
week, it was made clear that there may well be a future for Contax
under another owner, with one rumor mentioning Sony as a potential
buyer (the company already uses Carl Zeiss branded lenses on some of
its digital compacts).
Kyocera has already stopped production of film and digital cameras,
and the various international operations are being prepared for
closure. The reasons given were purely market-related (in other words
not because of financial difficulties), with Kyocera now concentrating
on its mobile phone and semiconductor business.
Kyocera Corporation, parent and global headquarters of the Kyocera
Group, was founded in 1959 as a producer of advanced ceramics. By
combining these engineered materials with metals and plastics, and
integrating them with other technologies, Kyocera has become a leading
supplier of telecommunications equipment, cameras, laser printers,
copiers, solar energy systems, semiconductor packages and electronic
components. During the year ended March 31, 2004, the company’s net
sales totaled $10.969 Billion with net income of $654.673 Million.
Winsor
Long Beach, California, USA
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