Sony Investing $9 Billion in Image Sensors, Aims to be Top Camera Brand

Canon and Nikon are still the heavyweights in the camera industry when it comes to market share, but Sony has made huge inroads in recent years with cameras such as the Sony a9, which just won “Camera of the Year” in Japan.

Now Sony is hoping to overtake the likes of Canon and Nikon by March 31, 2021, as the industry’s “top camera brand,” but it’s unclear what standard Sony is measuring “top” by.

The company also observes that there has been a “revitalization of the mirrorless camera market” — thanks in part to its technological advancements and that one of the trends in the camera industry is that its competitors are becoming “more aggressive in the market.” Canon and Nikon are both reportedly planning to launch their first full-frame mirrorless cameras within the year.

Sony has experience in making ambitious plans and then achieving those goals. After being hammered by massive losses back in 2012, then-CEO Kazuo Hirai unveiled a “One Sony” initiative that aimed to trim unprofitable businesses while focusing on three core “pillar” businesses: digital imaging, gaming, and mobile. Fast forward five years and Sony announced record profits in late 2017. A few months later, Hirai stepped down as CEO and handed the reins to Yoshida, having accomplished his goals of righting the ship.

(via sonyalpharumors)