Chip shortages and an overall decline in the market for digital cameras may push Canon to shutter its only factory in mainland China, located in Zhuhai.
It is either a sign of the times or just right now specifically as it isn’t quite clear whether the shortages impacting the production of electronic equipment around the world is what is causing this or if the general trends in digital cameras that we’ve covered over the past several years is just finally manifesting at the right time. Either way, no one seems really surprised at what is happening right now.
PetaPixel reports that some 1,317 employees may be let go as a result of the closure of the factory which produced “12.29 million lenses, 1.03 million digital cameras, and 94,000 video cameras” at the end of 2020 the website reports.
As we reported last month, the 2020 EOS-1D X Mark III is likely the last model in that lineup which only bolsters the chances this factory could potentially close soon.
One of the recurring themes of our coverage in 2020 and in 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing product shortages have really rocked the camera market. When you couple that event with others such as a major components factory fire and general broad declines across major segments and it is almost like the perfect recipe for decline and stagnation. This is to say nothing of the ongoing smartphone camera sales dominance in the lower end of the market which is also a major trend weighing on everything.
Where do you see the digital camera market heading in the future? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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[Reuters]
