Originally posted by Samsungian Sony sells Nikon sensors. Sony makes both CCD and CMOS sensors. Don't they sell pentax sensors for their K2000/Km ? Is Sony selling all these sensors to other camera manufacturers at a loss? You may not realize this but nikon captures 40% of the annual dslr market. I think theres alot of Sony manufactured Sensor sales happening, every year, year after year....
What did Sony pay Minolta for their legacy cameras division? Was the amount Sony paid Minolta more or less than Hoya paid for entire pentax corporation?
Thats sad Sony sold only 21 million point and shoots last year and only tripled their dslr sales during a global recession. I wonder how 1.5 million sony dslr unit sales stacks up against total 2008 pentax dslr sales, and how 21 million P&S unit sales stacks up against 2008 pentax point and shoot unit sales?
Would you roll in profits for making sensors Sony sells to other companies or exclude it from cameras division?
I haven't noticed Sony launching newly issued dslr's at lets say $1,299 and then just 6 or 7 months later selling it for half of that launch price. The a900 started at $3,000 and now its $2,700. A solid 10% drop for those who wait, not some 40% to 50% off a couple seasons later.
Sony makes a huge profit on their sensors, it's the a900 they are selling at a loss as if we look at the d3x which is basically the same camera/sensor just made by nikon it's 7gs!! vs the a900 $2700.
but it looks like the sony dslr division will be around for a while, then again selling at a loss for sony is noting new, look at the ps3, sold hardware at a loss to sell games. it's also like printers, the hardware is at cost or next to nothing to sell ink.