[Rondec]

...and it does, at least has done until now, and a nice one at that: Sony Imaging Products & Solutions had the second highest Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) in FY2017 (behind Music) and FY2018 (behind Game and Network Services): 33% and 37.5% respectively.

Source: https://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/IR/library/presen/er/pdf/18q4_supplement.pdf page 7.

Of course.

The question is how does the market change with new full frame MILCs from Panasonic, Nikon, and Canon hitting the market? The answer is: too soon to tell, but certainly it isn't going to be as easy for the camera division of Sony, even if the sensor division continues to rake in the cash.

[Mistral75]

Today Sony had a 5-hour meeting with analysts and investors: Sony IR Day 2019 (IR = Investor Relations).

Sony Global - Sony IR Day 2019

The portion of the presentation dedicated inter alia to cameras and lenses:

https://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/IR/library/presen/irday/pdf/2019/EPS_E.pdf

The same document from last year's meeting (22 May 2018):

https://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/IR/library/presen/irday/2018/IPS_MC_E.pdf

In both cases the most interesting slide is the last one, dedicated to market shares and market ranks.

Between FY2017 (April 2017 - March 2018) and FY2018 (April 2018 - March 2019):

• The still camera market went down from ¥1,400bn to ¥1,300bn i.e. a decrease of 7%. This is coherent with CIPA shipment figures (cameras + lenses), which lead to an 8% decrease.
• Sony's share in the still camera market went up, from 20% to 24%.
• Sony's share in the ILC + interchangeable lens market went up, from 19% to 23%.
• Sony is now #2 on this market (#3 in FY2017), behind Canon but ahead of Nikon.
• Sony's share in the compact camera market went up, from 26% to 29%.
• Sony is now #1 on this market (#2 in FY2017).
• (it could be a typo, the data is surprising) The video camera market went down from ¥390bn to ¥300bn i.e. a decrease of 23%.
• Sony's share in this market remained stable: 29%.

FY2017



FY2018

[normhead]

..and it does, at least has done until now, and a nice one at that:

And why would we be talking about anything but now?

[beholder3]

With Sony's camera division profitability collapsing massively and also their ILC sensor business falling and falling these statistics mean next to nothing.

The real market share figures expressed in unit sales is completely omissed (with a good reason by their marketeers). And only that would show how sustainable the situation is.

The sharp drop in Sony's profitability means that all the revenues don't mean a thing as well.

Too few new customers. Poor profits.

[RonHendriks1966]

The real market share figures expressed in unit sales is completely omissed (with a good reason by their marketeers). And only that would show how sustainable the situation is.

Youtu.be

Youtu.be

You never hear anyone singing about units....

[beholder3]

You never hear anyone singing about units....

Units equal customers. Whoever doesnt care for the numbers of his customers will very soon sing sitting in the mall with an empty basket hoping for passers by to drop a coin.