We in the outside world don't know that much what goes insides the ropes of the big Photographic Corporations in Japan. But as any other Corporation, the final results are product development, market share, revenue, long term sustainability and world wide growth.
In your response you have missed my main point: I tried to say that what really matters is something called a Corporate strategy: "All these factors (lens design, manufacturing, software development, hardware, glass cutting technology, etc) fall under an umbrella called competitive strategy and execution".
What I tried to say if that losing one designer, in my opinion, can't explain the lack of things. "one swallow does not a summer make". There is a lot more that is required to come out with product design and innovation and hence, market share and revenues.
That's why I am highlighting that there are companies on the rise in terms of lens development and manufacturing: Fuji is coming out very strong. Tamron has some good lenses coming out as of late (24-70 F2,8 VC and 150-600 4.5-6.3, just to mention two). Sigma Art series is very interesting and is coming strong. SIgma being the company that has surprised me as of late. I don't mention Voighlander or Leica as they are in a different league. We are talking here mostly about the high end prosumer market. Canon and Nikon have already plenty of good glass, so they don't need to rush or worry too much and I am pretty sure they have the cash and long term vision to respond tothe challenges.
I mention this just to indicate that all these corporations must hire hundreds of lens designers, optical engineers, and now with the convergence of information technology, signal and data processing the game is stepping up to a higher level. Sigma lenses come with a port that you can plug the lens on and you can update the software for the lens, download firmwares and so on. There is a lot going on today that requires more than an outstanding optical engineer like Mr. Hirawa, with all the due respect he deserves.
You need a whole corporate and global strategy, long term vision and investment behind the right men. That's why my question that if it really matters losing one person. You need hundreds of people to come out with the solution that the markets are demanding today. Not only one individual. What about if the individual changes companies, or retires or can't work anymore?.
NotSteve wrote:
Unexpresivecanvas, post: 53946827, member: 946416"]
Does it really matter?
I imagine a few lens designers won't make a significant difference. Sigma, Tokina, Tamron, Canon, Pentax, Nikon have been in the lens business for how long? 60 years maybe? There is a lot of optical knowledge around and from the optical perspective the increments in design and innovation are spare between years once the basic foundations have been created.
Now the game is called electronics, CAD/CAM, plastics and hard materials for lens bodies, micro motors, software, and glass cutting. All these factor fall under an umbrella called competitive strategy and execution.
Look at the Sigma Art series. Those lenses have taken at least 5 years in design and manufacturing preparation before bringing them to market. Then, it is not like if Ricoh gave the designers away to the competition. Same for Tamron, they have been improving a lot as of the last 5 or 6 years.
Now wait for Yongnuo to bring to market the lenses built and designed in China. I understand there is a 50mm 1.4 in the pipe line and probably a lot more coming. If we follow Yongnuo's playbook in flash design and manufacturing, interesting things will happen when they will commence mass manufacturing of all kind of lenses.
Are we going to ask in 5 years from now if Ricoh lost some designers to Yongnuo or Samyang?
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