The Samsung scenario - ponderings and/or recommendations

I think it's much a do about nothing, Samsung has invested heavily in  the NX-1 and pro line lens development. After the NX-1 came out they devoted a ton of resources to get the firmware update out asap so this is a long term strategy with some short term adjustments.

I saw this happening with Sony, when  they were struggling to get sales of their D-SLRS going people were predicting they were going to close shop, instead they snatched up Minolta, I can see Samsung doing the same and buying out Pentax or dare I say buying out Nikon!

For me, Samsung represents a wonderful value equation in APS-C mirrorless. I don't have the bucks for Fuji and Sony doesn't appeal. I will just keep using the cameras I have.  I think lenses will drop in price (new dealer stock) but then hold steady and maybe increase in value.

Hi Ben. I wonder about your comment, "It can't be good for their reputation, or do they really care?"

Samsung profits are around $6 BILLION per quarter.  That's a nice chunk of change.  And I'm sure someone can supply the dollar figure that the camera division provides to that - or if in fact it's a negative.  I couldn't find the figure but I'm sure it's near the bottom of their profitable divisions list. So I wonder how much they do care about getting out a statement.

This will be the first January in a while that I'm skipping the CES show - prior engagement to have fun elsewhere.  But I'm sure I'll have no trouble finding the news from the show.

Patience.

Thanks for your advice, but no thanks.

As an owner of an NX1 and other NX cameras I just decided to not spend any of my money on NX until we get a clear confirmation of Samsung's intentions.

Before I would buy any NX gear I would see if an independent warranty company is willing to issue an accidental spills/ drop warranty for the item.

If they won't cover an NX camera then you know not to buy in the first place.

My NX1 eliminates any need to shoot other cameras i have on my shelf unless i need my point and shoot or Hero4. I am not a camera collector and enjoy the IQ of the NX1 which i use daily.

However i do wake up my other cameras just to get the shutter mevhanisms and aperture mechanisms moving.
They can stick over long periods of inactivity. This also applies to any boxed camera purchased for future back-up as your second NX500.

I will immediately buy via pre-order two NX50's if they are ever announced and have the fully articulating LCD.

1-The best doesn't always prevail.

2-It's hard to overcome the momentum/inertia >> marketplace presence that Canon and Nikon have.

I am an owner of a NX300 and a few lenses, and this week I ordered a NX500 and a 12-24. Still, I am hesitant to spend thousands for the S lenses and NX1. I prefer the NXxxx form factor and the small and light lenses anyway.

Ben Herrmann wrote:

I've subsequently picked up the NX500 which I've really embraced - so much so, that for insurance, I've ordered another one ... that will remain in the box (for future use).

I hope you don't mind your brand new sealed second camera being unusable due to irreversibly dead battery (and no supply of spares) when you open the box sometime in the future

A counter argument. I'm not sure why anyone would willingly buy into a system that is very possibly dead and going forward unlikely to be supported in terms of service / spare parts.

OK, there is the proposition that it could be a cheap purchase and it might keep you going for x years. What then? How frustrated will you feel in those x years when other manufacturers come out with new products / innovations and you are left with a system that is going nowhere. What about if you need a new lens / flash/ batteries / whatever, for it and none are available? There might be the used market I suppose, with all the uncertainties of that.

I know it must hurt but sooner or later you are almost certainly going to have to start again with a new system. Or do you intend to stop doing photography in x years and just step out of the market?

JanMatthys wrote:

I think it's much a do about nothing, Samsung has invested heavily in the NX-1 and pro line lens development. After the NX-1 came out they devoted a ton of resources to get the firmware update out asap so this is a long term strategy with some short term adjustments.

I saw this happening with Sony, when they were struggling to get sales of their D-SLRS going people were predicting they were going to close shop, instead they snatched up Minolta, I can see Samsung doing the same and buying out Pentax or dare I say buying out Nikon!

Why on earth would Samsung want to buy out another camera company?  It's not as if the camera market is expanding and that cameras are a business that anyone feels the need to get into.

If Samsung can't achieve success in the camera business with their own considerable technical and financial resources then they are simply not going to bother with it at all.  The camera business is like a mosquito on the rump of a rhino compared with many of the other things they are involved in.

Pal, I would love to , want to embrace your optimistic approach, but well Samsung themselves seems otherwise  though .. the local store here can't even made a decent lot of bodies or lens available for test drive even though we have a Samsung ( the actual Samsung , not distributor ) service office here as well as sales and marketing branch office.

I wager Samsung did pretty lousy on the NX marketing , that's true, but also I wager Samsung had made some critical engineering blunder along the way from day 1 they introduce NX lineup and its only now that with the NX-1 and the relatively ecent introduction of the 2 top end Zoom that start to alleviate the issue and its sort of a too little too late and not matched with proper market intro and marketing effort.

I am very frustated now, that no other system can offer what I need. I much prefer using a system that pleases me for now(NX), and in 2-3 years I'll much rather start on a new system, that is sufficient for me (new mFT sensor, full frame Panasonic, Sony A7000, more mature A7, Fuji's next step, Canonikon's serious mirrorless, something else?) than just guess what is going to be good for me in 2-3 years..

meland wrote:

JanMatthys wrote:

I think it's much a do about nothing, Samsung has invested heavily in the NX-1 and pro line lens development. After the NX-1 came out they devoted a ton of resources to get the firmware update out asap so this is a long term strategy with some short term adjustments.

I saw this happening with Sony, when they were struggling to get sales of their D-SLRS going people were predicting they were going to close shop, instead they snatched up Minolta, I can see Samsung doing the same and buying out Pentax or dare I say buying out Nikon!

Why on earth would Samsung want to buy out another camera company?

"Another" did they buy one out already?

It's not as if the camera market is expanding and that cameras are a business that anyone feels the need to get into.

The Mirrorless market is expanding, the D-SLR market is dying, right now Sony is best positioned to take over the APS-C and FF mirrorless market due to Nikon and Canon's inertia, Samsung is not going to let Sony do that and possibly buy out Nikon, whose main source of income is....DSLR cameras and lenses

If Samsung can't achieve success in the camera business with their own considerable technical and financial resources then they are simply not going to bother with it at all.

You're missing the point, Samsung is realizing that is more efficient to buy the wheel, as opposed to re-inventing it. Why spend millions on R&D + time to market when they can buy out Nikon, and instantly have access to all ther lenses, R&D , patents and Brand name recognition.

The camera business is like a mosquito on the rump of a rhino compared with many of the other things they are involved in.

But you forget that Rhinos are very aggressive, they're not going to let another Rhino (Sony) have access to the entire APS-C and Mirrorless market