Sony will make 30.000 sensor per month for the Nikon D800.
Image of the Nikon D800 (and Sony produced) 36 megapixel sensor
Our good friend from Nikonrumors found an interesting news at Bernama (Click here): “Nikon is targeting to produce 30,000 units of D800 and 5,000 units of D4 camera models, the company’s latest, per month at its factory here.“. There are two interesting aspects:
1) This means that Sony has to produce 30.000 36 megapixels sensor per month for Nikon D800 (and Nikon D800E).
2) It also means that the factories in the form the flood affected area have now been fully restored.
While this is certainly a good business for Sony I am still wondering if Sony will ever have the courage to risk more. It’s ok for me to give the exclusivity for the 36 Megapixel sensor to Nikon. But they should at the same time try to strengthen their FF business. While it’s true that you make most of the money with the smaller APS-C sensor system cameras I am pretty confident there is a huge potential in the full frame market. A 24 Megapixel A99 camera is certainly something appealing but if Sony would have launched a full frame mirrorless system along the current NEX system I am pretty sure many would have bought into that system too! My concern is that Sony is acting a bit too conservative. They risk to loose the momentum they got with thee SLT and NEX launch. NEX lenses are still missing and others like Fuji are catching up (Click here to follow Fujirumors). And I expect Canon to launch their system at Photokina. New Alpha lenses are also needed (some fast primes for example). It’s a time of change now, where new technologies and paradigms are building a new world in the digital camera market. It’s the right time to dethrone the Canon/Nikon world domination!
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P.S: If you want to see some images samples of the new 36 megapixel sensor check at Nikon (Click here) or Jim Brandenburg (Click here).
Price check and preorders at Adorama (Click here), BHphoto (Click here), J&R (Click here), Amazon Germany (Click here) and Jessops UK (Click here).
SonyA77
2 years ago |Sony will make more from the exclusivity deal with Nikon than they ever would producing full frame cameras.
admin
2 years ago |Yep in the short term yes. But in the long term this will skill their FF market
David
2 years ago |Yup.
I wonder if Sony have ever sold 30,000 cameras a month.
I doubt it.
Do we have ANY idea of a77 sales figures?
Spoon
2 years ago |There are sales figures for Japan which takes around 10% share of worldwide sales, but where Sony usually does a little worse than in other parts of tye world. The figures say Sony sold almost 30k A55 cameras in a year, which would thus translate in more than 300k per year, probably not far off 30k per month. The most successful digital A-mount camera sofar if those numbers are indicative.
No real sales figures on the A77 yet and it wouldn’t be useful either due to production and availability issues.
poke
2 years ago |Did you mean 30k of 55′s/month or as the stated 30k of 55′s per year?
poke
2 years ago |OK I see you are interpolating or estimating based on Japan being 10% worldwide sales. I got it.
PhotoNut
2 years ago |So this site is now NikonRumors, right? The admin does *not* know how many 36mpx FF sensors that Sony is making per month. The 30,000 claim is simply from the claim that Nikon is making 30,000 D800′s a month. This does not imply that Sony is also making 30,000 sensors per month. For all we know, Sony has already mass produced hundreds of thousands of FF sensors that Nikon is using at the rate of 30,000 a month. Of course what is more probable is that Sony is manufacturing these sensors in batches greater than 30,000. Anything else is just useless speculation and does not merit a front post article on this site.
bizler
2 years ago |Ask the question “What would Steve Jobs do?”
Steve Jobs would use that sensor in Sony Camera and tell Nikon to get lost.
decato
2 years ago |I agree with your comments.
Sony has a big opportunity that is slowly fading away. I hope they can still catch the wind they generated with Nex and SLT, and take off…
Björn Utpott
2 years ago |“…but if Sony would have launched a full frame mirrorless system along the current NEX system I am pretty sure many would have bought into that system too!”
Wasn’t there a rumor a little while back of a hybrid NEX/Alpha camera with a full frame sensor?
admin
2 years ago |Ye, problem is that it got delayed till 2013!
Björn Utpott
2 years ago |Unlike you, I have no inside information. Still, I suspect there will be a lot of pressure from rivals presenting new high end CSCs at Photokina this September. So I think it would be in Sony’s interest to at least show a prototype of this mythical full frame hybrid at Photokina.
Trent
2 years ago |Hopefully when they come out with the full frames they have the lens mentioned before and then a couple others to show that they are serious about it. Like a 24-120 f4, 400mm f4-5.6, 150-180-or 200mm macro, …? Would be nice to see a lot bigger selection. Right now I have to go through Sigma to get what I want for lenses when I would like more options in Zeiss quality
Costa
2 years ago |I also believe that reasonably priced full-frame mirrorless camera would be very interesting for many, especially, if it would have a native NEX mount.
Don Cox
2 years ago |I would certainly buy one (unless the price is absurdly high).
A900 Pro
2 years ago |I think when it comes to the fullframe market which will be cams mainly targeted pro/prosumer Sony should really play on it’s strengths which for me is the amazing Zeiss lenses and particularly the primes (as admin has already mentioned need a revision). They’ve released the awesome 24mm f/2 with SSM – great! We now NEED a Zeiss 35mm 1.4 with SSM and weather sealing (don’t get me wrong, I do still love my Sony/Minolta 35mm it’s just outdated now with lack of SSM and sealing!) the world leading 85mm and 135mm should be updated with SSM and preferably weather sealing.
There would be good market for a Zeiss 85mm 1.2 and a Zeiss 50mm 1.4/1.2 (although I don’t use 50mm much myself) I know from many colleagues that the Canon 85mm 1.2 is a massive pull for high end Canon wedding togs and one of the things that has stopped some (but not all) switching to Nikon in recent months, if Sony could release such a lens then they’ll be one up on Nikon.
Legacy Lens collectors out there correct me if I’m wrong but they did have a limited edition 85mm 1.2 Anniversary Planar for contax mount (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/60-Jahre-Contax-Zeiss-Planar-T-85mm-F-1-2-MMG-85-F1-2-Mint-/250916483485?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item3a6bc9b19d). As Sony can use Zeiss designs surely it’s just a matter of updating the coatings for digital and using the design to create and Alpha AF mount version same as they did with the Zeiss 85mm 1.4.
Sahaja
2 years ago |Do you really need f. 1.2 for an 85mm lens? At f.1.4 the dof is already razor thin.
A 21mm and a 35mm ZA prime might be far more useful.
Carl
2 years ago |Not to make light of the allure of an extra half stop, but there’s more that defines an 85mm than just its speed. The Contax N85 makes nicer pictures than the Contax 60 Jahre to my eyes.
The Canon 85LII has some significant optical deficiencies that would make me uncomfortable heralding it.
Twaddler Belafonte
2 years ago |I’d prefer a stabilized 300mm f/4.
Don Cox
2 years ago |The Zeiss lenses are a good thing, but I think Sony’s greatest strength is the E mount itself.
Pablo
2 years ago |Gosh, are they stupid…
They trade some safe bucks for the potential of market growth, the gain of consumer popularity as well as at least keeping their loyal customers. Because even those will probably switch to Nikon as SONY won’t offer them nothing interesting and competitive so soon.
And YES. If they weren’t such pussies and launched a FF mirrorless able to adapt lenses from other manufacturers, they could get tons of people from Leica, Canon, Nikon, etc, that just aren’t keen anymore to lug around that big and heavy FF crap currently available. I’m also sure, a lot of m4/3 shooters would sell those pathetic sensors and gladly put their legacy glass on a real sensor…
SONY you have the technology, the market is there, use it!
Denis
2 years ago |These japanese monkeys lost their brains.
klw10
2 years ago |I think I have read that the sensor manufacturing arm is different from the camera arm of Sony. Thus it makes perfect sense for the sensor arm to make as much money as they can as they want to keep their jobs!
GunnarK
2 years ago |Pablo and Dennis,
These ‘stupid’ and ‘brainless Sony-monkeys’ have succeded to keep Sony as one of the worlds leading electronic companies for more than half a century.
Have you succeded with something similar?
If NOT, how stupid and brainless do you regard yourselves to be, in comparison?
.
David
2 years ago |Haven’t they been bleeding hundreds of millions of $$$ every year for a while now?
Hell, when was the last time they reported a profit?
Carl
2 years ago |Their profitability mainly comes from their financial and gaming divisions, with electronics having being on life support for years. Finance is a bad business to be in at the moment, and gaming alone isn’t enough to keep their heads above water.
Like many Japanese companies founded around a charismatic businessman, the company has struggled to maintain vision since Akio Morita stepped down.
Holy Bear
2 years ago |You are talking the entire Sony corp and that’s because Sony’s TV business is in BIG trouble. Sony’s semiconductor business is in very good shape (especially the CMOS business)
SonyA77
2 years ago |I don’t think their shareholders would agree with your view.
Sony need a quick return on the development and tooling costs for a new Sensor, once they have made that return, they’ll use the sensor for their own products.
An exclusivity deal guarantees sensor sales. A Sony Full Frame would be tiny sales in comparison, probably worthless.
Vivek
2 years ago |I wonder how many SOny camera users are also holding Sony shares.
This is the problem with sensor makers, manufacturers of refrigerators, battery makers and such moonlighting as camera makers.
Twaddler Belafonte
2 years ago |Um, nope. Sony has made high-quality cameras for decades now, yes? They have their hands in all pies, and it is silly to call them amateurs in the camera market. Maybe if they hadn’t bought KM you could make a case, but with that legacy and technology they’ve been able to catch up to some degree with the big boys in only like, what, 5-6years?
SonyA77
2 years ago |You mean like Canon the copier company moonlighting as a camera maker?
lollo
2 years ago |the canon 8.5 1.2 mark II, is painful slow to focus and does not offer much, if anything at all over the 85mm cz.
An a900 with its 85mm CZ is way faster than 1ds3 at focusing with the 85mm 1.2 on any light condition and it eventually focus on very low light, where the canon package will never cease hunting focus.
Mr M
2 years ago |If you think that Nikon , Canon, Sony , Samsung are hardcore rivals, you may have fallen for their trap.
There are tons of cross supplies dependencies among the manufacturers that is more complicated than just pure brands competing against each other.
This is all done for win-win corporations and collaborations.
klw10
2 years ago |I think I have read that the sensor manufacturing arm is different from the camera arm of Sony. Thus it makes perfect sense for the sensor arm to make as much money as they can as they want to keep their jobs!
c.d.embrey
2 years ago |I doubt that Sony is interested in increasing lens sales FOR OTHER companies.
Tristan
2 years ago |Firm needs to understand FF is the brand to lower tier models. Entry market users’ purchase decision, depends on their friends’ opinion very much,who is at somewhat advanced tier (semi-pro/Pro).
I’ve “sold” more than 8 unites to the guys who aims at C/N.
LEdgars
2 years ago |Last year was rummor that Sony will stop FF camera release because lack of profit. Therefore it seems we should be happy if Sony will release any camera. However, if Sony will release FF camera “no like others” there will be the same nonprofit story…
Mark 5dII won with video, but D700 with low light capabilities. A900 was overall excellent, but without any characteristic to stand out.
Now Nikon will stand out with 36Mpix, Canon with ???, Sony with ???
FACT
2 years ago |A900 Replacement is RELEASED in September… remember my words!!
admin
2 years ago |Yep. That is what I said since months
Spoon
2 years ago |Announced in weeks.
Oh wait, forgot the question mark…. ?
Davo
2 years ago |Its easy being an armchair quarterback but with finite resources, I think Sony should be more focused rather than try to fill every segment.
Imagine having to maintain a system for alpha, E-mount and another FF mirrorless mount.
I think Sony has a good thing in the NEX system. Try to consolidate and flesh out the system fully so ppl would stop complaining about the lens lineup. It has a lot of potential already.
Steve
2 years ago |Perhaps admin can start reporting on every product that uses a Sony-fabbed component ?
Actually, something more interesting than Nikon on SAR, would be details of any IP sharing agreement between them.
Alpha
2 years ago |If you don’t wanna hear about it, don’t read it. Theres a concept!
Linh
2 years ago |There’s always someone who brings up this dumb argument every time. Let’s see if it works all the time:
“Hey, our government sucks” “Then move out of the country!”
“Hey mom, your food sucks” *slaps*
So no, it doesn’t. If admin is free to post whatever he/she wants, we’re just as free to voice our opinions. Live with it. If you don’t wanna see the complains, don’t read them!
Dan
2 years ago |I don’t mind waiting for the A99 or even the A950(?) so long as what is delivered – works! Too often a new camera is offered but then we have to wait another 5-6 months for the firmware to catch up. Still, since we all know that these two models are coming, it would be nice if Carl Zeiss would release a new full-frame ZA ‘prime’ or two while we wait.
RVN
2 years ago |i agree with u sir
it would be great if sony zeiss making a couple new lens while we wait for new full frame camera
Almazar80
2 years ago |Andrea, Canon has not released an update to the 5D MKII, so at this point, they’re behind as well.
Spoon
2 years ago |Since their respective introductions, the A900 outsold the D3 and “only” sold 30% less than the D700 in Japan, despite the fact that Japan has been historically one of Sony’s underperforming markets compared to the rest of the world.
Now look at the preliminary D800 hype. Food for thought.
Sahaja
2 years ago |@Spoon “Since their respective introductions, the A900 outsold the D3 and “only” sold 30% less than the D700 in Japan”
Where did you get those figures?
Spoon
2 years ago |A Japanese website, translated by a Dpreview user:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1037&message=40285976&q=sales+japan&qf=m
Search his account for the website and more figures.
Jesse
2 years ago |Gotta wonder how meeting Nikons sensor demands pushed their own production back. Kind of a kick in the teeth for all of us waiting for NEX products.
SonyA77
2 years ago |I guess even Sony have limited production capability.
JonasM
2 years ago |In a Thai newspaper the other day, a minister made predictions of 27 typhoons, inundation under 20 billion cubic meters of water as well as higher sea levels during the coming rain season. He assures us though, that Bangkok will not be flooded. Also worth noting is that the new flood prevention measures are supposed to be completed by May, yet construction has not even started. Hopefully Sony can see the writing on the wall and move production to China. Throwing business here in Thailand, comes with a huge amount of risk.
shamb
2 years ago |Sony appears to have a strategy for FF, and that is to undercut Canikon via innovation.
Once you assume this, all the points make sense: EVF is cheaper than OVF.
Costing the first production run to Nikon for every new high end sensor interation means they can offload a big part of the setting up and dev costs to Nikon, making the later Sony part cheaper.
Sahaja
2 years ago |They should still make an OVF ff camera as well. The D900 OVF is beautiful.
a900
2 years ago |I agree the a900 OVF Full Frame DSLR is beautiful to look through, it’s so natural and I really dislike ‘a mini T.V.’ in the viewfinder, it’s seems somewhat hurting my eyes, like if you’re watching the T.V. too close!
Here, Sony, do revamp and bring out a very up dated a950 without all that SLT lark!
Vivek
2 years ago |If Sony are doing this (ie., sensor for the D800E) then they want to establish themselves as a chip manufacturer rather than a camera maker.
Would this mean they have put their hands up to say we give up?!
Charlie
2 years ago |Sony sure is making a lot of these sensors…
The ones Nikon says Sony doesn’t make.
march
2 years ago |Sony do nothing for sony owner ! FXXK !
drj
2 years ago |@admin:
you are more than right, the strongest negative point being the lenses. From the revised Nex lens road map that appeared last week, one may infer that, by next June, Fuji x 1 pro owners will benefit from a more convincing lens range than Nex 7 owners by the end of 2013. Pure nonsense.
ItsaChris
2 years ago |“I am still wondering if Sony will ever have the courage to risk more. It’s ok for me to give the exclusivity for the 36 Megapixel sensor to Nikon. But they should at the same time try to strengthen their FF business”
Thats what they did with the a900. As I sure many enjoy the camera I would bet from the internal decisions that have been posted here about not making any more 35mm DSLRs some in the company consider the a900 and a850 a failure.
Vivek
2 years ago |It is considered an economic failure for Sony in that the prices of A900 and the A850 were too low for them.
This does not alter the fact that in spite of the much higher price tag, Nikon D3x was a big success for Nikon simply because it is a much better made and more versatile camera.
Spoon
2 years ago |A big success still requires sales and the D3X didn’t sell well at all (in Japan, historically a good market for Nikon, the A900 and D3 were each sold 4 times for every D3X).
Sahaja
2 years ago |The D3x was *way* overpriced compared to Canon’s 5DMkII and Sony’s A850 & A900. Landscape photographers also don’t want to heavy camera like that around – the D800 makes a lot more sense.
Hiers
2 years ago |Hey admin, are those prices posted on photorumors real??? That would be a shame….
minornik
2 years ago |NEX is the future for Sony cameras and fullframe is in the past. Just like the Nikon D800 is challenging the medium format so too APS-C and even m4/3 (to a lesser extent) is challenging fullframe. Fullframe will become a niche market and smaller sensors will be the mass market.
Embrace the future !
The Uncensored Photographer
2 years ago |Sony is a Japanese company. Japanese companies are extremely conservative. Ergo, Sony is extremely conservative and will not release a FF NEX until NEX is fully cemented and the FF SLTs have been successful.
The fact that FF SLTs could be a failure, APS-C NEXs could be a failure, yet FF NEXs could be a huge success is irrelevant and does not enter their thought schemes. This is how their logic works when it comes to the release of a FF NEX:
Successful APS-C NEX –> successful FF SLT –> Sony will consider FF NEX
poke
2 years ago |I am so glad that have their production line up and running so Nikon can get their camera to market on time. God forbid they would be delayed like a Sony camera. Sony cannot be serious about the DSLR market. Otherwise they would not give such a head start. Actually, they are significantly behind with the 24MP FF. I went to Sony online and cannot even purchase any FF from Sony at this time. That makes no sense to me. Was there ever a time that you could go to Nikon or Canon and not purchase a FF camera? I am betting not. This sensor move tells me that they are not interested in competing with either giant.
Jesse
2 years ago |Sony’s got supply problems across the board, which makes the fact they got their facilities producing Nikons chips in a timely fashion disgusting… you can’t buy ANY of their hot products at Sony Canada, the only interchangeable lens camera of any kind you can order is the a900… what are they thinking? Quit promising us lenses we don’t want tomorrow, give us the cameras you’ve already released today.
David
2 years ago |Yup.. pretty much
But why bother keeping current products in stock, when you can release more new entry level bodies!!!
Question on Image Stabilisation
2 years ago |I suppose the 36 megapixels sensor is exclusively designed for Nikon D800.
It certainly won’t work with the Super Steady Shot for a 35mm DSLR or 35mm SLT camera, since the sensor needs to be oversized for that purpose to cover the compensated image.
Therefore it’s a bit surprising that the new 500mm f/4 G SSM SAL500F40G super telephoto lens doesn’t equip optical image stbilization.
Probably the upcoming 24 megapixel sensor for a A99 (35 mm) camera is large enough for coping with the Super Steady Shot.
Marek
2 years ago |Steady shot works differently. I does not need over-sized sensor. It uses piezoelectric crystals to move whole sensor.
Steady Shot
2 years ago |So it isn’t Electronic Image Stabilisation, but moving the sensor instead. Wouldn’t that imply some vignetting risk?
Sahaja
2 years ago |Sony are making sensors in Thailand? – I’d expect a high end sensor like the one for the D800 is being manufactured in one of their fab plants in Japan.
Leica must also be looking for a new sensor supplier now that Kodak is out of that business.
Carl
2 years ago |Kodak’s sensor business is still around. It was sold to a private equity company.
Also, Dalsa has been courting Leica, but it remains to be seen if Leica will go reciprocate.
Basement Dweller
2 years ago |Only for the entry and prosumer models. The likes of A900 are manufactured in Japan.
decato
2 years ago |Most of the comments are plain emotianal reactions with little empirical basis.
So Sony is a loser b/c they are selling FF 36 mp sensors to Nikon?
Do you really think giving exclusive rights of *one particular sensor* is why they can’t make a new FF? How do you know that?
So Sony is going to lose for not making the highest res FF? Then why didn’t they *win* when they released A900 which was the highest res?
Everyone was complaining about high MP race and high ISO, now we are all for the 36?
The reason they did not replace A900 is not a sensor missing. Sony has been slow on the higher side. Only 4 mid-higher end cams since they acquired Minolta. Recently they are investing on SLT which is still a developing technology.
A700 replacement pended for years. A99 schedule looks much better than that.
Some common sense and patience is needed. Sony or A-mount is not gonna die anytime soon. They are just slow as usual. But they are taking risks and doing major transformations.
Nothing else you can do, but wait. And take.some.photos in the mean time with your existing camera!
Vivek
2 years ago |“Most of the comments are plain emotianal reactions with little empirical basis.”
That would mean: Angry responses based on the facts.
Makes sense.
poke
2 years ago |Do you really think giving exclusive rights of *one particular sensor* is why they can’t make a new FF? How do you know that?
I can’t explain why they cannot make a newer and better FF in a timely fashion.
GermanGuy1
2 years ago |The reason why sony is using the 36MP sensor nt in 2012 but in 2013 is,
that they will have a 48MP sensor this year and keep the 36MP ‘low resolution’ sensor for the low noise level enthuisiasts. So they beat the competition again in the MP race and at the same time have time and money for their new flagship model…
minornik
2 years ago |I wouldn’t be surprised to see a 48mp FF from Sony. News and rumors indicate higher megapixel cameras are coming sooner rather than later.
Marek
2 years ago |I hope they do not
. They should work first to remove noise at base ISO at mid tones and lower. That would be an achievement I think many would appreciate more.
GermanGuy1
2 years ago |another Question:
How many MP do you really? and what for?
Printouts? Cropping? to show it on computer monitors & TV sets?
When are the Quad HD screens coming, surely you need them not for movies but for photo shows?
Vivek
2 years ago |A 24MP FF Sony camera would be swell. I already have the NEX-7 in the APS-C size (a few prime lenses won’t hurt, a grip and flash would help as well).
The Sony Bravia are great but so are the Samsung equivalents. LOL.
Carl
2 years ago |Speaking as an A900 owner, I’d say 24MPs is pretty much right for general purpose photography, giving one the freedom to crop without having to deal with severe processing overheads or diffraction limits. For fields that require heavy cropping (field sports and birding for example), however, I doubt it’d really be enough.
Don Cox
2 years ago |“How many MP do you really? and what for?
Printouts?”
Large prints, and digitising from film with the grain of Kodachrome crisply resolved.
“Cropping? to show it on computer monitors & TV sets?”
Monitors and TVs are no good for displaying photos. The resolution is much too low.
Ollder
2 years ago |Admin said “It also means that the factories in the form the flood affected area have now been fully restored”
So where is my A77? Meanwhile it has gone old fashioned and better choices are coming or already in available. Unfortunately I already have e.g. battery grip for A77…
This is not funny anymore
barri
2 years ago |I am totally fine with Nikon having exclusivity on the 36MP sensor. This is too many megapixels anyway…
I shall be very excited, if the A99 is really going to have an improved 24 MP sensor. This would be the best balance of resolution and high ISO.
I would definitely upgrade from my A900.
Twaddler Belafonte
2 years ago |Darn right! 24mpx seems like a perfect # for trade-off between high ISO and resolution on a full-frame sensor.
Spoon
2 years ago |If there would be such a tradeoff. But….
RS21
2 years ago |At least Sony make some money by selling sensor to Nikon.
Any Canon camera sold does not generate any revenue for Sony. Canon stopped buying sensor from Sony, I think they started manufacturing their own sensors.
Kevin
2 years ago |Pre ordered my Nikon D800.. I made the jump to Nikon been shooting the D7000 for about 3 months, I don’t see myself coming back to Sony for the second time…
Good Luck Sony shooters !!!
SonyA77
2 years ago |But after 3 months you still feel it necessary to hang around a Sony forum, missing your Sony?
zach
2 years ago |Who knows… there could be a higher resolution sensor by Sony