Is Nikon done with Alphas (1 Viewer)

[Troubador]

Afaik, Zeiss makes a good part (maybe most) of its money on eye glass lenses

Zeiss Vision (spectacle lenses and eye-examination equipment) is a major part of Zeiss Consumer Products which also makes sports optics, photographic equipment and cinematography lenses. But Consumer Products is only one part of Zeiss and the other parts include not only Schott, (glass maker), which is organised in a separate Group, but also businesses making industrial measuring equipment, medical equipment, semi-conductor equipment, every kind of microscope and more. Taking Zeiss Group (which excludes Schott), Consumer Products as a whole (which includes Zeiss Vision) has in recent years contributed about 17.5% of Sales Revenue. Zeiss does not publish separate financial figures for the individual business so while Zeiss Vision must certainly make a significant contribution to Consumer Products business group, it must be a relatively modest contributor to Zeiss Group as a whole.

Lee

 

[John A Roberts]

For an idea of the scale and diversity of Zeiss operations, see a snapshot from the Zeiss International home page:

ZEISS Group

ZEISS is an internationally leading technology enterprise operating in the fields of optics and optoelectronics.

www.zeiss.com

John

 

[etudiant]

Zeiss Vision (spectacle lenses and eye-examination equipment) is a major part of Zeiss Consumer Products which also makes sports optics, photographic equipment and cinematography lenses. But Consumer Products is only one part of Zeiss and the other parts include not only Schott, (glass maker), which is organised in a separate Group, but also businesses making industrial measuring equipment, medical equipment, semi-conductor equipment, every kind of microscope and more. Taking Zeiss Group (which excludes Schott), Consumer Products as a whole (which includes Zeiss Vision) has in recent years contributed about 17.5% of Sales Revenue. Zeiss does not publish separate financial figures for the individual business so while Zeiss Vision must certainly make a significant contribution to Consumer Products business group, it must be a relatively modest contributor to Zeiss Group as a whole.

Lee

Thank you, Lee, for this very helpful summary.
It is noteworthy that although Zeisss owns Schott, Schott is free to sell to the open market as well as to other parts of the Zeiss group. That keeps both parties on their toes and stabilizes the glass sales volume. I don't know whether Nikon glass is sold externally. but they don't appear on lists of the top glass manufacturers.

 

[dries1]

In the coming year, it will be interesting to see what Nikon does regarding the business. IMO they made the best flat field lens.

 

[Troubador]

Zeiss Vision (spectacle lenses and eye-examination equipment) is a major part of Zeiss Consumer Products which also makes sports optics, photographic equipment and cinematography lenses. But Consumer Products is only one part of Zeiss and the other parts include not only Schott (glass maker) but also businesses making industrial measuring equipment, medical equipment, semi-conductor equipment, every kind of microscope and more.

Lee

Thank you, Lee, for this very helpful summary.
It is noteworthy that although Zeisss owns Schott, Schott is free to sell to the open market as well as to other parts of the Zeiss group. That keeps both parties on their toes and stabilizes the glass sales volume. I don't know whether Nikon glass is sold externally. but they don't appear on lists of the top glass manufacturers.

You are correct and note that all Zeiss companies are free to buy glass from sources other than Schott so undoubtedly this maintains the competitive pressure on Schott. We know that sports optics sometimes buys from OHara as their boxes appeared in a video a few years ago.

Lee

 

[dries1]

I've no knowledge of the economics of this business, but surely volume matters.
Afaik, Zeiss makes a good part (maybe most) of its money on eye glass lenses,
Running a top notch glass melt facility requires a lot of very specialized skills, so if the sales volume drops, the fixed people costs are ruinous.
Nikon has seen volumes drop precipitously in the last few years and they are scrambling. to re-balance the business.
Making their own glass may not be worth Nikon's while any longer, but I'd suspect China would welcome the opportunity to take over a world class glass operation.

I guess eventually all glass will be made in the east, after the brain drain continues in the west.

 

[fazalmajid]

It is noteworthy that although Zeisss owns Schott, Schott is free to sell to the open market as well as to other parts of the Zeiss group.

Technically Zeiss does not own Schott, they are sister companies both owned by the Carl Zeiss Stiftung charitable trust established by Ernst Abbe.

 

[etudiant]

Technically Zeiss does not own Schott, they are sister companies both owned by the Carl Zeiss Stiftung charitable trust established by Ernst Abbe.

Thank you for this correction.
By all evidence, these early capitalists were much more foresighted than they get credit for.

 

[fazalmajid]

There are big differences between Anglo-American and German/French/Japanese capitalism. The latter are much more paternalist and conscious of social responsibility, Leitz was also a very strong proponent of employee welfare, not to mention the Leica Freedom Train that saved hundreds of Jews from extermination at the hand of the Nazis.

That said, even in England there is a tradition of socially responsible capitalism, e.g. Cadbury's in Bournville or the Wellcome Trust. In the US, Ford wanted to ensure his employees could afford the cars they made.

 

[Kevin Conville]

"Is Nikon done with Alphas"​

Who can say for sure. I know I am.
Maybe Nikon is more focused on the meat and potatoes part of the sport optics market and decided to leave to L, S, and Z to convince the public who's caviar is the freshest.
For my part, I like the Monarch MHG (8x42 in my case) better than the high priced spread for their lighter weight, wider field, and smaller form all with optics that deliver a brilliant image.

Nikon's woes regarding sport optics has mostly been caused by their horrendous marketing. There is no doubt, to me, that they can compete with anyone's products optically. And have. But they are goofy about their advertising, getting the right products into people's hands, and short model life.

 

[Kevin Conville]

That said, even in England there is a tradition of socially responsible capitalism, e.g. Cadbury's in Bournville or the Wellcome Trust. In the US, Ford wanted to ensure his employees could afford the cars they made.

Yeah Ford said that. He later came to think Hitler was an OK guy and was on to something. He was "cooperative" with Herr Fuhrer regarding Ford
Germany. A somewhat outspoken anti-semite as well.

 

[Pinewood]

Yes, and Ford was against labour unions and employed violence against unions.

Stay safe,
Arthur