With global
market trends tilting towards Mirrorless Full Frame cameras, Bhavya
Desai, Editor Asian Photography magazine, speaks with Mr. Haruto
Iwata, Managing Director, Fujifilm India about their medium format
camera, future plans, business model and more.
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At a time when manufacturers are
focusing on Full-frame, Fujifilm is going Medium format. What is the
reason for the same?
A camera is a tool for creating artwork
and the objective is to create photographs. Fujifilm has always stood
by this philosophy when manufacturing photographic equipments. The
entry point for the medium format has been high for so long and has
been alluring professionals for decades. We always want to supply the
best solution with the latest technology; Fujifilm wants to be in the
hands of everyday professionals.
We offer a wide range of cameras for both
professionals and amateurs including the X Series that has an APSC
sensor and GFX Series, which is a medium format camera with a sensor
1.7 times bigger than full frame size sensor (found in DSLR). Our GFX
range caters to the commercial photography segment and X Series
caters to amateurs and professionals looking for affordable cameras
offering great performance. Fujifilm will not be entering the
Full-Frame sensor market, as we have good APS-C and medium format
systems which is a good balance.
We
recently launched the GFX100 – world’s first consumer mirrorless
camera that supports a 102 Million Pixel sensor. With this launch, we
have achieved a great milestone in our digital camera business which
will further enhance our presence in the Digital Camera Market in
India.
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While Medium Formats that Fujifilm
offers are more economical as compared to the other competitors in
the segment, how do you feel the Indian Photographers are warming up
to this format?
The globalisation and democratisation in
the availability, access and practice of photography and videography
have made these (forms of) arts unique. Today, almost anyone with the
inclination can be a good visual artist and can make a statement.
Technology has been a great enabler, but this would be a rather
simplistic way to put it. The adoption of breakthrough technologies
and the adopters are playing an equal role in shaping not just the
evolution of these technologies, but also the landscape of its use,
over time.
Fujifilm’s medium format camera i.e.
the GFX series, not just caters to high-end professional users but
also other photography enthusiasts at the amateur level. The prime
target consumers for Fujifilm’s Medium format cameras are
professional photographers working in commercial industries like
fashion and advertising. This is for all the people who want more
details on their images; which are meant not to just stay on the
monitor but go beyond that.
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What is the company’s roadmap for
the coming year?
With over 80 years of existence, Fujifilm
has been a pioneer in imaging technology and has constantly displayed
an innovative line-up of products offering Imaging and Print-Related
Solutions for Consumers and Businesses.
We want to give the large number of
Indian photo lovers lots of different kinds of camera options. Over
the years, we have come up with some of the best-in-class technology.
With the launch of the GFX100, we achieved a great milestone in our
digital camera business, which will further enhance our presence in
the Digital Camera Market in India. Our Instax range of Instant
cameras has also gained much interest from young consumers who seek
to gain new experiences and find creative ways to enjoy photography.
We recently associated with Mr. Dabboo Ratnani to promote our GFX
range of cameras and Alia Bhatt to promote our Instax cameras.
In the coming year, we will be focusing
on expanding our range of products across categories. We will be
introducing new products for the Image Capturing Business like
X-Series range of mirrorless cameras and Instax range of Instant
Cameras alongside our Photo Imaging Business, which includes a range
of print solutions, especially for the wedding market. We will also
be focussing on strengthening our Medical division with the
introduction of highly advanced systems for the Healthcare Sector.
The Graphic Arts division will also see new products with our Wide
Format Ink Jet Printers. We aim to achieve double-digit growth this
year; for which we will be emphasizing on ‘Aggressive top and
bottom line performance’.
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With Fujifilm being primarily the
only brand when it comes to instant cameras these days, how has the
response for the Instax cameras been thus far?
Fujifilm’s Instant Camera range has
been a revelation for us in India, the selfie generation of the
country resonates deeply with our range of Instax cameras. The fact
that Fujifilm’s instant camera range starts at a very affordable
pricing in India, with the brightest and quirkiest designs, makes the
Instax line a popular gift for tweens and teens.
Instax has certainly come a long way,
ever since its launch back in 1998. Today, it is a global hit with a
presence in more than 100 countries and regions with approximately 40
million units sold worldwide. Its quirky design and retro look has
helped the brand carve a winning niche for itself.
In India, we further aim to enhance
awareness for Instax range of cameras through our strategic
collaborations with one of the most followed Indian celebrity, Alia
Bhatt. She perfectly complements the brand attributes of Instax,
which is indeed a charming product with which one can shoot, print,
and share an original instantly.
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While Fujifilm as a brand continues
to be great at designing and integrating products, have they
considered designing and manufacturing sensors? If not now then
maybe in the future?
Currently, there are no plans for this,
but we will keep you updated on this.
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Where do you think the next impetus
in the industry will come from?
The photography industry is changing
dynamically with each passing year. New applications, mobile apps and
printing technology are redefining the ways consumers experience
images. The Indian market for photo taking is growing exponentially
with the growth of DSLRs, Mirrorless cameras and smartphones.
Additionally, increasing interest in the market for better, more
intuitive and intelligent appliances that complement the evolving
lifestyles of people is opening a huge opportunity in our industry
for consumers who are looking to upgrade their style of capturing
moments. Fujifilm is strongly committed to the Indian market and has
contributed significantly towards delivering professional cameras to
not only experts but also camera enthusiasts. Hence, Fujifilm is
constantly bringing excellence to the imaging industry through rapid
innovations in technology.
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Do you see DSLRs running out of
system by the end of the year?
Currently, we are witnessing a radical
evolution in the digital camera market. The trend of using large,
complicated DSLR with a bag of heavy lenses is moving towards a
lightweight and compact range of mirrorless cameras. These range of
cameras is primarily being preferred due to their ease of use and
compact body. With faster performance and weight almost 50% lighter
as compared to a DSLR camera, mirrorless camera is a popular choice
among users.
Over the last five years, we have
witnessed a gradual shift from DSLR to mirrorless, which currently
stands at 20% share in value. We certainly expect the mirrorless
category to increase to 49% share in value by 2020. Fujifilm being a
pioneer in this segment certainly has very aggressive plans to
strengthen their position in the Indian mirrorless market. We plan to
capture 20% market share in the Indian mirrorless camera market in
the next 3 to 4 years promoting the X and GFX Series that continues
to evolve with outstanding image quality, fast speed and mobility.
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What
are the marketing plans that Fujifilm will undertake for the
upcoming festive season?
We plan to keep our digital media
channels booming with festive activities, we will continue to conduct
workshops, photo walks and touch and try sessions throughout the
country to educate people about our products and offerings.
In the coming festive season we have
various consumer offers that will excite our customers. In the X
Series range of cameras we have consumer offers, several kit combos
in each of the X-Series products this festive season.
