# Nikon Mitsubishi & Sony



## nda (Oct 27, 2012)

There something I have always found a little strange and that is, Nikon is owned by Mitsubishi but Nikon gets some of it's sensors from Sony who is a direct and major competitor to Mitsubishi! any body else find this a strange arrangement? ???


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## Menace (Oct 27, 2012)

It is not that uncommon - in the UK, Nikon and Seiko spectacle lens companies compete against each other for £s whilst in New Zealand both companies work together as its a much smaller optical market.

Different markets dictate different business synergies - companies do whatever it tke to make a profit


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Oct 27, 2012)

nda said:


> There something I have always found a little strange and that is, Nikon is owned by Mitsubishi but Nikon gets some of it's sensors from Sony who is a direct and major competitor to Mitsubishi! any body else find this a strange arrangement? ???


You need to study some more.
Nikon is a publically owned company, its owned by its shareholders. However, companies in Japan join loosely joined groups that have banded together in a group called a Keiretsu to support each other financially. 

The member companies own small portions of the shares in each other's companies, centered on a core bank; this system helps insulate each company from stock market fluctuations and takeover attempts, thus enabling long-term planning in innovative projects. It is a key element of the automotive industry in Japan. 

Back in the 1920's and 1930's these groups were monoploistic and were called zaibatsu.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keiretsu

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi


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## marekjoz (Nov 1, 2012)

As patents are a strong motivator for R&D investments, it happens, that they are against the market development. So I also hope here, that one day Canon, Nikon and Sony would exchange some of their patents when they will see, that it's harder and more expensive to offer a new real value to a final customer. If they can offer more for their customers in each new iteration of their products, it should be better for them, not worse. If changes introduced to new products don't justify significant money investment from the final customer, then the market shrinks as a whole as well. 

Maybe it's some solution for them to fight against the market stagnation? In the end, when there is a financial crisis, they together, as big players on the DSLR market, fight together for money against other goods' producers.


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## Nishi Drew (Nov 1, 2012)

You should read up on how just about every car manufacturer has a relation with one another, who owns who, and which cars and parts are sold under who's name, it's insane!


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## Jappe (Nov 3, 2012)

Mt Spokane Photography said:


> Back in the 1920's and 1930's these groups were monoploistic and were called zaibatsu.
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keiretsu



americans under occupation "demolished" those tradehouses that they would not cause thread for american companies so they would have time to catch the markets before there is competition from other countries  

Also Zeiss and Voigtländer are making co-operation. Since same factory manufactures both brands they are using same parts. Zeiss and Voigtländer Canon lenses have exactly same bayonet parts. I haven't opened lenses (yet), but maybe the electronics are same also in aperture controls?


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