Why are all cameras Japanese?

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Tony Northrup digs into why all the most successful camera companies, including Sony, Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, Olympus, Pentax, and Fujifilm, are Japanese. The answer is complex, with 4 major turning points:
1) In the 1940s, WWII's divided occupation of Germany set it back, while the United States' occupation of Japan seems to have helped the Japanese camera companies
2) In the 1950s, the Korean war brought many photojournalists to the US-occupied Japan, and David Douglas Duncan, in particular, had great success with Japanese lenses on their Leica cameras. In the US, Joe Erinreich promoted Nikon heavily.
3) In the 1990s and 2000s, US digital camera companies (such as Kodak and Polaroid) failed to transition to the digital era.
4) In the 2010s, the transition from conventional cameras to smartphones saw non-Japanese camera companies (such as Samsung) exit the market. Japanese camera companies didn't have the freedom to easily exit the industry because of the legal challenges around layoffs.
Sources
* Software is second class: • Why Japanese Technolog...
* This discussion www.photo.net/...
* Ehrenreich: www.nytimes.co...
www.klassik-cam...
* By User:52 Pickup - Based on map data of the IEG-Maps project (Andreas Kunz, B. Johnen and Joachim Robert Moeschl: University of Mainz) - www.ieg-maps.uni-mainz.de., CC BY-SA 2.5, commons.wikime...
* By Yokosuka City Council - Welcome Yasuura House in Red Fox, Public Domain, commons.wikime...

[@peterrebhahn1113]

I'm 66 years old and found this video very interesting, partly because I've lived through most of what Tony discusses. My first camera was a Pentax Spotmatic purchased in my teens. I cannot put into words the joy that mechanical camera and the chromes (slides) it created brought to me. The stuff we buy gets improved, but not our experience of life.

[@rogerwilliamson7161]

Stimmt!

[@erikvalkman9640]

Minolta man here. Very well articulated! 🎯

[@z3r0ph84]

My first camera was also a Pentax (Spotmatic F) and I’ve stayed with Pentax my whole life. It does limit what is really available but for landscape photography or Astro photography is match my Pentax with any other brand.

[@kenroman777]

I had an SRT 101 that I worked all summer to afford.

[@KudoYoung]

well put good sir

[@jwzerbe]

After watching this history lesson and reading some of the comments, I've sort of come to the conclusion that the Japanese camera manufacturers are trying to keep the cameras as simple/specialized as possible in the compute area. I think that if they chose to put a droid os in the camera, the compute hardware would be outdated too quickly. A 10 year old digital camera can still take great pictures. My 10 year old I-Pad can't even be update with patches anymore. I think the better route is maybe improve on camera/cell phone interfaces so that the compute aspects of the cell phone can be upgraded over time but let the phone still talk to what will become the older cameras. The concept of Sony cameras using the phone's gps to add that data to photos is very good. It just doesn't seem to be implemented very well. We keep complaining about how the display on cameras these days may or may not flip/rotate/have good touch screen menus, etc. My droid based phone has all of those things. It just doesn't interface with the camera all that well.

[@todddammit4628]

I'm not sure if its intentional, or they all just are terrible at software. But they 100% should make camera's Android based.

[@unstanic]

@@todddammit4628 The day cameras ship with Android, I will throw up.

[@todddammit4628]

@@unstanicWell you clearly have never used one.

[@unstanic]

@@todddammit4628 If I hadn't I wouldn't have such a strong opinion :P

[@todddammit4628]

@@unstanic sure. Which camera did you use then?

[@LIJ]

Loved this video! Very interesting research. As an American living in Japan, I think you've nailed it. My Japanese friends working for these big companies know that they make great products, but also know that they are behind when it comes to software. A company that's able to marry the two and keep it together could very well win out in the long run.

[@brendanfr]

its such a shame samsung stepped out, because they wouldve done it SUPER well. my S21 has pretty damn average phone camera specs for 2021, a 1/1.7" sensor, f1.8, yknow, what everyone has now. but my god... the pictures just blow my mind with the detail and color and whatnot. imagine samsung doing their processing magic on APS-C and full frame

[@HappyHubris]

@@brendanfr Yeah, my budget Pixel phone pulls of Amazing shots with its tiny sensor even against my full frame camera, in certain circumstances.

[@alexb.8251]

Dear Tony, you forgot soviet photo industry. FED, Zorky and Kiev rangefinders, Zenit SRL's were produced in millions and exported in many countries. For example Zenit E- srl serie (1970-s) were produced in 12 millions. And this industry died in 1990-s. Now Krasnogorsky mechanical factory which produced Zorky and Zenit cameras is still producing some lences for cameras (Zenitar), but the main production of the factory is a military optical equipment

[@shawnbarry5553]

The portrayal of the Soviets "stealing" camera designs and manufacturing processes while praising Japan for doing the exact same thing through Kaizen is a little disingenuous. The fact that the West specifically banned Soviet products inherently limited their market reach, not the fact that the Russians didn't know what they were doing. I would have appreciated a more well-rounded examination of this, but capitalism runs deep and distorts history.

[@davidroseman3287]

@@shawnbarry5553 He didn’t say the Soviets stole designs, he said they stole entire factories. In Canada and in Europe it was possible to buy Soviet equipment (cars, cameras, watches, etc). Their optics were quite good, but obviously their equipment coiuld never measure up to that produced in Japan or in Germany.

[@memathews]

My first SLR camera was a Zenit-E. It took nice, sharp photos, but it was a bit clunky with a manual appetite stop-down and other odd features.

[@alexb.8251]

@@davidroseman3287 What you mean by “stole” ? Germans invaded Soviet Union, destroyed hundreds cities and hundreds thousands of villages, killed 20 millions of civil peoples, destroyed thousands of factories... And after victory soviet government took equipment from german factories to restore a bit of economics ruined by germans? It called indemnity

[@davidroseman3287]

@@alexb.8251 I didn't say anything - I was merely correcting the paraphrasing of the video. Since you raise it though technically, it was stealing. Whether morally justified is an entirely different matter. When a starving person steals a loaf of bread it is not immoral. In terms of history, Stalin killed millions of people and crushed the spirit of his people. And Mao killed more people than Stalin and the Nazis combined. And yes, the Cambodians were possibly in some ways the most vicious of all. None of this has anything to do with camera production, however.

[@kaminobatto]

Wow! This is why I LOVE both Tony and Chelsea! They have one of very few channels that do this kind of deep dive and analysis in the industry and that is always worth the like button! Awesome content!

[@VacMaster1991]

I am a big fan of Japanese craftsmanship. From cameras , lenses cars and kitchen knives. Batteries to. I always look for Japanese manufacturered Batteries when I need replacements.

[@10rollsoffilm11]

Really interesting topic, great stuff Tony! Another important factor that helped Japanese companies 'copy and improve' upon the German designs (by Leica, Rollei, Zeiss, etc) was that a lot of German patents were put into public domain post-WWII, which made copying easy and legal + it allowed Japanese companies to channel more of their resources into improving the designs (see the history of Nikon's rangefinder 50mm f/1.4, a copied and improved Zeiss Sonnar).

[@chrisbaudeg3233]

Indeed, Agfa > Ansco

[@richardt1792]

One thing I would like to add is the work of Mr William Edwards Demings. He was an American engineer that went to Japan after WWII and introduced TQM, total quality management. Something that many of us has been trained in it at our workplace. It was a program that helped develop Japan as a country that produced products of amazing quality. TQM not only improved cameras, it is why for decades, Americans preferred Japanese cars, stereos, and other electronics.

[@jackkraken3888]

I remembering studying this in years ago and largely forgot this aspect but over time I began remembering parts. I still remember reading about how Japan before occupation wasn't that different from China in making poor quality knockoffs and it's really strange how this point seems largely omitted when we talk about Japan, as if they always made high quality electronics. I wonder if this also contributed negatively in some ways as well as their work ethic is kinda weird and even dangerous sometimes, like their Japanese culture didn't properly mix with capitalism and you end up with some strange hybrid.

[@richardt1792]

@@jackkraken3888 I suspect that Deming saw plenty of examples of Japanese craftsmanship from making swords to making sushi but it didn't transfer to a factory environment. The U.S. was putting out better assembly line products. When the Demings approach was applied to a culture that had high attention to detail standards, Japan produced superior manufactured goods. Some cultures are simply far more meticulous than others. Do you want a Swiss watch of an American made watch?

[@jackkraken3888]

@@richardt1792 I can definitely see your point about meticulousness.

[@elinavance3476]

Thank you, for your knowledge, I never heard about William Edwards Demings. Very interesting!

[@timexkills65]

We basically said you can’t build military equipment so they made civilian equipment. Like Mitsubishi made war planes before cars .

[@TonyAndChelsea]

This was part of it… Americas best minds were building military weapons.

[@rainerbuesching1]

Thanks for these insights. But I am glad Sony, Fuji, Canon, Nikon won't go into "computational photography" anytime soon. I do use my smartphone for photos - where did I park my car - but when a "real" camera is involved, photographing becomes addiction, art, life for me.

[@Loanshark753]

Most smartphone camera sensors are made by Sony and Samsung. So Sony is enabling computational photography by providing camera sensors and lidar sensors. Including high framerates.

[@CyberEditing]

Fascinating history! Great video.👍

[@NefHack]

I love the way you explain history. Make more content like this

[@studioevision544]

Yessss

[@ShitStefanShoots]

Pretty close, but no cigar! The reason Japanese optical industry could "improve" on the German design was that - as a sort of "repair" payment - all German patents were declared void and everyone could have at it. This is a HUGE reason, why Nikkor lenses were "adapted" to Leica bodies in the 1950s. No grudge, though - being German myself I am using Nikon cameras since 1979 and my short stint with Leica only left bad memories ;o)

[@lsh7098]

Careful, the Leica cult will come for you

[@maxdmachy]

Which products displeased you? I think many products are awesome haptically and quality wise. Letdowns were the early SL bodies, zoom lenses and the f2.0 was it 40mm, designed by Minolta for the Leica CL

[@ShitStefanShoots]

@@maxdmachy I had a Leica M2 with 2/35, 2/50 and 2.8/90 in the late 80s/mid 90s as well as a M Monochrom (in 2018) with a 1,4/50 ASPH. It's just not my kind of camera and the "superior quality" is just rubbish. The M Monochrom has a horrible menu system and the rear monitor is a joke. I shot several models in parallel with the M M and my D610 (also 24 MP) and the Nikkor 1,4/50. You can't tell which camera took what picture. Expensive stuff forcing you to work very slow without any benefit whatsoever.

[@waltermayr339]

@@ShitStefanShoots When I - a now 76-year-old photographer - put a negative, which was photographed with the Leica M2 and the Summicron 35mm, into the enlarger, I could immediately notice the increase in precision compared to Nikon.

[@ShitStefanShoots]

@@waltermayr339 whatever .... I had it all, analog and digital, and Nikon is the better tool for my photography.

[@wichersham]

I am Japanese and an avid photographer for the past 20 years. A very well known story of Japanese camera manufacturer dominance in the world, at least among us in Japan, is Leica M3. After WWII, Japanese camera manufacturers chased after German cameras and trying to match. When Leica M3 came out, the camera was so advanced and years ahead of cameras from Japan at that time. This pushed Japanese manufacturers to give up rangefinder system and go into a completely different camera system, you guess it, SLR. The rest is history. BTW, Japan had some excellent glass companies even before WWII. For example, Nikon made a gun scope for Zero fighters because Nikon was a part of Mitsubishi congromarit (and still is) who built Zero fighters. After WWII, all those military companies were banned to continue their military business and had to switch to commercial commodities like camera. These are all very well known stories among us. Hope this gives our version of the story to you all!😀

[@j.m.gratton6000]

The Japanese approach and culture are things that I prize, and that is why I will never part with the Made in Japan Nikon gear that I've accumulated over my life. I still use my D3/D3x/D4 and D800E for my work. I even made sure to buy a Z6 since it was also made in Japan. I have everything I need for whatever job I take on. I've invested in excellent gear from the get-go and it has paid off multiple times. Why would I sell this stuff? It still renders wonderful output and this gear continues to meet my professional and personal needs. Cheers and happy shooting!

[@MMaven]

Really interesting! Thank you, Tony!

[@theDanDeleon]

We miss you, man.

We miss you. We miss your reviews. R5 and R6 still waiting ;)

[@UnfairCrow23]

The shift to autofocus was also a big deal. That was when Canon and Nikon started pulling ahead of other Japanese manufacturers.

[@shashankkatiha9439]

Germany's technological legacy was to compete economically with products from US, Britain and Russia. But Japan's technologjcsl legacy was to make best quality product and make it cheap enough to be affordable to any consumer. What Japan can make and sell at home is yet more advanced than what Germany just can make and end up preserving in a lab as prototype or concept.

[@lattesweden]

Though Sonys own mobiles (which originates from their purchase of the Swedish Ericsson mobile division) don't do so well in sales numbers, they have their sensor division that has half the world market for sensors and is used by many top mobile brands like Apple for instance. Also on the sensor side Sony sensors are used by most other brands fully, or in some models. Sony sensors can be found in brands like: Pentax, Nikon, Hasselblad, Phase One, Panasonic, Leica, Olympus, Sigma, Fuji (and even Canon on the 1-inch side) and by Sonys own camera division off course (which originates from their purchase of Konica Minoltas camera division). So Sony is like the digital Kodak, they make the digital "film" for most others and also some cameras of their own.

[@zen_of_chloe]

Sudden nostalgia when my Ricoh SLR shows up as the “perfected” SLR design. I won’t argue. That camera worked for me for decades, and I never stopped loving it, I just outgrew it.

[@SMoeun-zs9ji]

One point to be considered is that Japan has applied the concept of Total Quality Management by William Edwards Deming. That's one of the reasons why Japan's economy grew fast and well-known for the quality.

[@stevearita3267]

Excellent video! I guess I had a sense of how Canon and Nikon rose as good camera companies, but understanding how world events shaped japanese vs german cameras and development was really fascinating! Thank you for doing this video!

[@GrandpaTom]

Tony, You are an impressive guy! Wow what a great video!! I loved it and learned a lot.

[@romanlukomskiy5657]

It's not the tech, its the people. As younger generations lack interest/concern for origins/craftsmanship and pursue instant gratification, the value of pure/real craftsmanship/product is diminished. Today most people are just as satisfied with a fake an a real image, even fewer could tell the difference.

[@romanpul]

I think there are some good reasons for why there are so little computational photography features on ILC-styled cameras compared to smartphones. First of all there is the insensitive. Smartphones are primarily geared towards snapshot photography and users don’t want to put too much thought into what they are doing. Hence a lot of control is handed over to automatization. With ILCs it’s the other way round. They are specifically made to give maximum control over your workflow. Another important point is hardware. ILCs have much longer development cycles than smartphones. You’ll see smartphones with all new processors with bleeding edge technology every year. Cameras on the other hand have a hardware lifecycle of about four years, which means that the processor chosen for it, will be a couple of years old upon release. And up until recently most manufacturers also settled with “established” choices for their processors. So cameras simply didn’t have the juice to drive any complicated AI processing internally. But to come back to my first point, I don’t think you can go about computational photography for ILCs the same way as for smartphones. For smartphones a do-all-the-work AI approach is acceptable and in many cases wanted by the consumer, ILCs would rather need a more assisting approach. And we are already seeing stuff like this, for example with AI assisted subject detection for AF

[@Lauren_C]

To add to this, a lot of the “compute” bit is also manually handled in editing by the professionals/amateurs, often on a system with a lot more general purpose computing power than a smartphone. Honestly, hobbyist/pro photographers are probably really not a large market, and everyone else finds their smartphone camera fits their use case better than whatever cheap point and shoots they used to buy. Most people are looking to solidify memories, not create art.

[@slr7075]

It's also less expensive to design and manufacture smaller sensor cameras compared to huge ILC sensors.

[@tomwhite160]

Fascinating to watch and learn! THANK YOU!

[@madmechanic7641]

Always hated history at school Tony, But I sat and listened to every word of this.. Brilliant

[@SIMKINETICS]

I bought a Minolta SR-T 101 in 1969 as a present to my wife. It worked flawlessly at least until my (ex) wife replaced it with a DSLR a dozen years ago, despite being banged around for decades. The optics were first-rate, and the photos rarely were exposed incorrectly! How many products last 4 decades with great performance & no malfunction or repair?

[@rogerisaacs5160]

Interesting ideas, thanks. In the last year Japan has shown leadership in computational photography. Sony, Canon (et al) now have features where you can set the camera to locate, track and focus automatically on an animal's eye or head (human, bird, mammal etc), and track & focus on things like motorbike or racecar driver helmet have been added. The canon R3 allows setting focus on an object by looking at the object in the view finder. I'm excited about trying photography of birds in flight again, having the camera locate, track and focus on the eye of a fast flying bird is a huge benefit.

[@aakashshukla2055]

I am with Japan to not switch between Software rather than Hardware, In This day's smartphone and camera use software to optimized image. It's not ideal for creative Field. More likely I would prefer hardware integration rather than software.

[@amermeleitor]

I asked this a time ago. The video is excellent, much better than I would expect. The cultural and historic aspects of Japan are a big difference from west countries that I haven't thought about.

[@ЭтоДрючинский]

Let me one one thing regarding east-Germany. Russians didn't take all the equipment to USSR - eastern part of Zeiss remained operational under another name (google it - it's interesting story) and that's there's weird "Carl Zeiss Jena" names etc. They kept making glass soon after the war. Also there was Pentacon factory too, not sure when did they establish but it seems they have the same roots. So eastern manufacturers remained alive too, but didn't succeed as much, partially because they haven't much money to improve, partially because they weren't much wellcomed by western market because they had their own allies' products. And, you know - I do like Japanese don't go "computational photography" route - leave us something real). But fingerpring scnner.. Yeah, that could be great!

[@macjeffff]

Apple also owns LOTS of patents for computational photography. They're not the only one, but it makes it doubly hard for companies like Canon and Nikon. They either have to license from Apple ( impossible or unaffordable), or invent work arounds that don't infringe on the patents. Very difficult!

[@bobsykes]

This was a facinating one, especially the majority of the production that's about history. Indeed, I (63 y.o.) used Nikon cameras and thier beautiful early lenses for decades. My viewpoint diverges from yours near the end. Yes, I have an iPhone Pro, and it's amazing for what a little thing in my back pocket can do. But I don't want my photos to all look like a postcard from the '80's. Leica M and Hasselblad X1D cameras make photos that to me, look like photos! I'll never trade that for "computational photoagraphy." The resurgence of film with younger folks, mostly using spectactular optics from the old medium format days, suggests that people can see what you can do with great optics, and it is a radically different thing than the great things you can do with the best cell phone cameras.

[@genebraaksma]

Great video Tony, as a young boy growing up in the 50s and 60s I lived through all that you talked about include Kodaks cheap 126 cameras. My first camera by the way and the Japanese companies dominating the 35mm market With a Minolta rangefinder being my first 35mm and a Pentax Spotmactic being my second. Still own the Pentax to this day and it still works. I'm now a Canon guy with several Canon DSLRs under my belt. Hoping to get a good used Canon 5D mk3 soon. I feel my skills have advanced a lot through the years but oh those years roll by. Thank you and Chelsea for a great informational site. Love watching your videos. My main focus is bird and landscape photography. Thanks again Gene.

[@larry4209]

Very interesting, and to anyone who agrees, I highly recommend reading up on the history of Polaroid. As part of their dismantling at the hands of corporate raiders, Polaroid decided to scrap the film business with the rise of digital. They projected how long the film business would last, cranked up production to build a multi-year supply, then scrapped the equipment, people, and factories that produced the film. A few years go by, they see there is still a demand for film, and they have no way of bringing back what they killed off.

[@youarenotaghost3702]

I think it's correct I view Kodak as a film company that also sell cameras, buts it's Polaroid who really lock you into their cameras. Also, the war was going to end shortly, before the bombs were dropped.

[@adamevans1989]

It's a similar transition in the watch industry, the Swiss were seen as cheap knockoff producers of British and French watches. Then the Japanese were seen as knockoff of Swiss watches and now arguably make better watches than the Swiss.

[@chafrewilcha]

WOW! One of the BEST dissertations on any subject that I've here anywhere at anytime! SUPERB Tony!!!

[@RFGfotografie]

This demands a whole documentary, this is like a simple recap. A very good one though.

[@Feniche17]

These are my favorite videos you guys produce- the last 3 min or so explains a lot… still hard to wrap my head around it though. If software development is not respected it’s hard to fathom how they square that with a world hell bent on putting computers in everything. Explains why most Japanese cars are (mostly) behind the 8-ball when it comes to infotainment…Lexus’ still have track pads in them!

[@Knowbody42]

I actually prefer cars to not have too many computers in them. Also, one of the differences between German engineering and Japanese engineering is that Germans tend to make overly complicated designs, which are difficult/expensive to fix when they break. Whereas Japanese like to make designs that do the job just as well, but with a simpler design that's easier to fix.

[@Feniche17]

@@Knowbody42 Reply I don’t understand, German cars are incredibly durable and a cinch to maintain (I’m joking of course). On the all I agree with you, I love a “driver’s car” without too much tech interference, but my point was inline w/ what the last points of the video-good hardware, but lacking software innovation. Where I will hand it to Canon et al. is that not all photogs want bleeding edge tech in their workhorse cameras… but I think there’s a middle ground and most companies seem unwilling to go there. Many professionals might not care, but I would like to see these companies innovate lines that do take some risks that push the industry forward.

[@GavinBuffett]

Interesting summary. I live in Japan and worked for Canon for a few years. The software point at the end really is true. Making things, monotsukuri, is highly revered. Of all camera companies in Japan probably Fujifilm is best placed to reinvent itself as a force in healthcare.

[@todddammit4628]

I've thought about this, and I think we need to do something about this at the national level. The U.S. really should have some amount of sensor and optics manufacturing domestically for national security.

[@thomasfx3190]

I’m 56 and my parents only shot instamatic & super 8 with Kodak film. I started with 120, 110 & disc film eventually jumping to digital in 2003. I’ve since been shooting on Nikon DSLR and older Nikon SLR film cameras like the F80.

[@nateiverson8681]

Nice video! I would argue that the switch to mirrorless is the first step to computational photography. So I don't think I agree 100% on that point. However, could have done more and acted more quickly. Hopefully Nikon lights a fire under the computational photography strategy for Sony & Canon who could have started years ago 😁

[@markrash9826]

Japanese cultural norms as camera production determinants, applied similarly to other countries' manufacturing designs and goals. An informed view on the evolution of consumer goods. Thank you Tony.

[@raevn11]

Thank you for putting in the leg-work and giving us a quick ed. Interesting topic.

[@EricGibaud]

I do not always agree with you, and sometimes I have serious critics about you, but I must say that this is one of your most interesting video. Congrats Tony.

[@Shrave]

Well, this video has indeed been one big "fun fact!" Good stuff!

[@downloadzy]

I think the camera sensor in most flagship phones and budget too using sony IMX XXX RS sensors from Japan, including Apple 13 Pro Max and Google pixel 6 pro, you can discover it yourself :), Samsung making sensors too, but in term of image quality, it can't compared with Sony latest IMX sensors., this my personal opinion after short research.

[@dps6198]

My Dad was stationed on Japan during the 1950s after the Korean war. Leica's were not expensive back then as they are now. He bought his from a camera shop while in Tokyo. He still had the original box, manuals and sales slip. The price he paid back then and adjusted for inflation wasn't more than $200 in today's money. After Dad died I asked mom what happened to the camera. She told me he sold it to an engineer at NASA that he knew and was happy with what he sold it for. My Dad is no fool when it comes to money and I am sure he haggled a good price. Dad also had a Kodak from the same mid-1950s time frame. We don't know where that camera is and its likely that he sold it to one of his colleagues. After all parents are not legally obligated to leave their children property, real or personal, nor cash. It was his property to do with as he chose. I am quit happy with my Canon EOS R and unless someone leaves me a Leica in their will I won't be bothered one bit if I never own one.

[@stevew4691]

But don't forget the experience of using a camera. Using a phone and or software just isn't the same feeling as using a dedicated camera and lenses. I think of photography as art, and a camera as the brush.

[@KaptainCanuck]

Good food for thought. My martial arts grandmaster is an iSheep (anti-Asian in many ways) and always likes to make "Must be Japanese." comments when I take time for manual photos. The second time he said it, my comeback was that almost all cameras are Japanese and most cannot afford Hasselblad. Whenever I listen to these videos, I see Captain Kirk because of the Kirkspeak.

[@govaire]

I absolutely love the passion you display when presenting videos like this. Thank you for all the detail and effort it takes in order to inform the world in this way. Cheers.

[@Photojouralist123]

My father was on Gen MacAruther's team in occupied Japan and help write the consitution of japan

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Wow

[@Alexander.Portnoy]

Thank you for this excellent analysis and historic excourse!!! 👍🏻

[@bumbhir]

sony still makes sensors for iphones... so i guess they are doing fine with the hardware side of things

[@nerucheung]

so basically, Japan is great at taking someone's 'failed' idea and making it work and better

[@nmelcam1]

Hi Tony, to me computational photography should not be part of professional cameras. We have all seen iPhones and Galaxy phones do the software bokeh there the software determines that a lady's purse, a brooch, a part of a shirt or a pant if not part of the desired focal point and blur that out insanely. Imagine charging a customer hundreds or thousands of dollars and when you open the images, most of them are incorrectly blurred as opposed to a lens that does it as physical light travels though it as it is focused at a set distance where everything else away from that focal point gets blurred. Phones still have a long way to go to reach a point where they can do this by software and get 100% results, even a 90% efficiency will be unreliable for a professional photographer as one of those 10% images will most likely be the one that you needed, Like when you take 20 photos but that one that would've been the dream shot, you didn't focus correctly, but in that case it's ones fault and not the cameras software or lens :-) LOL

[@jackkraken3888]

Maybe it can have other uses?

[@BizAndProductReviews]

This is by far one of the most enjoyable videos that you have on your channel. Photography is very intertwined with storytelling and this episode was extremely interesting. The sad thing is that I was one of those people who bought a Samsung camera and even though they looked nice, they were crap and didn't get any support. Till this day, I refuse to buy Samsung products because I don't like companies that don't have good support.

[@truthsurfer808]

Fascinating information! Thanks for sharing!

[@stebobrown2893]

Really enjoyed this presentation. I kinda lived a lot of the history you gave us. My 1st 35mm was a Kodak Retina Reflex and then discovered Nikon when I moved to Japan. Been Nikon for 5 decades. Thanks for sharing your research, I hope to see more like this.

[@petouser]

Many Japanese people love cameras and photography. And I think that's another reason why camera companies are continuing. Look at Fujifilm. Only the Instax division is profitable. Otherwise the company is mostly making money thanks to chemicals and pharmacy. But cameras are like a hobby to them!

[@sazabi-zc3ir]

You missed the point. The only reason that Japan wins in the camera development was they built the TTL auto focusing system, and make it reliable and cheap enough to mass produce. Germany and America never made such in consumer products. Zeiss / Contax can build auto focus SLR and Rangefinder only because of Yashica, and Kodak can only do it with Nikon.

[@nelsonsousa3150]

Actually, Contax was the first creator of an autofocusing system, and it worked properly. But they thought their clients didn't want that and just dismissed it. Soon after Minolta created their own, which didn't work that well, but they kept insisting, along with the other Japanese brands, and mostly all the market went for it. Curiously, decades later Contax went for it in their 35mm film cameras, and invented yet another autofocusing system where the film plane moved, so their users could go on with their great manual focusing lenses ...and it also worked!

[@rickysunshen5504]

Learned a lot from this video thank you very much. keep this up!

[@DJVARAO]

Excellent work, Tony. In the case of Kodak, I believe they killed the digital camera because of the massive profit margins they had from their monopoly on chemical-based films and related businesses.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Check out our Kodak History video, we go deep into this

[@EthosAtheos]

A perfect example of a company that dominates a space that can't see the market shift. Kodak built some of the best digital cameras early on. They were modified Nikon and Canon cameras. Kodak squandered the opportunity to become the biggest camera company in the world again.

[@kunsama]

“NneeKon “ like kneekon as in Neekon with same as “Nneekor. Both with correct pronounciaton is kneeKor and kneeKon as in Nippon “prouunced as KneePon.= kneepon and Kneeponese = Japanese correct is kneeKor and KneeKon

[@nafnaf0]

Thank you Tony and Chelsea, a very interesting video. This is something I wondered about myself

[@michaelajoseph6856]

This was very interesting! Thank you Tony!

[@TonyAndChelsea]

My pleasure!

[@nazukeoya]

I started selling cameras in 2005 at Best Buy when digital started to really take over, and I saw first hand the demise of Kodak. Then when Kodak finally jumped into the digital camera game it was just too late. We started selling their digital cameras and they were awful. To be fair though, Samsung digital cameras were terrible too.

[@AndrewWertheimer]

Interesting but a few more missing points from your history: 1) role of JCII camera industry to set quality standards (think of those QC stickers), 2) end of German patents after WWII, 3) quality of Japanese education in physics (lenses) and engineering, 4) GHQ policy during the occupation and how it controlled factories, especially during the break-ups of Zaibatsu, 5) short-term profit thinking of American companies, 6) Japanese banking and aversion to bankruptcy in Japan, 7) Role of MITI, 8) other Japanese camera companies who showed inventiveness in early days - even if short-lived, 9) the companies that opened up American divisions …. And also the intelligence and passion of Japanese photographers and camera magazines that expected quality gear. Good subject more exploration.

[@NikCan66]

Brilliant historical information and the effects of the wider camera industry up to this day.

[@dennisharris144]

If Japan could figure out how to marry the best of computational and "real" cameras then they would own the market. Although it may be difficult to get real photographers who think they fro know everything to make the switch to auto.

[@wadya]

No more TV in your back? Congratulations now you can think Tony.

[@Anghor]

Great video. Hope its just a beginning and you will dive deeper into particular companies, breakthroughs etc. Such historical content (and context) is so great! Thanks :) My only issue is map after II WW - Poland definitely didn't (and still doesn't) look like that after 1945 :-)

[@Nordic_Lite]

It sure doesn't. I am looking and thinking, like, what is that country in between the two "Polands"..))

[@keith819]

What an amazing video, I definitely didn't expect this much history

[@markpeterson3400]

I love the history of photography, this was a great video.

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Thanks so much!

[@KM-qd4kf]

Certainly the US was instrumental in the occupying & determining Japan’s post war direction. However, the US also had allies who did their share of heavy lifting and made up one third of the total occupation force between 1946 & 1952. Britain, Australia, NZ & India formed BCOF, British Commonwealth Occupation Force. I get it that this is about photography but when one’s country is excluded from what was a critical post war mission it is only reasonable to right the record. I knew men who were part of BCOF & their service deserves to be remembered.

[@clm765]

I found this to be an interesting history lesson. I really appreciate the perspective on software and perception. Am I the only viewer that was distracted by the footage @13:39?

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Haha yeah that’s some awful b-roll haha

[@juiceboyxd9310]

Absolutely Fascinating. The tables really turned a couple times.

[@josephedwardnancheta3286]

Thank you for making this short informative video. I am now in my 60s and I have held cameras (stills & videos) since I was 5yrs old. It is only now that I am enlightened about this camera industry. Thank you.

[@big_mon1]

This is very interesting on so many levels. I retired from the US Navy in 2014, my last duty station is Japan and I still currently live and work here in Japan. I can attest to the fact that Japan is behind in software. Companies still use computers that were made 10 to 15 years ago and they still use fax machines. They would prefer to use a fax over sending documents electronically.

[@chadbizeau5997]

Like American doctors offices...at least mine lol

[@big_mon1]

@@chadbizeau5997 🤣🤣🤣

[@ChuckVenter]

@@chadbizeau5997 A fax transmission is seen as more secure because it goes point to point across the phone system. I think that's a big reason why they are still in use for medical and legal purposes.

[@leonardbernardo2145]

This is the type of content you used to make that made me subscribe with you a few years back. I love this.

[@MarlonSardini]

Insanely interesting, thanks a lot for this content!

[@KeithSklower]

I can offer an example of the copy-and-improve philosophy being applied to musical instruments - Yamaha (Perhaps more known for motorcycles in the public mind than musical instruments actually has been making instruments since 1883, and its logo, even for motorcycles is 3 interlocked tuning forks) - offers professional oboes in two styles - the 841, which is very like the Loree oboes that used to dominate North America, and the 831 which is very much like Rigotaut, which had been #1 in Europe for a long time. The are such good instruments that the entire oboe section of the Philadelphia Orchestra played on them, in the not-to-distant past.

[@KeithSklower]

Oh, yeah, and some of the Yamaha flutes are quite similar in design to Powell flutes (a US company, and very highly regarded).

[@Indrikmyneur]

But still despite the mobile phone revolution, Japan & Germany are the only countries manufacturing real lenses; meaning lenses for fullframe or crop sensors. I always wondered why is that. Is the lens so manufacturing difficult that starting a new factory is not commercially viable?

[@muzlee7479]

the big companies have a good 100 year head start in manufacturing lenses. It's a really big risk to enter that market. There are a couple tho, 7artisans a chinese lens manufacturer makes cheap manual lenses for sony and some other systems (like 50mm f1.2 for $100, full metal housing), Samyang is also a pretty big one from korea.

[@jamesv.wilkerson30]

Very interesting. Thanks for nerding out.

[@rooper.9102]

Tony you should say "U.S.", not "we", because this part of history had nothing to do with you, and it sound a bit silly to say "we" in this context anyway. You are not U.S you're just you. there is a difference there :-) But great video and good work there!

[@InakaAdventure]

I live in Japan and even though everything is made it, sucks to shop for cameras here. There is a in country markup that makes everything about 20% more expensive, and for inferior products (for example buying a sony in Japan is usually locked to Japanese only, the very same camera in the US will have 26 languages, including Japanese). When I wanted the SH1, it would have been cheaper to fly to Hawaii and buy it there rather than in Japan, because of this I didnt get it and ended up with an A7siii, which again was more expensive and lacking features compared to buying in US

[@philhodgkinson1460]

Yes I love Yr video too....the historical context is so so valuable....for all associated with Photography whether amateur or pro.... or indeed just Joe Bloggs or Jon doe... and the ladies too.......

[@AndrisLelisTravelChanel]

Latvian Minox was very popular between two wars as the most smallest camera.

[@roderickwho1983]

You could be describing the British motorcycle industry of the 1960's and 70s. :-( Also East Germany and Russia were making SLRs in the 1970s - Practika and Zenith. My Zenith-E destroyed several rolls of film on me. I reckon because it was Stalinist and I myself was a Trotskyist at the time. Thanks Tony.

[@nerdnam]

It seems to me there are three basic kinds of cameras: cameras that you point at things. Cameras that you put on tripods. And cameras that you put to your eye. Of course SLRs and rangefinders can do all three. But looking through the viewfinder is really the heart of a handheld camera. IMO when manufacturers made 'entry level' cameras with poor or even no viewfinders, as in those point and shoots, they really shot themselves in the foot. You may as well just use a smartphone. A phone is simpler and easier to use, if you're just going to point at something. A handheld camera with a lens sticking out is a clumsy object for pointing at things. IMO viewfinders should be regarded as the most important aspect of a handheld camera and I am surprised that no reviewers seem to think it is. If manufacturers really want to compete with smartphones, they should never skimp on the viewfinder.

[@mattlaw1350]

I never thought of it that way. I think you are correct.

[@lindsaywebb1904]

Interesting point, but I wonder if this is a generational aspect. I see many good photographers weirdly pointing their expensive cameras at things with outstretched arms looking at the rear screen…perplexing I know.

[@chtwk3923]

So far the quality of the photos out of the computational photography is not superior to those out from the digital photography yet

[@TonyAndChelsea]

For typical consumers they are much better, based on our many side-by-side tests.

[@wallywo7392]

Tony this was brilliant, my favourite yet. More videos of similar content would be great!!!!

[@JayJanePhotography]

Whoa, it's pretty hard to swallow that phones tend to be more technologically advanced in terms of software and the one taking photos with a phone pays the one with a dedicated camera, which is quickly becoming less and less capable nowadays. Are mobile phone photographers going to earn more sooner or later?

[@TonyAndChelsea]

Most social media influencers use smartphones for all their photos and videos and many of them earn far more than professional photographers. Often they do have a dedicated photographer/videographer but they're using a smartphone.

[@hauke3644]

Thanks for your small history lessons! I am curious to see who and where will succeed integrating computational photography into real cameras, because that will be the key for the future. Still we have to admit that Olympus, which pioneered here a little bit, did not profit very much from that move.

[@salarycat]

Great video, lots of insight on the camera history there. About the market drop, pocket cameras with fixed lens have been replaced by smartphones, but the interchangeable camera sales have largely been unaffected. I don't see why all these cameras companies should exit the market altogether when they can focus on professional cameras, where most of their RnD is. For Samsung, it didn't make sense to spend resources there when their mobile phone business is multiple times more valuable. Canon and Nikon don't make mobile phones, and Sony's mobile market is nowhere close to Samsung's.

[@suvajeetdatta1220]

Can you imagine, Fujifilm + Google pixel level computational photography! Would have taken the world by storm. But it's a shame we'll never see that.

[@Nemastic]

Nice content, really miss the old higher quality footage you used to have though.