Contax no more: Kyocera terminates famous brand By
Michael R. Tomkins, The Imaging Resource (Tuesday, April 12, 2005 - 11:30 EDT)A terse press release today from Kyocera Corp. in Japan, translated on the Kyocera Global website, announces that the company is terminating its Contax brandname.
Shipment of Contax cameras, lenses and accessories will cease in September 2005 in most markets, with the Contax 645 system available in a few markets until December 2005. From that time, Kyocera will continue to provide after-sales service for a period of ten years from the discontinuation of each specific product.
The news shouldn't come as a surprise to Imaging Resource readers; we told you early last month that just such a move was on the way. The Contax brand isn't the first to stumble in a rapidly consolidating digital market, and it won't be the last. For anybody interested in the history of photography, though. Contax offered numerous interesting models in its long history, including the world's first full 35mm-frame digital SLR.
Original Source Press Release:
CONTAX-Branded Camera Business
(This document was translated from the Japanese press release.)
April 12, 2005 - Kyocera Corporation (President: Yasuo Nishiguchi, hereafter called "Kyocera") has decided to terminate CONTAX-branded camera business.
Although Carl Zeiss and Kyocera have entered into a long term co-operation regarding the development, production and sale of CONTAX-branded cameras, Kyocera has decided to terminate such business due to difficulties in catching up with the recent rapid market changes.
Consequently, Kyocera will terminate the shipment of CONTAX-branded cameras, and the exclusive lenses and accessories in September, 2005, except for the CONTAX 645 camera system, the shipment of which to some markets will come to an end in December, 2005.
Kyocera will continue to provide after-sales services to its customers for their CONTAX-branded cameras, and the exclusive lenses and accessories over the maximum period of ten years within the specified time of each model.
