Kodak Sells Image Sensor Business!

[lance_schad]

Just read that Kodak sold its Image Sensor Business to Platinum Equity. I am sure more details will surface, but here is the link to an article which has some information .
Two big players in MFD still rely heavily on Kodak, Hasselblad and Lecia.
Phase One has two models that still use the Kodak sensors, the P30+ and P45+, but all their newer systems are based around a co-developed Dalsa sensor.

Lance

[Erick Boileau]

Two big players in MFD still rely heavily on Kodak, Hasselblad and Lecia.

and Pentax 645D

[BernardLanguillier]

Two big players in MFD still rely heavily on Kodak, Hasselblad and Lecia.

And Pentax right, probably the largest of all in terms of sensors order volume.

Cheers,
Bernard

[Yanick Dery]

That is very sad for the industry.

I feel we are loosing all the player in the photography business one by one.

[Wayne Fox]

selling it to an equity company may not actually change much ...

[design_freak]

selling it to an equity company may not actually change much ...

It is unfortunately always the risk that the company changes its strategy. MFDB market may prove unattractive to new owners. It is always better to sell for the defense industry ... There turn billions, not millions.

[feppe]

It is unfortunately always the risk that the company changes its strategy. MFDB market may prove unattractive to new owners. It is always better to sell for the defense industry ... There turn billions, not millions.

Empty speculation. It is a "risk" always that a company changes its strategy, whether it's a private equity firm or Kodak itself. Besides, Kodak is in huge financial trouble, so the future of the sensor business would have been far from certain there.

And although I don't know, I'm 100% sure Kodak already sells sensors to the defense industry.

[design_freak]

Empty speculation. It is a "risk" always that a company changes its strategy, whether it's a private equity firm or Kodak itself. Besides, Kodak is in huge financial trouble, so the future of the sensor business would have been far from certain there.

And although I don't know, I'm 100% sure Kodak already sells sensors to the defense industry.

Sure, but this risk is higher when company change owner. 2000 matrix PA for MFDB it is not a lot.

[RFPhotography]

Kodak is dead, the body just hasn't been pronounced.

[Radu Arama]

Sure, but this risk is higher when company change owner. 2000 matrix PA for MFDB it is not a lot.

Pentax 645D: at least 6000 units per year: http://www.pentax.jp/japan/news/2010/201008.html later rumors and serial numbers suggest that Pentax increased production to 700 units per month so maybe closer to 8400 per year

Leica S2: 1000 units per year if I recall correctly Mr. Farkas' estimation
Hasselblad:

Total: very conservative 8-9k sensors or IMO a more realistic estimation well over 10K MF sensors made by Kodak in one year.

Radu

[design_freak]

Pentax 645D: at least 6000 units per year: http://www.pentax.jp/japan/news/2010/201008.html later rumors and serial numbers suggest that Pentax increased production to 700 units per month so maybe closer to 8400 per year

Leica S2: 1000 units per year if I recall correctly Mr. Farkas' estimation
Hasselblad:

Total: very conservative 8-9k sensors or IMO a more realistic estimation well over 10K MF sensors made by Kodak in one year.

Radu

Sorry but I don't think about Leica S2 as a MFDB. I know that pentax sell a lot, but this matrix is made only for them.

[telyt]

Sorry but I don't think about Leica S2 as a MFDB.

Your opinion isn't universal:

http://forum.getdpi.com/forum/showthread.php?t=31316

[Radu Arama]

Sorry but I don't think about Leica S2 as a MFDB. I know that pentax sell a lot, but this matrix is made only for them.

I think that the sensor in the 645D is the very same in the H4D 40 (KAF40000) of the shelf and not custom made (probably Pentax gets is much lower in price due to very large order comparative) and the sensor in S2 (KAF37500) is based on the same cells but with another form factor.

Radu

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi,

It is a MF DSLR, not an MF Digital Back. Regarding MF, I presume it simply means larger than 135 full frame.

Best regards
Erik

Your opinion isn't universal:

http://forum.getdpi.com/forum/showthread.php?t=31316

[ndevlin]

Sorry but I don't think about Leica S2 as a MFDB. I know that pentax sell a lot, but this matrix is made only for them.

If you don't think the S2 is MF, you haven't shot one. The pentax chip is essentially identical to the H4-40, afaik. But the whole idea of selling it is that it's a viable business. That hardly suggests an intention to shut it down. The question is leadership and direction and, more to the point, whether anyone will be interested in CCD sensors next year.

- N.

[design_freak]

If you don't think the S2 is MF, you haven't shot one. The pentax chip is essentially identical to the H4-40, afaik. But the whole idea of selling it is that it's a viable business. That hardly suggests an intention to shut it down. The question is leadership and direction and, more to the point, whether anyone will be interested in CCD sensors next year.

- N.

1) I shot with S2, and I don;t change my mind
2) No it;s not the same chip
3) Not in all cases, sometimes PE companies buy Trademark. Sometimes only improve company and sell it

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi,

With CCD-sensors it's not all about the sensor, there are of chip ADCs and also pre amplifiers. I got the impression that Pentax is very good on analogue electronics side. With modern CMOS it seems that Sony has integrated ADCs on chip, in a way that massively benefits read noise.

I got the impression that Pentax 645D is really good at keeping read noise down on the 645D. They may be champ on DR regarding low end MF. Leica may be champ on lenses. On the other hand it seems that Mamiya knows how to build good lenses and so does Schneider.

Best regards
Erik

1) I shot with S2, and I don;t change my mind
2) No it;s not the same chip
3) Not in all cases, sometimes PE companies buy Trademark. Sometimes only improve company and sell it

[ondebanks]

I got the impression that Pentax 645D is really good at keeping read noise down on the 645D.

Hi Eric,

Have you seen any measurements? I'd like to compare its actual readnoise to the Kodak spec.

Anyone here got a 645D? Yes, I know several of you do. Could one of you lucky 645D-ers please give 10 minutes of your time to
- take two frames at each ISO setting, with the lenscap ON, at the shortest shutter speed (1/4000 sec if I'm not mistaken)
- put the RAW files on somewhere like Dropbox, where I can download them.

I'll convert them to FITS format and do the usual calcs in IRAF; and then we'll know.

BTW: Leica, Hasselblad, Leaf, Sinar, PhaseOne and Mamiya users - I'd be delighted if any of you could volunteer to do the same. For some time I've been thinking of compiling a database, a public resource, of MFD sensor characterisations; getting at the important stuff that DxOmark doesn't cover, and all the MFD models that they've simply never tested.

Cheers,
Ray

[ndevlin]

1) I shot with S2, and I don;t change my mind
2) No it;s not the same chip
3) Not in all cases, sometimes PE companies buy Trademark. Sometimes only improve company and sell it

Come to think of it, you're right. The S2 focuses, has good battery life and is ruggedly weather sealed. Clearly not MF  

What will be interesting to see is the management team the buyers put in place. That will give us a good sense of where they're taking it.  Not a play I'd want any part of, but may the force be with them. Contrary to what their name might suggest, Platinum Equity appears to be a bona fide outfit, and not some sort of massage parlour conglomerate. Curious to see what they will do with this acquisition.

[lance_schad]

Pretty diverse portfolio Platinum Equity has. There are few that are familiar to me including Quark & USRobotics.

3B The Fibreglass Company
Active Aero Group
Acument Global Technologies
Alliance Entertainment
American Commercial Lines
Americatel
Canvas Systems
Contego Packaging Group
Data2Logistics
DCA Services
ECKA Granules
Geesink Norba Group
International Offshore Services
KEMET Corporation
Keystone Automotive Operations
Matrix Business Technologies
Maxim Crane Works
MegaPath
NESCO
Palace Sports & Entertainment
PBH Marine Group
PEAK Technologies
Pomeroy
Quark
Ryerson
Schutt Sports
SCM Metal Products
The San Diego Union-Tribune
Turf Care Supply Corp
Ulticom
US Robotics
Vanguard Networks
Wheel Pros


Lance