Sony targets digital SLR market with new product launch
A presenter shows off the new Sony Alpha 100 digital camera at Central Plaza Lat Phrao. Sony hopes the launch of the model will help drive its sales in the second half of the year.
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Sony Thai Co Ltd yesterday debuted its Alpha 100 sub-brand for digital single lens reflex cameras as a direct challenge to Canon and Nikon, which control over half of the D-SLR market here.
"While our SonyCybershot has been targeted at individual consumers who prefer trendy and easy-to-use compact cameras, we will capture the new market segment of semi-professional and quality-oriented customers by launching our Alpha 100 D-SLR camera to the Thai market for the first time," managing director Kazuo Suyama said.The product was premiered in Japan in June. "Our Sony Cybershot leads the local compact digital camera market, enjoying a 35-per-cent share. We expect our Alpha 100 camera to capture 20 per cent of the D-SLR camera segment this year and up to 30 per cent next year," he said. Sony aims to become the segment leader in five years with a share of 40-45 per cent, he said. Katsunori Shimomura, manager of the digital imaging department in Sony Thai's consumer audio-visual marketing division, said the total digital compact camera market here was forecast to grow by 15 per cent to 900,000 units this year. But D-SLR cameras were expected to enjoy dramatic growth of 46 per cent to 35,000 units. More than Bt20 million would be spent to build awareness of the Alpha 100 D-SLR camera in the domestic marketplace and Bt100 million would be used to promote Sony Cybershot products. A choice of two Alpha 100 models will be available from the end of the month. The DSLR-A 100K, with standard lens, will cost Bt40,990, while the DSLR-A100W, which has a Tele-Wide Zoom 75-300mm lens kit, will be Bt50,990. Both packages include a one-gigabyte memory stick valued at Bt3,690. Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn, The Nation
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