Fujifilm

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Fujifilm Holdings Corporation
Fujifuirumu Kabushiki-kaisha
富士フイルム株式会社
Public
Traded as TYO: 4901
Industry Document solutions
Digital imaging
Medical imaging
Cosmetics
Founded January 20, 1934; 90 years ago (1934-01-20)
Headquarters Midtown West, Tokyo Midtown
Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan
Key people
Shigetaka Komori
(President & CEO)
Products Digital imaging and photographic materials, equipment and services, cosmetics
Revenue ¥ 2492.6 billion (2014)[1]
¥ 172.4 billion (2014)[1]
Number of employees
79,235 (as of March 31, 2015)[2]
Slogan Value from Innovation
Website www.fujifilm.com

Fujifilm Holdings Corporation, (富士フイルム株式会社 Fujifuirumu Kabushiki-kaisha?), better known as Fujifilm or simply Fuji, is a Japanese multinational photography and imaging company headquartered in Tokyo.

Fujifilm's principal activities are the development, production, sale and servicing of business document solutions, medical imaging and diagnostics equipment, cosmetics, optical films for flat panel displays, optical devices, photocopiers and printers, digital cameras, color film, color paper, photofinishing equipment, photofinishing chemicals, graphic arts equipment and materials.

History

20th century

File:Fujifilm old logo.png Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. was established in 1934 with the aim of being the first Japanese producer of photographic films. Over the following 10 years, the company produced photographic films, motion-picture films and X-ray films. In the 1940s, Fuji Photo entered the optical glasses, lenses and equipment markets. After the Second World War, Fuji Photo diversified, penetrating the medical (X-ray diagnosis), printing, electronic imaging and magnetic materials fields. In 1962, Fuji Photo and U.K.-based Rank Xerox Limited (now Xerox Limited) launched Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. through a joint venture.

From the mid-1950s, Fuji Photo accelerated the establishment of overseas sales bases. In the 1980s, Fuji Photo expanded its production and other bases overseas, stepping up the pace of its business globalization. Meanwhile, Fuji Photo developed digital technologies for its photo-related, medical and printing businesses.

Like its rival Eastman Kodak which dominated in the US, Fuji Photo enjoyed a longtime near-monopoly on camera film in Japan. By becoming one of the title sponsors of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics (an opportunity that Kodak passed on), offering cheaper camera film, and establishing a film factory in the US, Fuji gained considerable market share there, while Kodak had little success in penetrating Japan. In May 1995, Kodak filed a petition with the US Commerce Department under section 301 of the Commerce Act arguing that its poor performance in the Japanese market was a direct result of unfair practices adopted by Fuji. The complaint was lodged by the US with the World Trade Organization. On January 30, 1998, the WTO announced a "sweeping rejection of Kodak's complaints" about the film market in Japan.[3][4]

21st century

The new millennium witnessed the rapid spread of digital technology in cameras. Demand for photographic films plunged in line with the growing popularity of digital cameras. In response, Fuji Photo implemented management reforms aimed at effecting drastic transformation of its business structures. Even as early as the 1980s, the company had foreseen the switch from film to digital, so "it developed a three-pronged strategy: to squeeze as much money out of the film business as possible, to prepare for the switch to digital and to develop new business lines." While both film manufacturers recognized this fundamental change, Fuji Photo adapted to this shift much more successfully[3] than Eastman Kodak (which filed for bankruptcy in January 2012). Fuji Photo's diversification efforts also succeeded while Kodak's had failed; furthermore Kodak built up a large but barely profitable digital camera business that was undone quickly by smartphone cameras.[3]

In September 19, 2006, Fujifilm announced[5] plans to establish a holding company, Fujifilm Holdings Corp. Fujifilm and Fuji Xerox would become subsidiaries of the holding company. A representative of the company reconfirmed its commitment to film, which accounts for 3% of sales.[6]

Subsidiaries

Fuji Xerox is a joint venture between Fujifilm and Xerox Corporation of North America. Fujifilm bought Sericol Ltd., a UK-based printing ink company specializing in screen, narrow web, and digital print technologies in March 2005.[7]

Company interrelation

  • Fujifilm Holdings
    • Fujifilm
      • Fujifilm Imaging Systems
      • Fujifilm Medical
      • Fujifilm Pharma
      • Fujifilm RI Pharma
      • Fujifilm Photo Manufacturing
      • Fujifilm Fine Chemicals
      • Fujifilm Electronics Materials
      • Fujifilm Engineering
      • Fujifilm Optics
      • Fujifilm Opto Materials
      • Fujifilm Global Graphic Systems
      • Fujifilm Computer Systems
      • Fujifilm Software
      • Fujifilm Techno Services
      • Fujifilm Techno Products
      • Fujifilm Business Supply
      • Fujifilm Digital Press
      • Fujifilm Media Crest
      • Fujifilm Shizuoka
      • Fujifilm Kyushu
      • Fujifilm Logistics
    • Fuji Xerox
      • Fuji Xerox Printing Systems Sales
      • Fuji Xerox Information Systems
      • Fuji Xerox System Service
      • Fuji Xerox Interfield
      • Fuji Xerox Advanced Technologies
      • Fuji Xerox Manufacturing
      • Fuji Xerox Service Creative
      • Fuji Xerox Service Link
      • Fuji Xerox Learning Institute
    • Toyama Chemical
      • Taisho Toyama Pharmaceutical
    • Fujifilm Business Expert

Products

File:Fuji Blimp.jpg

A 100-foot tin of 16 mm Fujifilm

File:Fujifilm F30.jpg

Fujifilm FinePix S5000

Photographic film

  • Fujichrome color reversal (slide) films.
    • Velvia: one of the most saturated and fine-grained slide films, valued by nature and landscape photographers.
    • Provia: a slide film giving more natural colors than Velvia
    • Astia: a fined grained, low contrast slide film often used for studio or portrait applications
    • Sensia: a low-contrast consumer slide film; the current emulsion is considered to be identical or near-identical to Astia in the professional line.[8][9]
    • Fortia: consumer slide film, featuring extremely vivid color rendering suitable for flower photography and other high-saturation applications (for Japanese market).

  • Fujicolor color negative (print) films
    • Fujicolor Pro 160S, 160C, 400H, and 800Z (formerly NPS, NPC, NPH, and NPZ): professional films with different levels of contrast
    • Reala: the first film to use the fourth cyan-sensitive layer, currently sold under Superia Reala name
    • Superia: intended for snapshots
    • Press: Cut from the same emulsion stock as Superia, but cold stored and sold as a professional film.
  • Fuji Neopan Professional black & white negative film. As a side note, Neopan 400 and 1600 were designed to use the same developing times, and can be developed in the same tank/machine and developer combination simultaneously. ACROS and SS do not share this feature.

Cameras and lenses

Other

See also

References

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  5. Fujifilm Global | About Fujifilm | News Releases
  6. Fuji Photo to diversify, shift to holding company system | The Japan Times Online
  7. Fuji Photo Film Acquires Sericol Group of the United Kingdom
  8. Everything but the kitchen sink
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External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [[commons:Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 506: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).|Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 506: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).]].