Photo via Sony If you wondered why it took Sony so long to get back on its feet after an earthquake hit its sensor fabrication plant in Kumamoto, this picture taken in the aftermath might give you a clue.
The halt in production at the factory had a devastating effect on large sections of the camera industry in 2016 as it was the provider of sensors for a huge range of products – from the Nikon DL cameras to the 100MP backs for Phase One and Hasselblad medium-format bodies.
This picture of the chaos inside the plant emerged in October last year as Sony announced plans to ensure such natural disasters would only knock out production for a maximum of two months. The earthquake that hit in April 2016 kept the Kumamoto business silent for over three and a half months, and it took until September for production to return to pre-quake levels. According to a report by the Nikkei Asian Review Sony estimates the event cost the company $776 million in lost operating profit.
Tragically, at least fifty deaths are attributed to the earthquakes and around tens of thousands were forced from their homes in the prefecture. Recovery continues as displaced residents have begun moving back into the region.
More dramatic pictures of the quake-hit plant can be seen in this article on the Apple Daily website.
. dpreview.com2017-1-28 12:00