While the market for mirrorless system cameras is growing, smartphones are replacing simple compact cameras. At the same time, professional photographers are increasingly using single lens reflex cameras to shoot videos. Schneider-Kreuznach has adapted to these changes in the market and intends to focus above all on growth segments in future. To this end, the company has introduced sweeping restructuring measures that affect the production sites in Göttingen and Dresden in particular. In the past year, Jos. Schneider Optische Werke GmbH in Bad Kreuznach and its subsidiaries generated total sales of 71.8 million euros, down approximately 7.9% compared to the previous year. This was mainly due to the negative performance of the market for compact cameras. The company’s headquarters in Bad Kreuznach contributed 44.3 million euros to the Group’s sales and delivered positive results for the site in particular.
“We are in the middle of a transitional and restructuring process. High demand for our full-frame lenses for videos with DSLR cameras shows that we are on the right track,” says Dr. Josef Staub, CEO of the Schneider Group.
The company intends to focus more on high-quality photographic lenses in future. By expanding its range of “Xenon FF-Prime” full-frame lenses for video shooting with DSLR cameras to seven lenses by the fall, Schneider-Kreuznach will be able to offer cinematographers and photographers who use sophisticated cameras the complete set.
In addition, the MPTV lenses can be used for high-quality film and cinema production. Schneider-Kreuznach is also stepping up its activities in the field of ophthalmic lenses with high-quality lenses, in this case for spectacles. In the area of industrial optics, the lens specialist has long been established as a manufacturer of special lenses and filters for inspections, measuring technology, medical technology and security systems. A new area of application is the use of optical systems in the automotive industry, for example for autonomous driving, from which the company expects strong impetus for future growth.
Stay tuned to Schneider-Kreuznach for the next step they take on their roadmap.