Nikon to begin manufacturing DSLRs in Laos as of October 2013

Nikon has announced that it will open a new factory in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, lifting some of the weight off of its Thailand-based factory.

Nikon will soon start manufacturing its DSLR cameras in Lao People’s Democratic Republic, a country commonly referred to as Laos. The Japan-based digital imaging product manufacturer has officially revealed that it will open a factory in the Southeast Asian country.

Nikon’s factory in Thailand. The company will open a similar facility in Laos as of October 2013.

Nikon announces the opening of a new DSLR camera factory in Laos

The company has been manufacturing cameras in Thailand for quite some time. Nevertheless, Laos is one of Thailand’s neighbors and Nikon believes that moving the production into this country will cut down the costs.

President Makoto Kimura confirmed that only entry-level and mid-class DSLR cameras will be produced in Laos, while higher-end equipment will continue to be manufactured in Thailand and other factories.

Additionally, a small amount of interchangeable lenses will first see the daylight in Laos. This action is necessary, as the Japanese company is looking to cut down the costs and to reduce the workload of its employees in Thailand.

New facility to start its operations this October

The new Nikon factory is currently under construction. The company is expecting to open the new facility as of October 2013. The company will keep on manufacturing DSLRs and lenses in Thailand in the Ayutthaya province.

President Kimura’s press release states that his company will employ 800 people at the time of starting the operations in Laos. The site will measure 12,500 square meters, while the actual floor space will be gauged at 10,000 square meters.

Nikon added that the new factory will operate with a capital of 600,000,000 Japanese yens, which accounts for approximately $6.3 million.

Costs down, but DSLR camera prices to remain the same

Photographers hoping that DSLR camera prices will fall should be aware that it is very unlikely that this thing will happen. The company said that it wants to reduce its costs, which translates into increasing its profits.

This means that Nikon camera prices will no be reduced, but it remains to be seen whether build quality will increase or decrease.