Kyocera to drop its digital cameras

[World News]: TOKYO, March 10 : Japanese manufacturer Kyocera Corp.has decided to pull out of digital camera production this year, Channel NewsAsia reported Thursday.

It will be the first major Japanese manufacturer to leave the digital camera market.A company spokesman said Kyocera will probably end its digital camera production by summer, as the company restructures its optical and precision equipment business.

The company is planning to shift operations to such segments as camera modules used in cellular phones.Although digital camera sales are growing, a fierce price war is keeping profits down.

Kyocera may continue to supply some digital cameras to the overseas market, the spokesman said, but a concrete strategy has yet to be drawn up.

- -- Copyright 2005 by United Press International.