Pentax DSLR cameras ‘exceed expectations’

Sales of Pentax cameras exceeded expectations in the last three months of 2010, boosted by new DSLRs, according to the brand?s owner, Hoya.

Hiroshi Hamada, Hoya?s chief operating officer, said: ?The profit of the camera business exceeded our expectations this quarter due to increased channel consolidation and focused promotion of new SLR cameras; K-5 and K-r.?

Demand for cameras boosted sales in Hoya?s Information Technology business by 1.4% – raising operating income by 1.1%.

The newly-released financial statements add: ?The number of single lens reflex cameras sold rose from a year ago, reflecting continued robust demand for entry-level cameras, which in turn resulted in higher sales of interchangeable lenses.?

Hoya said its lens factories were running at ?full production capacity?, as a result of ?robust? digital camera sales compared to a year earlier ?particularly in emerging countries?.

Hoya Corporation?s overall net profits rose 12% to 13,210 million yen for the three months to 31 December 2010.

Higher production and shipments reflected the ?economic recovery,? added the Japan-based company.

Pentax accounts for 25% of Hoya’s net sales.