It is already known that the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II (above), for example, is made in Vietnam, where labour costs are lower than Japan and China.
However, Sasa has suggested other cameras may also be assembled in Vietnam.
In the company’s Annual Report 2015, Sasa said: ‘In terms of manufacturing, we will develop a more efficient production system by leveraging the strengths of our different manufacturing sites.
‘For example, lenses and other components requiring sophisticated technologies and masterful techniques could be produced at the Shenzen Plant in China, with assembly of cameras performed at the Vietnam plant to take advantage of its low labor costs.’
Commenting on the move, Mark Thackara, product manager for Pen & Stylus at Olympus Europe, told Amateur Photographer: ‘We evaluate production as part of a continuous quality programme, to find the best way to bring products to market that offer the combination of performance, quality and value that Olympus customers demand.’
He added: ‘Many top brands also now spread their production capacity both to enhance flexibility and to manage risks so evident from external factors in recent years, where supply chains have been shown to be vulnerable.
‘Included in this mix are factories in China and a number of other countries.
‘To paraphrase a certain well-known US brand: “Designed in Tokyo, made in the right place to deliver”.’
