Sony Sees Bigger Digital Camera Shipments In 01/02

TOKYO, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Japanese consumer electronics giant Sony Corp said on Wednesday its shipments of digital still cameras in the year starting next April will continue rising after a steep 114 percent climb in 2000/01. Sony, a leading maker of digital appliances, expects its shipments of digital still cameras this business year to rise to three million units from an actual 1.4 million last year, in line with strong global demand, a company spokesman said.

Sony did not give a forecast for shipment volume in 2001/02.

Sony will build new manufacturing facilities next year at its existing television manufacturing subsidiary in Ichinomiya, Aichi Prefecture, western Japan, to boost output of digital still cameras, the spokesman said.

It now makes digital still cameras at two subsidiaries in Aichi and Gifu prefectures in western Japan.

Global demand for digital still cameras is expected to reach or exceed 20 million units in 2001/02 from an estimated 12 million this year and compared with an actual six million last year, industry sources said.

Digital cameras and digital video cameras are a main source of profit for Sony. Sony's shipments of digital video cameras in 2000/01 will rise to 5.5 million units from an actual 4.5 million a year earlier and foresees higher shipment in 2001/02, the spokesman said, without giving an estimated of volume for 2001/02.