A visit to Sony's Alpha facility in ThailandThis year, Sony has had a number of interesting developments to its line of interchangeable lens camera (ILC) systems. In May, it announced the NEX-5 and NEX-3, mirrorless ILCs with APS-C sensors meant to compete with the Micro Four Thirds cameras from Panasonic and Olympus. Then in August, the Japanese company launched new dSLRs that come with fixed translucent mirrors, the Alpha SLT-A55 and SLT-A33 models. To keep costs down, Sony started making some of its dSLRs in Thailand rather than in Japan in early 2009. In 2010, production for the NEX and SLT systems started in this facility located in Ayutthaya, about an hour's drive from capital Bangkok. CNET Asia was invited to visit the factory and we learnt a few things about the production of these cameras. Employing about 3,300 workers, the factory was able to make 260,000 sets of cameras (finished boxed product) a month at the height of its production capacity when the NEX and SLT cameras first hit the market. To ensure the quality of products, top management at the factory is comprised of Sony employees who hail from Japan. Processes and quality control checks are implemented as close as possible to how they are done in Japan. In fact, when touring the QC section of the plant, we noticed that tests for the cameras' smile shutter are done using pictures of Japanese faces and photographs are taken of a Japanese-language paper to check for any autofocus issues--indications that processes have been imported wholesale from Japan. Of course, not every single part of the camera is made in Thailand. For one, Sony makes dSLR sensors for many camera brands. This component is a big part of Sony's imaging business and is still made in Japan. Aside from such sensitive parts, other important (but not so top secret) portions such as the body and mirror box are put together in Ayutthaya. As mentioned earlier, Sony is gaining market share for its ILCs in Asia. In fact, 42 percent of all the cameras produced in this factory are shipped to markets in Asia (including Japan). Because Ayutthaya has been making cameras for only two years, it would be premature for anyone to comment on the long-term quality of the Alpha ILCs made there. But from what we can see, Sony runs a tight ship at the facility to ensure quality of products. And just as importantly, the cost savings allow the company to sell its cameras at a more competitive price--a critical factor for its target market. Here's a look at what goes on in the Sony factory.
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