What Declining Global Camera Sales Mean For the Industry

David J. Crewe

Weโ€™ve seen this trend in recent reports from several sources including Nikon, Olympus, and now CIPA, the Camera and Imaging Products Association all stating the same facts; Camera sales and profits are down almost everywhere. This new report released by CIPA for June 2018 tracks global camera and lens sales by major manufactures and when compared to previous years it shows a significant decline when compared to previous years statistics.

According to this report, compared to June of 2018 camera and lens sales are down for nearly everyone with DSLRโ€™s dropping by approximately 37% and mirrorless down by 14%. Many believe the advancements and enhancements found in smartphones make the previous needs of the arguably bulkier DSLR and mirrorless cameras obsolete, thus driving those previous numbers down. I mean, I even find myself leaving my camera at home when iโ€™m just going to go out and location scout or visit with some friends since iโ€™m confident my iPhone will be able to capture anything I need to in the moment. A few years ago iโ€™d never have felt that way!

What Does This Mean?

This sales dip is worrisome, but doesnโ€™t necessarily mean things are on an uncontrolled death-spiral. Many of the industry leads like Nikonโ€™s CEO, feel that this is simply a time of restructuring due to the changing landscape of the technology and industry as a whole. Most manufacturers have spent the last few years investing heavily into new technology and hardware to make new products, thus the reported profits are down. All of this has made the cost of entry for consumers much cheaper than theyโ€™ve been in the past, thus the boom we saw in the last decade where all of a sudden EVERYONE has got a โ€œprofessionalโ€ camera. Soon things will level out again leaving just the true enthusiasts and professionals purchasing the โ€œbig rigsโ€ to get the jobs done with the professional gear they need.

At least thatโ€™s our mindset. What do you think? Have you got any thoughts and information as to where weโ€™re heading? Do you think DSLRโ€™s are dying off? Is Mirrorless the Future? Or will all โ€œclunkyโ€ cameras go the way of the dinosaur in place of the smartphone or something even more โ€œsci-fi-esqueโ€?  Tell us what you think in the comments below.

View the full detailed CIPA report here

via Photo Rumors & Nikon Rumors

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