Camera shipments continue to fall

[Margu]

The Japanese imaging manufacturers association, CIPA, has just released its global production and shipments report for the first half of the year, and there's not a lot of good news in it. Between January and June 2013 Japanese manufacturers shipped just short of 30 million digital cameras - that's a 43% drop in a single year. According to the CIPA (Camera and Imaging Products Association) report, production of compact ('built-in lens') cameras fell by almost half in the first six months of 2013 compared to the same period last year, and total camera shipments fell by 42.7% in the same period.
It's no surprise to see mass-market point and shoot cameras bearing the brunt of the decline. In volume terms they dominate the market, and sales are falling fast - not helped by the rapid rise of the smartphone as the camera of choice for casual snapshooters.
A little more surprising, though, are the year-on-year declines in shipments of DSLR and mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras, both down around 18.5% in the first half of 2013 compared to last year. The DSLR market has grown steadily since 2003, and it's going to be an uphill struggle to continue that growth in 2013 without some blockbuster autumn launches to drive the all-important peak buying season in Q4.
These numbers don't tell the whole story - shipments are not the same as sales, and CIPA reports don't include non-Japanese manufacturers such as Samsung (though they do include all overseas manufacturing done for and by Japanese companies). But the drop in production levels does suggest that the industry is not expecting a big surge in demand for the rest of the year. Average selling prices (specifically on fixed lenses) are also on the rise as manufacturers abandon the entry-level to concentrate their efforts on high-end cameras.

http://www.dpreview.com/news/2013/08/01/camera-shipments-2013-CIPA


43% drop in a single year is unbelievable.
photography is dead phonegraphy is in.

 

[jsrockit]

Damn, where's the rangefinder sales specs?

 

[Vickko]

yeah, just watching people - everyone has a smartphone with camera.

I don't.

Just a camera for me.

And I haven't bought a new camera in years.

 

[GaryLH]

Fuji recently reported their earnings. As expected they are cutting 50% of their p&s models and moving up stream where their x series models are doing well. They talked about this maybe three months ago and re confirmed it in their earning report. They also mentioned that p&s was hurt due to the camera phone.

I think Sony has proven that the high end p&s like the rx100 can still sell..for now.. But smartphone cameras are getting better. Someone (can't remember who) announced maybe a month back what to me is a p&s camera w/ a cell phone built in.

What I did not realize is that Fuji only makes 13% of their money from the imaging business..

http://www.fujirumors.com/kook-fujis-annual-report-2013-says-x-series-ok-compact-cameras-ko/

Gary

 

[furbs]

Smatphones are passable digital cameras with great added features (phone, internet, etc). Joe Consumer looks at the new Samsung Galaxy S4 and, say, the similarly priced RX100 and will go for the S4 in a heartbeat. In Joe Consumer's mind the lack of internet and phone on the RX100 is a fatal flaw.

Smartphone cameras are fine for 95% of consumers, most of whom are unwilling to spend as much as we do (be honest) on cameras and other electronic goodies each year. The added benefits of a 2nd digital other than their smartphone (crazy zooms, wall-sized prints, extra gadget to carry) just aren't that attractive to most people.

 

[jschrader]

If you happen to depend on camera sales (e.g. if you are Nikon employee), 43% drop in a year may be a reason to look for a different industry.

But, if DSLR sales have been rising since 2003, then everyone has one or two by now, and new sales are just to replace damaged and outdated old things; and that is much much less then the initial wave saturating the market.

Their problem, there are enough cameras on the market for everyone of us, and honestly; cameras do more than needed.

So everybody, pick a camera who has none and take pictures!

 

[f16sunshine]

The P&S is dead Long live the P&S !

The P&S is dead Long live the P&S !

What drives this most I believe is the medium we are viewing photos on.
If an iPad mini takes an image and it looks great viewed on that device.... why bother with anything else?

Yes, Camera sales are down. Tablet and Smartphone sales are up ( these are P&S cameras ... Yes?).

So one could say P&S Camera sales are up!

 

[literiter]

When they make a "smartphone" that uses film, we're really gonna have an interesting product, eh?

 

[squareshooter]

Yugos are not selling. Do you presume this has anything to do with the sales of BMWs. Benzes, Jags and so on? I see these numbers as a positive. Millions are no longer pretending they are photographers but just snapshooters, which is okay. Maybe someday true photogs with real camera will get some respect again. And cars will come with running boards again.

 

[GaryLH]

I think it really gets down to the saying the best camera is the one u got on u now. For the average consumer, that happens to be the camera on your phone. Now that 3-5mp sensors are common on just about every phone, remembering to carry that extra p&s, just does not happen..

If u are into photography, u are going to spend that extra time and money to have a better camera w/ u... But that is not where these guys have been making their money in the past.

Gary

 

[thegman]

Yugos are not selling. Do you presume this has anything to do with the sales of BMWs. Benzes, Jags and so on? I see these numbers as a positive. Millions are no longer pretending they are photographers but just snapshooters, which is okay. Maybe someday true photogs with real camera will get some respect again. And cars will come with running boards again.

But who gets to decide what a real camera is?

 

[GaryLH]

What drives this most I believe is the medium we are viewing photos on.
If an iPad mini takes an image and it looks great viewed on that device.... why bother with anything else?

Yes, Camera sales are down. Tablet and Smartphone sales are up ( these are P&S cameras ... Yes?).

So one could say P&S Camera sales are up!

+1. Good point. U made me smile.. My sister-in-law w/ her mini iPad out there taking pictures w/ it. 😛

Gary

 

[Margu]

if no one is buying the tools of a trade, what happens to the trade?

 

[benlees]

if no one is buying the tools of a trade, what happens to the trade?

What trade ever existed from cheap p&s? Phones w/cameras are replacing the cheap Kodaks and Fujis that cost $300 or less, which in turn replaced the the Instamatics of the world.

Still people out there making saddles...

 

[jsrockit]

if no one is buying the tools of a trade, what happens to the trade?

30 million shipped doesn't really equate to no one though...

 

[dave lackey]

So, what is surprising? The iPhone 5 camera does fine for casual snaps but I hate the stupid thing and the photos themselves. Our kids love theirs and we appreciate the photos of the grand kids when they are on vacation. But then none of them has ever taken a "decent" photo with any DSLR ...
I suspect that low end camera sales will continue to fall and even soccer moms will tire of DSLR bodies and lenses that do not fit in their purses. Dads seem to be macho and love to be seen with the largest lenses at the games.
Not much has really changed since 1980 when I think about it except for the speed of digital for sharing which I don't care about. Macho for the guys, smaller for the gals, and phone cameras for sharing online...

 

[icebear]

I guess the market is already saturated. The number of people who are buying their first digital camera ever is shrinking and a lot of people who already have one, do not see the need to upgrade as for their purpose last years model is way good enough.

I guess similar market mechanics apply for other technologies like desktop PC or flat screen TVs.

At some point marketing's next great improvement campaign just doesn't open the wallets anymore.

 

[willie_901]

So, what is surprising? The iPhone 5 camera does fine for casual snaps but I hate the stupid thing and the photos themselves. Our kids love theirs and we appreciate the photos of the grand kids when they are on vacation. But then none of them has ever taken a "decent" photo with any DSLR ...
I suspect that low end camera sales will continue to fall and even soccer moms will tire of DSLR bodies and lenses that do not fit in their purses. Dads seem to be macho and love to be seen with the largest lenses at the games.
Not much has really changed since 1980 when I think about it except for the speed of digital for sharing which I don't care about. Macho for the guys, smaller for the gals, and phone cameras for sharing online...

Ut Oh... I'm a girl because I have a small camera. Worse, I don't have one of the largest lenses.

 

[dave lackey]

Nice, bike, Fred!!!🙂

 

[dave lackey]

Ut Oh... I'm a girl because I have a small camera. Worse, I don't have one of the largest lenses.

Well, if it were true, I am right with you shooting an X1 and M-mount lenses on a small camera.😀

Seriously, in the suburbs, it is not uncommon to see the guys really into the biggest lens they can afford to shoot the kids' soccer/baseball/football games. They are the ones who won't be caught dead driving a mini-van to the store or the kids to the games. They are the ones who would not think of a smallish camera...and the gals, they don't walk around with a Nikon D4 but if they have a DSLR at all anymore, it is one of the smaller Nikons with a zoom lens set on auto. Few people around here fall in between these two extremes at sports events for the kiddos. And no one here ever heard of Leica or rangefinders, or Henri Cartier Bresson, or...:angel:

Hence, the smartphones...they would be ecstatic if it had a zoom lens for the games.