CIPA published the December 2019 shipment data and indeed 2019 will go down as the worst year of the past decade. Here are some 2019 key data:
- Japanese companies shipped 24% less camera units compared to 2018 (The drop in camera value was 12,4%).
- DSLR unit sales dropped by 33,6% (value drop 27,5%)
- Mirrorless unit sales dropped by 10,2% but the shipment value of those camera raised by 5,6%
- Fixed lens camera unit sales dropped by 22,9% and shipment value dropped by 13%
In summary the only positive sign is that mid-high end mirrorless camera sold well and therefore companies made 5% more revenue in this segment compared to 2018.
There is little hope 2020 will stop this trend. I expect camera shipments to go down 20% this year too :(