Nikkei believes the camera market is “showing signs of recovery”

Nikkei published an article that gives a positive outlook about the camera market. Digicameinfo made this summary:

  • The camera market, which had been declining for nearly 10 years due to the evolution of smartphone cameras, is showing signs of recovery. Global shipments of digital cameras in 2021 increased 16% year-on-year, the first increase in four years. The movement for non-enthusiasts to seek high-end models for professionals has spread, and instant cameras are gaining support from the “smartphone generation” who dare to seek analog.
  • Nikon was behind competitors such as Sony and Canon in mirrorless cameras. “It’s becoming a catalyst for a reversal offensive,” said Chief Financial Officer Yoshiaki Tokunari. Nikon isn’t the only one doing well. Canon will continue to perform well with the top-of-the-line mirrorless camera “R3” launched in November 2009 and the “R5” and “R6” launched in the summer of 2008. Fujifilm also tripled the sales volume of its high-performance mirrorless “GFX series” from April to December 2009 compared to April to December 2019 before the new coronavirus disaster.
  • Why are high-end cameras selling now? CIPA points out that “the number of people who are discerning about photography is increasing due to the spread of SNS such as smartphones and Instagram.”
  • Takeshi Tokura, Managing Executive Officer of Canon, states that “the spread of smartphones was seen as a threat to the camera industry long ago.”
  • Fujifilm will rekindle the popularity of film cameras and cultivate demand for “emo photography,” which is spreading mainly among young people in their teens and 20s. The domestic sales volume of the top model “Instax Mini Evo” released in December 2009 has been more than double the plan.