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.

 

The cameras in 2022: Canon R1-R7-RS, Nikon Z8-Z4-Z70-Z30, Sony A7rV-ZV1II

Digitalcameraworld summed up what we can expect to get in 2022. Here is just the quick summary:

The Canon verdict

What we think: Canon seems to have gone all in on mirrorless, but not just in the sense of traditional camera bodies – more and more we’re seeing it stretch the boundaries of photo products, with concept cameras like the PowerShot Pick and Posture Fit. Sony has fought fire with napalm in responding to the EOS R5 with the Sony A1, and Canon has returned a ferocious salvo of its own in the form of the 30fps, eye-controlled Canon EOS R3 – which may also spell the beginning of the end for mechanical shutters.

The Nikon verdict

What we think: We expect Nikon to keep building on the Z system for the foreseeable future, adding more full-frame mirrorless lenses to complement the Nikon Z6 II, Nikon Z7 II and of course the Z9 – along with new, smaller optics like the Nikkor Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR and the Nikon pancake primes to suit the new wave of APS-C cameras like the Z fc.

The Fujifilm verdict

With Fujifilm having meaningfully expanded the medium format GFX line last year, while only giving its APS-C X cameras a light refresh, this year is all about the fifth generation of X-mount cameras – namely, the long-awaited X-H2. We also wouldn’t be at all surprised to see a similarly long-awaited new Instax Wide camera appearing.

The Sony verdict

What we think: If the rumors are true about the A7R V, this could cause a seismic shift in the industry. And with content creation having exploded even further over the past couple of years, thanks to the global pandemic, further innovating the new ZV-1 line to appease young vloggers seems like a very open goal.

The Olympus verdict

It’s anyone’s guess what happens to Olympus in 2021. Its future will very much be dictated by the next cameras it releases – and much as we love the PEN E-P7, a body that’s not being released in North America doesn’t seem like an obvious solution for an unprofitable business. With rumblings of a new “wow” camera coming next year, we hope that OM Digital pulls out all the stops rather than kitbashing the old sensor with new parts yet again. And who knows what will come of the rumored alliance with Samsung – could this be the start of Olympus providing cameras for other brands, whether it’s drones or dashcams?

The Panasonic verdict

We’ve finally got the GH6 – and Panasonic is still employing herky-jerky DFD technology instead of the phase detect autofocus system that its cameras so desperately need. Will this new flagship be a shot in the arm for Panasonic and the Micro Four Thirds format, or will the dogged refusal to embrace reliable autofocus tech continue to spell trouble for the manufacturer?

The Sigma verdict

While Sigma has successfully delivered the intriguing fp L, the future of its troubled Foveon camera – and Foveon technology in general – appears to be fairly rocky right now. Will we ever see this technology materialize?

The Hasselblad verdict

After a few years of mainly licensing its name, if not its optics, to smartphone companies and DJI drones, Hasselblad might finally be unleashing a long-awaited new medium format body. And not before time!

Lensvid shows what happened to the Photo Industry in 2020-2021

Lensvid walked us through the 2020-2021 industry performance. As expected things didn’t go well. And the forecast is grim too:

Looking forward, it is hard to be optimistic for 2022. Talking to people inside the industry we have been told that the shortages and supply issues are expected to continue for at least the first half of the year and even if miraculously the second half will see record sales compared to the previous two years, we are still looking at another very difficult year for the industry.