Canon continues its dominant hold on global market share for digital cameras

[David - Sydney]

The full TSR buy price for the report is a tad expensive for me... Do we have any other details besides the top level numbers? I can't find other articles with more granularity

 

[David - Sydney]

What would be the headline for the DPR article??
"Sony market share stable in a declining market" or
"Canon increases dominance in market with nearly double the next competitor"

 

[David - Sydney]

None of the circlejerks realize the data includes DSLR. Data is inflated by cheap Canon & Nikon DSLR kits.

Yes, DLSRs are still on sale and could skew the data somewhat but it isn't hugely inflating Nikon's market share for instance. They are still an important part of the business especially in countries which have a lower salaries. Maybe some of them will go on to buy more expensive ones but the majority won't.

Sony currently has 18 bodies on sale with a very wide range of prices! Not as cheap as some DLSRs but they are covering a big part of the price segments.

 

[EricN]

The DSLR kits got cheaper with more mirrorless coming out, never said there weren't cheap DSLR kits...

They've already been at lower prices for the last 15 years.
Don't hurt yourself moving the goalpost

 

[neuroanatomist]

None of the circlejerks realize the data includes DSLR. Data is inflated by cheap Canon & Nikon DSLR kits.

The ones buying APS-C DSLR with a variable aperture zoom lens kit has no relations with Canon blocking RF third-party lenses or exotic RF lens R&D.

Some people shouldn’t try to interpret data. Or at least they should recognize that the word is plural (Star Trek androids notwithstanding).

The ongoing transition from DSLR to MILC has accelerated. When CIPA started tracking them separately in ~2012, mirrorless was ~25% of the ILC market. In 2022, it was 70%. The tipping point was in 2020.

The conclusion is that while DSLR sales dropped and MILC sales remained steady, Canon’s market share also remained steady. Over the past 5 years, Nikon lost substantial market share to Sony, while Canon’s market share remained steady. So, what Canon lost in ‘cheap DSLR sales’, they gained in MILC sales for which the unit value has been steadily increasing. What Nikon lost, they didn’t gain so Sony increased relatively.

Or use math. DSLRs are 30% of the ILC market. Canon and Nikon ‘own’ that market and the ratio is ~60:40. So, Canon’s DSLR sales account for ~14% of the camera market. Canon has an overall camera market share that’s now 20.4% higher than Sony. So it’s likely that Canon’s MILC market share is equal to or slightly higher than Sony’s.

Since it’s commonly stated (by Sony trolls, at least) that Canon was ‘so late to the MILC game’, often appended with ‘that’s why they’ll never catch up’, the fact that Canon has at least caught up and likely surpassed Sony (globally, we already know Canon took the #1 spot in Japan away from Sony last year) must be a tough pill to swallow. Oh well, they can just ignore the facts as they’ve been doing all along.

 

[Wesley]

They've already been at lower prices for the last 15 years.
Don't hurt yourself moving the goalpost

I never said DSLR prices weren't coming down either...

Come back when you have a better scapegoat than "moving the goalpost". Ironically, that's what you've been doing by twisting my words.

 

[John Wilde]

In their financial documents, Canon forecasts a 2023 ILC market share of (2.9/5.85) about 50%. They also forecast that their full-year camera-only revenue will be +11.6% compared to 2022.

 

[EricN]

I don't think you have been watching the pricing history very long according to your arguments, which you are amending to make yourself seem right, while I am responding to them as any normal person would.

I imagined since you started with "circlejerks" that you're just trolling, but I gave you the benefit of the doubt and the answer is getting mor obvious

 

[GMCPhotographics]

Canon is a bit like Apple. No matter what they release, people still buy it. A little bit like cheesy pop stars

I've never owned another brand of camera than Canon and I started shooting pre-AF. I've never owned any other brand of smart phone other than Apple.
Does that make me a fan boy? Not really. Brand loyalty is something that Canon have courted for decades.

If you look at the tech in your mirrorless camera, you will find that Canon own the patents to about 75% of the technology in it. Likewise for Apple and their phones. Canon were the first to put a USM motor in a lens, the first to use CMOS sensors, the first to put live view into a camera (which effectively opened the door to hybrid / video and mirrorless cameras). They were the first to use flourite elements, Diffractive and double diffractive elements. in fact their lens technology is superlative. Canon were the first to fit image stabliisers in their lenses. The list just goes on and on and on.

I bought my first film SLR over 40 years ago amd i chose Canon because that's the brand my Dad used and I could access his lens collection. I've never found the brand deficient in any way and I'm currently using the best gear I've ever had. The R8 and R8ii are amazing cameras and I'm loving every minute I have with them.

 

[Maximilian]

Even though Sony's photography department is based on Minolta I don't like them to be second.
I'd prefer Nikon in that place. I'd prefer overall a higher share for the other competitors.
That would give a better diversity and more competition.
But it is as it is.
Hopefully that market isn't shrinking furthermore.
Because that would lead to more companies abandon their photography departments, reduce the competition and increase the price for us.
That would be the real d00m for us.

 

[Del Paso]

Or they just don't know better and have no opportunity to try other brands because in every electronics shop, there is only Canon and a few old Sony's with their horrible screens.

I have a friend who did shoot Canon and had many lenses but was not aware his Rebel camera had an APS-C sensor. I am sure customers like him can evaluate carefully which brand would be better for them. In reality, most of them buy Canon because it's the most prominent brand, found in every electronics shop.

Don't get me wrong, I like many things about Canon. I love the Canon ergonomics, and touchscreens mostly. But a little less market dominance would do us good. They are becoming a little arrogant.

They nevertheless buy Canon despite Sony's aggressive internet based propaganda via numerous (payed?) influencers.
I don't think Canoncameras are bought out of laziness or lack of choice, brand-reputation matters as well.
And, in every photo-electronics shop I know, Sonies are put on prominent display, just like Canons and Leicas. Nikons are often less visible.

 

[Del Paso]

Even though Sony's photography department is based on Minolta I don't like them to be second.
I'd prefer Nikon in that place. I'd prefer overall a higher share for the other competitors.
That would give a better diversity and more competition.
But it is as it is.
Hopefully that market isn't shrinking furthermore.
Because that would lead to more companies abandon their photography departments, reduce the competition and increase the price for us.
That would be the real d00m for us.

Same here: Nikon must be second again (MNSA)

 

[Maximilian]

To be fair, one thing Canon crushes everyone else on is after purchase services. I'm not sure if people make a buying choice based on that, but they definitely stick around if they need it.

I do. And I was glad how well that service works in Germany, several times for me.
And I tell anybody about that when it comes to buying decisions.

 

[Del Paso]

I do. And I was glad how well that service works in Germany, several times for me.
And I tell anybody about that when it comes to buying decisions.

On my 5 DIII, the seal around the "controller" came loose (my own fault). Camera was sent to Canon. They replaced the entire back panel, cleaned the camera and the sensor. The camera came back within 5 days, I wasn't yet CPS member! And all this for free!
PS: I had to wait 6 weeks for a simple Leica M repair...

 

[neuroanatomist]

And, in every photo-electronics shop I know, Sonies are put on prominent display, just like Canons and Leicas. Nikons are often less visible.

In Germany. In the US, it’s Canon, Sony and Nikon. I’ve never seen a Leica on display here, except at B&H. I did see them prominently displayed at a very nice shop in Basel, though.

 

[AlanF]

In Germany. In the US, it’s Canon, Sony and Nikon. I’ve never seen a Leica on display here, except at B&H. I did see them prominently displayed at a very nice shop in Basel, though.

Same in the UK, plus Olympus, Fuji and Panasonic to a more limited extent.

 

[Del Paso]

In Germany. In the US, it’s Canon, Sony and Nikon. I’ve never seen a Leica on display here, except at B&H. I did see them prominently displayed at a very nice shop in Basel, though.

I meant in France...
and I know the shop in Basel you're speaking of. Really nice! That's where I once bought a vintage 1,4/50 Summilux. Unfortunately, Switzerland has become almost as expensive a country as Norway...Summer vacation in the Italian or French Alps costs half as much. Yet, never a year passes by without a week or two spent in Switzerland.

 

[David - Sydney]

I meant in France...
and I know the shop in Basel you're speaking of. Really nice! That's where I once bought a vintage 1,4/50 Summilux. Unfortunately, Switzerland has become almost as expensive a country as Norway...Summer vacation in the Italian or French Alps costs half as much. Yet, never a year passes by without a week or two spent in Switzerland.

In Sydney, Leica seems to have reasonable shelf space in the dedicated camera stores... plus their flagship store in the QVB that I have never seen anyone in.

 

[David - Sydney]

What would be the headline for the DPR article??
"Sony market share stable in a declining market" or
"Canon increases dominance in market with nearly double the next competitor"

Well, DPR hasn't reported it... maybe they know it will just prompt inevitable forum comments
Petapixel has "Canon Has Nearly 50% of Camara Market Share, Almost Double Sony" but added the extra information...

"Comparing this with a 2022 sales report published by Digital Camera Life, it’s likely that Canon continues to rely heavily on its DSLR sales, at least in terms of volume. Canon’s mirrorless market share is still higher than Sony’s, but the race is much closer: 1.54 million units versus 1.25 million units.
Further, Sony is actually ahead of Canon when it comes to the value of those sold cameras. Canon’s higher number of camera bodies sold equated to 506.7 billion yen, while Sony sold fewer units for a sales value of 565 billion yen. Canon seems to be excelling when it comes to selling more affordable cameras, while the opposite is true for Sony. "

Considering that the EF-M system (mirrorless) is basically discontinued then Canon's 20% lead in mirrorless volume would indicate a significant transition to R mount within 5 years. Top line sales revenue is one thing but profitability is another...

From Canon's 1H23 financial report:
"As a result, sales for the second quarter of the Imaging Business Unit increased by 9.1% compared with the same period of the previous year to ¥219.2 billion, while net income before tax for the second quarter increased by 6.4% compared with the same period of the previous year to ¥35.0 billion as a result of improved profitability due to an enhanced product mix that included new products. Sales for the combined first six months of the year totaled ¥411.7 billion, a year-on-year increase of 15.0%"

With Sony's latest release of the ILX-LR1, their range expands now to 19 bodies available for sale!

 

[Jethro]

In Sydney, Leica seems to have reasonable shelf space in the dedicated camera stores... plus their flagship store in the QVB that I have never seen anyone in.

It's funny because it's true!