As the digital camera market contracts due to the popularity of smartphones, camera companies are finding that higher profits can still be reached by selling fewer cameras that cost, on average, twice as much as they used to.
Camera manufacturers have long told us that the future was mirrorless and - as if there was any doubt - Canon and Nikon even joined the party as far back as 2018, yet compact cameras and DSLRs have stubbornly refused to die. With 2022 well and truly over, we can now safely say that it was the year of the mirrorless camera and this marks some profound changes across the board for the industry as a whole.
In early February, a story on Yahoo came across our news desk and caught our attention: The 16 Largest Photography Companies in the World. We've recently seen it get some traction in our industry and as such want to explain why we chose not to cover it.
Even Qualcomm, the company that makes the near-ubiquitous Snapdragon brand of smartphone chips, doesn't think many people are going to be buying smartphones -- at least not in the first half of 2023.
Viewbug Gigs is a new service that wants to reward photographers for capturing images of strangers by providing a way to monetize them.
Seeing television ads for cameras and camera products is not nearly as common as it used to be, but that is starting to change as companies realize they need more general consumer support to survive at a time when the market is shrinking.
Even though technology is advancing at an incredibly fast pace, multiple studies show that regardless of the time we spend on our screens, more than 81% of people (at least in the USA) prefer to read or view images on print rather than on a digital screen.
The death of the DSLR was always in the cards - as soon as Nikon and Canon entered the mirrorless fray in 2018 it was not a case of if, but when. However, what was perhaps not expected was the rapidity with which the sales rug would be pulled from beneath DSLR consumers' feet. It's all or nothing when it comes to mirrorless.
James Eagle created a fascinating data visualization that lays bare the dominance of the smartphone market over the camera.
Nikon recently released its annual results which are a key metric in determining how well the manufacturer is doing both in terms of short-term finances as well as implementing its medium-term strategy. The quick takeaway is that it's making more money, but that camera market share is worryingly low. What does this mean for it going forward?
It's the time of year when many corporations announce performance over the last year and Fuji is no different, except all eyes are on recovery from COVID shutdowns and supply chain problems. So how did Fujifilm do? The short answer is very well and, for its Imaging division, film is king.
Market data from The NPD Group has found that the Nikon Z9 was the top-selling professional flagship full-frame mirrorless camera in the first quarter of 2022.
The year 2020 saw digital camera shipments nosedive to a new low of 8.9 million units, down from 121 million units in 2010. It was believed it couldn't get any worse and, indeed, shipments stabilized in 2021. So why do sales appear to be in free-fall again?
MediaMarkt, the largest electronics retailer in Germany, has removed drones made by DJI from its retail locations and its website amid allegations the Chinese company is leaking GPS data to the Russian military. DJI vehemently denies these reports.
The news of falling camera shipments is like the dripping of a faucet. It comes with a regular, steady, beat, and just when you think it has stopped... plink, there it goes again! So perhaps it's no surprise that CIPA -- the trade body for manufacturers -- has a downbeat forecast for 2022, but strangely seems to have missed the good news!
Sony announced last week that it was the number one mirrorless brand holding the highest market share for eight years straight. Canon then followed this up by claiming that it was the number one digital camera company, also leading on mirrorless market share. In a game of smoke and mirrors--something Sherlock Holmes would be proud of--who is telling the truth?
It's no secret that Nikon has been having a tough time financially -- a result of an over-reliance on its Imaging Division -- and has been implementing a medium-term strategy to help balance the books and foster long-term growth. Results from its Imaging Division suggest it is struggling and possibly caught in a perfect storm.
With 2021 well and truly over, those manufacturers that align their finances to the calendar year are now producing their financial reports. Canon's latest figures reveal strong and sustained performance, even during the pandemic, which is a result of its shift to mirrorless camera manufacture and facilitating the beginning of a new market dominance.
New data released by major Japanese analysis firm BCN+R shows that Fujifilm saw massive growth in market share in December 2021 thanks to the wild success of the Instax Mini Evo. It was so popular, Fujifilm surpassed Sony in overall market share.
With an implosion of shipments caused by COVID in 2020, the expectation was that 2021 would see a rebound... until COVID hit again. So how have camera manufacturers fared in what has become another traumatic business year?
Nikon unveiled the Z9 back in October to a world desperate for updates about their new top shelf model after months of teasers. This was eagerly awaited, not least to see how it compared to Sony's blockbuster Alpha 1 and because it beat Canon to the proverbial flagship punch.
The chip shortage continues to hamper Sony's ability to produce cameras. Today, the company has announced that it is no longer accepting orders for the Alpha 7C and a6600 and has "completed production" on the Alpha 7 II and a6100.
A new report published by film location finder Giggster highlights some of the top-performing Instagram photographers and estimates how much each is likely making on sponsored content.
While the global chip and parts shortage has made the availability of new camera equipment scarce across the board and most manufacturers have had difficulty meeting demand, Sony may be the one feeling the biggest pinch.
Although it’s tempting to believe that anyone and everyone is a potential customer for your photography, your actual target customer base is much more limited. Finding customers who are likely to buy your photos without spending exorbitantly to acquire them is the key to any successful marketing campaign.
Remember those heady days of 2010? The release of the iPhone 4 and iPad, the New Orleans Saints won Superbowl XLIV, Iron Man 2 hit the cinemas, Eminem released Recovery, and Biden was Vice-President. It was also the year when camera shipments peaked at over 120 million units. How did the industry become the bit-part player it now is, shifting 9 million units just ten short years later?
Online sales have long been the go-to for photographers looking to earn passive income. While you reach out to editors and communicate with clients about their latest headshots or food photos, have you considered which images you’ve already made might make you some quick cash?
According to reports out of Japan, Nikon is expecting to attempt to meet the massive global demand for the new Z9 camera through an initial production volume of 35,000 units per month. But based on sales volume rumors, it would take Nikon almost a year at that level to fulfill all pre-orders.
Should photographers sell their unedited RAW files to a client? Is there any benefit in doing so? These questions are discussed in this eight-minute video from David Bergman and Adorama.
Canon and Sony made up a vast majority of the camera sales in 2020, which saw a 40% dip in market size globally during what was an incredibly rough year for the industry and the market is only predicted to shrink further.