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Camera & Imaging Products Association, more commonly referred to as CIPA, has released its December report, which not only provides the details for the final month of the year, but also gives us a complete picture of the camera industry in 2019.
For anyone paying attention, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the news isn’t great. In fact, it’s downright terrible if we’re only looking at the numbers and not contextualizing the industry as a whole as it continues the transition from DSLR to mirrorless cameras. But, even then, it’s not a pretty sight.
According to CIPA’s data, digital still camera sales decreased by approximately 14 percent year-over-year. DSLR unit sales dropped almost 34 percent, while their value dropped roughly 28 percent. Meanwhile, mirrorless unit sales dropped by 10 percent, but the value of mirrorless camera sales increased by almost 6 percent, suggesting more advanced mirrorless cameras are increasing in popularity. Fixed-lens cameras saw a unit sale decline of 23 percent, while value dropped 12 percent.
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As a whole, these numbers define what’s easily been the most dramatic year-over-year decline in the past decade; and most camera company’s don’t seem too confident the market will improve much next year if we’re to consider their financial projections as any indication.
However, as noted by CIPA’s mirrorless numbers, it does appear as though mid-to-high-end mirrorless cameras are providing more revenue year-over-year, and with both Canon and Nikon expected to ship more advanced mirrorless models in the coming year, that number will likely only go up, even as DSLR and fixed-lens sales continue to decline.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)