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The Digital camera & Imaging Merchandise Affiliation (CIPA) lately printed its whole manufacturing and cargo information for digital nonetheless cameras and interchangeable lenses for the month of June 2023. CIPA member firms shipped a complete of 671,384 digital nonetheless cameras and 830,352 interchangeable lenses in June alone. simply ILCs (DSLRs and mirrorless mixed), 527,251 models have been shipped in June, and fixed-lens digital cameras got here in at 144,133 models shipped.
Whereas the general variety of digital cameras shipped this previous June is barely under what was shipped the month prior, at a lower of 5.2% in comparison with Might, the full shipments from June 2023 are at across the identical stage as in June 2022, with a slight decline of simply 1.9% 12 months over 12 months.
This chart from CIPA exhibits whole worldwide digital stills digital camera shipments between January and June 2023 (orange, squares), 2022 (black, triangles) and 2021 (purple, circles). These numbers embody compact cameras with built-in lenses, DSLRs and mirrorless cameras.
Trying again on the 12 months to date, the development seems steadier, with shipments between January and June 2023 at round 98.5% of the place they have been throughout the identical interval the 12 months prior. What’s extra, there was a gentle improve in whole shipments of digital cameras every month from January to Might this 12 months, in comparison with a considerably inconsistent development line over the identical interval for each 2021 and 2022 (granted, the digital camera market tends to be seasonal, and never flat, throughout any given 12 months). Equally, for simply interchangeable lens shipments in 2023 to date, we see a gentle improve in models shipped between January and April, after which the variety of shipments stays flat between April and June – however no lower, no less than but.
This chart from CIPA exhibits whole worldwide interchangeable lens shipments between January and June 2023 (orange, squares), 2022 (black, triangles) and 2021 (purple, circles). These numbers embody lenses for each full-frame sensor cameras and bigger in addition to lenses for crop-sensor digital camera programs.
Whereas there have been fluctuations within the variety of digital cameras shipped in the course of the starting half of the 12 months over the previous three years, we see but once more, in 2023, the shipments trending and converging as soon as extra in the direction of an analogous stage to that of each 2021 and 2022. Within the two years prior, we see no large dips or dramatic variations in models shipped for the remaining half of the 12 months. Hopefully, this development will proceed for 2023.
The tendencies assist a theme we repeatedly encountered when talking to digital camera firm executives on the CP+ Expo in Japan earlier this 12 months: in essence, that the trade was starting to succeed in a pure level of equilibrium after years of falling gross sales.
These previous few years have been tumultuous for the digital camera trade. Already going through a difficult battle to compete towards smartphone cameras, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic hit digital camera producers notably laborious with their ever-present demand for semiconductor chips. The onset of the worldwide chip scarcity in 2020 and the overall worldwide shutdown attributable to the pandemic considerably hampered digital camera producers’ skill to supply and ship their merchandise. We reached out to producers for remark, and representatives from Canon advised us:
‘Till final 12 months, the semiconductor scarcity and provide chain disruptions had a big affect on gross sales, however at this level, they’ve largely been resolved.
Though there’s a threat that the market atmosphere might change sooner or later on account of instability within the world state of affairs, we consider that the semiconductor scarcity and provide chain disruptions can proceed to be resolved sooner or later.’
Round three years later, digital camera and lens manufacturing ranges nonetheless aren’t the place they have been pre-pandemic. Whole digital digital camera manufacturing, to date this 12 months, is down barely at a 2.8% lower in comparison with final 12 months. It’s an analogous story once we take into account interchangeable lenses, with a 6.2% lower in manufacturing between Jan-June 2023 in comparison with this identical interval the 12 months earlier than.
This desk of knowledge exhibits Whole Manufacturing and Shipments of Digital Nonetheless Cameras for June 2023 and over the interval of January-June 2023. Column 2) is a comparability over the earlier month; Column 3) is a comparability over the identical month a 12 months in the past; Column 4) is a comparability over the identical interval a 12 months in the past.
Whereas these CIPA numbers aren’t trigger for celebration simply but, maybe we’re starting to see some indicators of market stability. On the very least, some positivity is mirrored within the monetary information from a few of the main digital camera producers. It is value noting that there is a extra complicated story right here having to do with the constructive affect of international alternate charges on digital camera makers’ backside strains, however for this evaluation, we’ll stick with gross sales reasonably than monetary outcomes.
In Nikon’s Fiscal 12 months Finish report (April 1, 2022 – March 31, 2023), it highlights robust gross sales of its flagship Z9 digital camera and lenses for mirrorless cameras. Nikon’s monetary report additionally states that the Imaging enterprise unit noticed a restoration in models shipped because of enhancements in procuring elements after the worldwide semiconductor scarcity. When it comes to future outlook, Nikon expects demand for mid-to-high-end imaging merchandise to ‘stay strong’ for the upcoming fiscal 12 months however admits in the identical report that the general market might but contract extra in 2024.
New product releases in 2023, just like the Canon EOS R8, have made this a busy 12 months for digital camera firms and customers alike.
Canon’s Q2 monetary outcomes (April 1 – June 30, 2023) point out demand for digital imaging merchandise, notably for mirrorless cameras, particularly regular gross sales of the full-frame EOS R6 Mark II, EOS R7 and EOS R10. Final 12 months, Canon additionally introduced two extra APS-C mirrorless cameras, the EOS R50 and EOS R100, which have additionally been well-received by prospects, in keeping with spokespeople from Canon:
‘Since final 12 months, we’ve launched six mirrorless cameras, from entry class to superior beginner fashions, in an effort to strengthen our EOS R sequence lineup,” Canon Inc. stated. “Within the second quarter, gross sales of those new merchandise have been robust, and gross sales of RF lenses together with digital camera models elevated, leading to double-digit gross sales development.’
Canon’s outlook for its third quarter and past additionally stays optimistic, stating that it expects demand for digital imaging merchandise to stay robust, telling DPReview:
‘As for cameras, we anticipate the market to develop barely to five.85 million models in 2023, as consumer demand is stimulated by new mirrorless cameras launched by every firm,’ Canon Inc. stated. ‘For the complete 12 months as properly, we’ll purpose for double-digit gross sales development and unit gross sales of two.9 million models, which exceeds that of final 12 months.’
The newest market information gives some sense of hope that the trade is likely to be again on observe, however lots is using on the vacation gross sales season. Regardless of the difficult market circumstances and a decrease quantity of digital cameras, digital camera producers are soldiering on, and prospects are responding, exhibiting robust demand for cameras and lenses.
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