[Mistral75]

All Japanese camera manufacturers have published their financial reports on Q3 of calendar year 2019. CIPA figures are available too. I therefore decided to make a short overview.

All data below are comparable except that Sony and Canon include video cameras (not cinema cameras) in their reporting. Panasonic are not listed because they don't report any data on their camera business. Sigma aren't included either: as a family business, not a listed company, they are not required to report any data.

Without further ado, here it comes: from left to right Q1, Q2, Q3 and 9M



First of all, it should be noted that the market decline (CIPA shipments in ¥) is slowing quarter after quarter: -20.7% for Q1, -17.4% for Q2 and -14% for Q3.

Ricoh Imaging are the only camera manufacturer showing growth in sales (in operating profit too). That's because of the success of the Ricoh GR III and, to a lesser extent, the Ricoh Theta ecosystem. I have no global data but, at least in Europe, Pentax sales are following a -20% trend.

If we rank the companies according to the variation in their sales between the first nine months of 2018 and the first nine months of 2019, we obtain the following ranking:

1. Ricoh: the only one growing
2. Sony: -7.5%
3. Fujifilm: -11.9%
4. Olympus: -19.7%
5. Nikon: -21.2%
6. Canon: -21.6%

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Last edited by Mistral75; 11-12-2019 at 06:44 AM.

[Kozlok]

Slow and steady wins the race.

[aaacb]

Yet again Panasonic fails to make the list.Somewhat surprising .

It's in the second paragraph why, Panasonic doesn't release data about their camera business.

[2B1]

aaacb. Cheers

[nguyenlm]

very interesting numbers. I always thought nikon outsold canon but I am wrong.

[Vaskebjorn]

I think, and I might be completely wrong, that a lot of sales of the canons and nikons go to the “the guy or girl nextdoor” who wants to have a camera for general use. In my opinion this is the vulnerable market as this switches over to phones on a higher percentage.
As Pentax is already harder to get and people have to put more effort into it in to getting one it is more of a deliberate choice and makes you less prone to switching.

Just a wild idea, but hey, who am I

[2B1]

Just curios The Cannon and Sony figures include video sales.

[The Squirrel Mafia]

Interesting data.

[DeadJohn]

I think, and I might be completely wrong, that a lot of sales of the canons and nikons go to the “the guy or girl nextdoor” who wants to have a camera for general use. In my opinion this is the vulnerable market as this switches over to phones on a higher percentage.
As Pentax is already harder to get and people have to put more effort into it in to getting one it is more of a deliberate choice and makes you less prone to switching.

Just a wild idea, but hey, who am I

I think you're correct, at least in the USA market.


Any camera brand in general stores such as Best Buy, Target, etc. can attract impulse buyers. That, plus marketing, is why there were once so many Canon cameras at events like kids' soccer games. Many parents buy a camera, use it a few times, don't have the time or interest to learn how to do sports photography, and are disappointed with their photos. Events where I used to see more DSLRs are now filled with phones.


Pentax hasn't been readily available in stores for a long time and already lost that segment of the camera market.

[tvdtvdtvd]

Not meaning to be a spoilsport, but if there is no data for Ricoh Apr-Sept, how do you know Ricoh sales are positive Jan-Sept?

[stevebrot]

Not meaning to be a spoilsport, but if there is no data for Ricoh Apr-Sept, how do you know Ricoh sales are positive Jan-Sept?

You are a spoilsport!!! Assumptions are grist for the mill in regards to camera industry punditry.


Steve

[Vaskebjorn]

It’s no different here in Europe
People go to a shop and buy a camera. I would almost say, standard Canon. And if you feel “professional” you take a Nikon.

Pentax is hardly on anyone’s shortlist unless you konw the brand and/or did some research before you buy your camera.
Also i think that if a shop has Pentax it will be a “dedicated” photostore. The electronic store do only have Canon/Nikon/Sony or whatever is popular and has relatively big margins.

I think you're correct, at least in the USA market.


Any camera brand in general stores such as Best Buy, Target, etc. can attract impulse buyers. That, plus marketing, is why there were once so many Canon cameras at events like kids' soccer games. Many parents buy a camera, use it a few times, don't have the time or interest to learn how to do sports photography, and are disappointed with their photos. Events where I used to see more DSLRs are now filled with phones.


Pentax hasn't been readily available in stores for a long time and already lost that segment of the camera market.

[beholder3]

It is worthwhile noting that Leica with roughly 48 billion yen sales per full year is somewhere between the size of Fuji and Olympus.

[Mistral75]

I think, and I might be completely wrong, that a lot of sales of the canons and nikons go to the “the guy or girl nextdoor” who wants to have a camera for general use. In my opinion this is the vulnerable market as this switches over to phones on a higher percentage.
(...)

Just a wild idea, but hey, who am I

It's definitely right and Nikon's strategy to improve the profitability of their Imaging Products business is now to focus on the professional and hobbyist segments. The two slides below come from a presentation made a few days ago by Nikon executives in the framework of the announcement of the FY2020/Q2 financial results.

[Mistral75]

Just curios The Cannon and Sony figures include video sales.

Canon, Panasonic and Sony, in alphabetic order, are the top 3 sellers of camcorders and video cameras.