[Mistral75]

On the 16th of September Nikkei Business Daily published new data on the shipments of interchangeable lens cameras and mirrorless cameras in 2019.



Source: 新型コロナ:ソニー、ミラーレス参入10年　α7Cに込めた盟主の矜持　　:日本経済新聞

Shipments of interchangeable lens cameras in 2019:

1. Canon: 4.16 million units
2. Nikon: 1.73 million
3. Sony: 1.66 million
4. Fujifilm: 500,000
5. Olympus: 330,000
6. Others: 280,000

Mirrorless camera shipments in 2019:

1. Sony: 1.65 million
2. Canon: 940,000
3. Fujifilm: 500,000
4. Olympus: 330,000
5. Nikon: 280,000
6. Others: 240,000

One can extract more bits of information from these data.

Other ILCs = 280,000 = Panasonic (mirrorless only) + Pentax (DSLRs only) + Sigma (mirrorless only).
Other mirrorless cameras = 240,000 = Panasonic + Sigma.

Assuming Sigma shipments are negligible (ε)

• Panasonic: 240,000 - ε
• Pentax: 40,000
• Sigma: ε

Here below the more complete picture.

Shipments of interchangeable lens cameras in 2019:

1. Canon: 4.16 million
2. Nikon: 1.73 million
3. Sony: 1.66 million
4. Fujifilm: 500,000
5. Olympus: 330,000
6. Panasonic: 240,000 - ε
7. Pentax: 40,000
8. Sigma: ε

Shipments of SLR and SLT cameras in 2019:

1. Canon: 3.22 million
2. Nikon: 1.45 million
3. Pentax: 40,000
4. Sony: 10,000

Mirrorless camera shipments in 2019:

1. Sony: 1.65 million
2. Canon: 940,000
3. Fujifilm: 500,000
4. Olympus: 330,000
5. Nikon: 280,000
6. Panasonic: 240,000 - ε
7. Sigma: ε

[Paul the Sunman]

I love Pentax, but it makes you wonder why they bother, and how they make it pay. Less than 1% of Canon sales.

[yucafrita]

But these number are Japan market only, right?

[cport]

Leica is missing


Anyway, the numbers make sense.

[Mistral75]

But these number are Japan market only, right?

No, the global market.

[yucafrita]

No, the global market.

Ups. Wow.

[Mistral75]

Leica is missing


Anyway, the numbers make sense.

I'm not so sure Leica are included in the survey made by Techno Systems Research Co., Ltd and used by Nikkei in their report. I presume its scope is limited to Japanese manufacturers.

Anyway, even if the mirrorless units shipped by Leica were included in the 240,000 Other mirrorless (in this case, together with those shipped by Hasselblad and Phase One), it wouldn't sensibly change the picture. Panasonic would still represent 240,000 - ε units.

Same with DSLRs if one were to include Hasselblad, Leica and Phase One together with Pentax in the 40,000 Other DSLRs.

[Mistral75]

Ups. Wow.

2019 shipments according to CIPA: 4.5 million DSLRs and 4.0 million mirrorless cameras.

http://www.cipa.jp/stats/documents/e/d-2019_e.pdf

[surfar]

Japanese

Is there any data on how much of the production is consumed by the domestic market?

[Mistral75]

Is there any data on how much of the production is consumed by the domestic market?

Yep, CIPA data: 545.000 mirrorless cameras and 290.000 DSLRs were shipped to Japan in 2019.

In 2019 Japan represented 13.8% of the global mirrorless market and 6.4% of the global DSLR market respectively.

[surfar]

Yep, CIPA data: 545.000 mirrorless cameras and 290.000 DSLRs were shipped to Japan in 2019.

In 2019 Japan represented 13.8% of the global mirrorless market and 6.4% of the global DSLR market respectively.

OK,yes i knew that stuff...my error.What i meant to say is how much of the Pentax production is for Japanese consumers?

[Mistral75]

OK,yes i knew that stuff...my error.What i meant to say is how much of the Pentax production is for Japanese consumers?

According to BCN (which collect data from POS, mainly electronic stores, and therefore favour entry-level cameras), the top three players in the 2019 DSLR market were as follows:

1. Canon: 56.3%
2. Nikon: 41.1%
3. Pentax: 2.4%

Source: カメラ | BCN AWARD・BCN IT ジュニア賞

This would lead to some 7,000 Pentax DSLRs shipped by Ricoh to Japanese distributors in 2019. May be a bit more due to the bias mentioned above.

According to these figures around 20% of the Pentax production was for Japanese consumers in 2019.

[yucafrita]

Wow, I was not aware that the absolute numbers are so low.

[BigMackCam]

Wow, I was not aware that the absolute numbers are so low.

That's almost 7,000 Pentax DSLRs for the month in Japan alone, at a time when you'd expect sales to be dwindling due to the pandemic and the fact that none of the cameras in the current line-up is new or recently to market. Add the popular GR series, compacts, lenses and accessory sales to that, and - with a small, efficient team and well-controlled product development investment - it seems like a pretty viable business to me. Not the same kind of enterprise as Canon, Nikon, Sony etc. - but significant nonetheless.

I stand corrected

[Mistral75]

That's almost 7,000 Pentax DSLRs for the month in Japan alone (...)

Not for the month, any month. For the whole 2019. Or 600 Pentax DSLRs per month in Japan.