[luftfluss]

CP+ 2023: Canon interview - 'It's our mission to make any camera system easier operate': Digital Photography Review

The shrinking of the overall market size is still continuing. However, if we consider only the interchangeable lens market it’s somewhat stable. It hasn’t changed. The market for DSLRs is gradually decreasing, it’s weakening. However, mirrorless is expanding further. I think we’re in a situation where it’s trying to seek balance between the two. I believe the market will follow the same sort of trend we have been seeing in the past.

If we look at the demands of our customers, the need for video is increasing. This increase in video may be supporting the overall market. So, if we’re able to respond properly to the customer demands we can see today, I think the mirrorless market will continue to expand.

[Paul the Sunman]

Balance between DSLR and Mirrorless!? I thought the standard view was that DSLR → 0.

[luftfluss]

Balance between DSLR and Mirrorless!? I thought the standard view was that DSLR → 0.

I'm thinking they are talking primarily about support. Given that many users - and pros - still use Canon DSLRs, and they probably still have a large stockpile of low-end models, so Canon has to reassure those folks that they have not been completely abandoned.

[Serkevan]

Balance between DSLR and Mirrorless!? I thought the standard view was that DSLR → 0.

It is. This is just the classic way of giving nonanswers. If they were clear, people would stop buying the soon-to-be-discontinued system, leaving them with the unsold stock.

[Dartmoor Dave]

My reading of the interview:

Lenses are where the profit is. Cameras are a lot less profitable but are sadly necessary for users to have something to mount their lenses on.

There is still a market for DSLR lenses and Canon is willing to sell lenses to that market (for now), but ultimately Canon intends to convert photographers to mirrorless whether they want it or not. Which seems to rule Canon out as a significant threat to Pentax's future domination of the smaller but still extant DSLR market.

The bit about the emerging market preferring DSLRs on the basis of price seems a bit loopy. Surely a manufacturer like Canon, that's trying to convert the world to mirrorless, would make more profit by offering a lower specced APS-C mirrorless to emerging markets instead of a cheap DSLR? Is this emerging market stuff mostly just about dumping unsold DSLR stock?

Certainly Pentax is gambling that in the future the DSLR will become a high-end camera appealing to advanced photographers, who will be willing to pay a premium for an optical viewfinder.

[btnapa]

My reading of the interview:

Your points are all valid and excellent. I think the entire photo industry is fighting the inevitable which is phones becoming better and better to a point that they take over. That might be a far fetch idea and assumption but let's remember in early 90's there were no digital cameras or iPhones in existence.

I had a chance to do a freelance gig this weekend. They asked me to shoot stills for documenting an outdoor event. I got there and last minute they asked me if I could do some video clips too. I was not prepared to do that with my photo gear. I asked if I could use my iPhone to shoot the video clips. They said yes. I think my iPhone has better video straight out of the camera than my Sony camera. So I shot the videos 4K at 60FPS. They look plenty good to me for an online presentation. Additionally, I could have shot the stills too with the phone as the images are more than adequate for online use.

[luftfluss]

Cameras are a lot less profitable but are sadly necessary for users to have something to mount their lenses on.

I snorted