Originally posted by Medium FormatPro Since about two years after the invention of the digital slr and introduction into the consumer market... The (general) sales numbers of slr's has literally trippled. Sure part of that is people continually upgrading their cameras, but... Digital has also made slr's a lot more commonplace.
It has, and I do see more and more DSLRs. But the fact is, people still want to buy bridge cameras - and the people who upgrade to DSLRs are generally bridge camera users as well. When I'm in any large crowded area with tourists or events (Macy's Thanksgiving parade, concerts, Times Square, South Street Seaport, etc), the large majority are phone cameras, compacts that I can't recognize, bridge cameras of all sorts, a few DSLRs (some pro, some entry, most 18-55 or 24-105 lenses), and occasionally mirrorless cams (Nikon V1s, Olympus and Panasonics, and the rare Q or Sony NEX).
It's fine to say - "I would spend $800 on a mirrorless that has much better IQ than a bridge"
But not everyone else says that. I have some friends who will ask me - "what's a good camera to get? but I don't want to spend more than $300". That means I can only introduce them to super compacts or bridge cameras.