In 2025, the digital camera market will proceed to develop, however at a slowed tempo in comparison with the earlier 12 months, the most recent forecast from the Digital camera and Imaging Merchandise Affiliation (CIPA) suggests. In the course of the CP+ images present, CIPA shared its predictions for 2025, providing a conservative one % uptick within the variety of digital cameras shipped worldwide. However, on the similar time, CIPA shared an in-depth have a look at the 2024 information, together with a chart that reveals the common value of compact cameras surprisingly surpassing the worth of interchangeable lens cameras.
The presentation by CIPA group chair Sato Kazu first analyzed the most recent accessible information, then shared the expected numbers for the 2025 market through the CP+ present in Japan final week. Whereas digital camera shipments as a complete are anticipated to stay about the identical with a predicted one % development for 2025, cameras with built-in lenses are predicted to take a seat at 101.9% of the earlier 12 months’s numbers. Interchangeable lens cameras have a extra conservative 100.9% prediction, whereas the lenses used with these cameras are additionally anticipated to develop, at round 102.4%.
Whereas CIPA predicts minor development for 2025, the group predicted a lower for 2024, estimating digital camera gross sales to be at 96% of the 2023 numbers. However, now that the precise numbers are in, CIPA famous how far off these 2024 predictions had been, with a 110% development general fairly than the expected decline.
The typical delivery value of cameras has additionally been on a gentle uptick during the last 12 years, CIPA shared, excluding a drop in 2020. Kazu famous that this rising value is basically resulting from higher-end cameras making up extra of the market share, as shoppers search for cameras that provide options that smartphones don’t.
Whereas the price of cameras general has steadily elevated, the price of mirrorless cameras appeared to peak in 2022, declining barely in 2023 and remaining pretty steady in 2024. As a substitute, the price of cameras with in-built lenses began rising at a bunch sooner fee starting in 2021.
In 2024, the common value of a digital camera with a built-in lens really surpassed the price of interchangeable lens cameras. That common value nonetheless sits far beneath the common value of a mirrorless digital camera, nevertheless, which implies the price of these mounted lens cameras solely outpaces the price of interchangeable lenses when taking the reducing value of DSLRs into consideration.
I believe the soar is as a result of recognition of high-end compact cameras just like the Fujifilm X100VI, Leica D-Lux-8, and growing older Canon G7X collection driving up compact costs. However, Kazu notes that there’s additionally an rising pattern for video options, which implies well-liked compact vlogging cameras just like the Sony ZV series or the DJI Pocket collection may be contributing to the pattern.
The digital camera trade has been on the upswing since a dip in 2020 because the market recovered from the affect of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, CIPA information reveals that the function of DSLRs and mirrorless cameras flip-flopped round 2019, with the graph for mirrorless gross sales persevering with to tug away from DSLR gross sales since. It’s solely when averaging the price of all forms of interchangeable lens cameras collectively that the price of compact cameras surpasses the class, with the common value of a mirrorless digital camera nonetheless greater than twice as excessive because the compact digital camera.
Whereas mirrorless cameras stay the best value, interchangeable lens cameras made up about 39 % of the cameras shipped worldwide in 2024. Kazu famous that mirrorless cameras are a pillar for the trade supporting the market.
The presentation throughout CP+ additionally highlighted some demographics not usually a part of the month-to-month CIPA experiences. Kazu broke down the demographics by age and gender for digital camera patrons in Japan, numbers which recommend these beneath 40 may very well be a driving issue within the surprising 2024 development.
Whereas Gen Z’s transfer to convey again compact cameras made headlines, the youthful era makes up extra of the mirrorless gross sales than the mounted lens cameras, no less than in Japan. The variety of folks beneath age 30 shopping for interchangeable lens cameras jumped from 7% of the full gross sales to 18%, whereas these aged 30 to 39 additionally jumped considerably from 18% to 29%. That places these beneath the age of 40 as chargeable for 47% of the interchangeable lens digital camera gross sales in Japan final 12 months.
The youthful demographic additionally jumped when taking a look at mounted lens cameras, with these beneath 30 leaping from 4% to fifteen% in 2024, and ages 30-39 shifting from 14% to 21%.
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