More people buy compact cameras than DSLRs, according to the latest data from CIPA, shared by DCWatch. In April 2023, there were 159,546 cameras shipped with an integrated lens, aka, compact cameras, compared to 108,255 DSLRs shipped, when looking at worldwide shipments. When looking at the rest of the market, it get’s even worse for the DSLR…
Mirrorless cameras outsell DSLR by 4x to 1.
Worldwide mirrorless camera shipments were reported as 440,169 units, compared to 108,255 units for DSLR cameras, this is 4.0x more mirrorless cameras. And in terms of value, these are generating 11x more revenue, due to a higher per unit cost than DSLRs.
In Japan the rate at which people are buying mirrorless cameras compared to DSLRs is even higher, with 9.2x more mirrorless cameras sold. Japan’s camera market is often considered ahead of the curve, so it’s likely that we can expect this trend to be mirrored (sic), elsewhere.
DCWatch worldwide camera shipments, image: DCWatch/Google translate
Year-on-year figures look generally good, as sales are, for the most part, higher than last year. Year-on-year looks at the data from the same month but 12 months earlier. It’s also worth noting that shipments are not technically the same thing as purchases, but that they should give a good indication of sales.
Compact cameras have seen a large decline in sales compared to the hey-day of compact digital cameras (~2012), but recently new models have been introduced, specifically targeted at video creation. With models like the Sony Z-V1 Mark II (above), and Canon Powershot V10 aimed directly at vloggers.
As many new compact cameras are often expensive, and sometimes hard to find, there’s also been a recent trend of people buying second hand compact cameras, particularly for people looking to recreate the retro look, with vintage digital cameras being particularly popular, especially as they can be bought for much lower prices.
Via DCWatch (please use Google translate if needed).
Related reading
- Can’t find the Fujifilm X100V, here are some retro alternatives
- Best second-hand classic compact cameras
- Times up, the DSLR is already dead
- Ricoh GR IIIx review
