Camera Sales Continue to Plummet

[Ron Texas]

Fewer units sold, with emphasis on higher-end, higher-margin products sounds about like what I'm seeing.

I think sheer momentum will carry the Canon EF- and Nikon F-mount systems for awhile longer, though they're effectively legacy products now. Exotic and costly lenses in those mounts ought to continue to hold their value as they're readily adaptable to other systems.

No doubt the world's love affair with mobile devices has a lot to do with the huge decline in sales, but maybe there's also a collective sense that digital cameras made several years ago are still really good. Maybe people are also making the association between lifestyle choices and environmental change?

Depends how many years back. I have been looking through my archives at shots taken with a D300 (12mp,DX), D700(12MP,FX), D800 (36MP FX) and my D850 (45MP, FX) There is an improvement in image quality in each generation, although I have improved a lot in the last 10 years as well. I never owned a D810, but some say the difference between it and the D850 isn't that great.

IMO, Nikon and Canon DSLR's are nowhere near legacy status. Nikon just released the D780, the D6 is a few weeks away, and the F mount 120-300 F/2.8 zoom was just released. Mirrorless has to get a lot better before it has the same viewfinder rendition as reflex (at the push of a button). Those who shoot with a tripod or learned photography on a mobile phone or compact camera tend to embrace mirrorless. Those who shoot sports, action, street and photojournalism are not so enthusiastic. The visual process is very different.

 

[StevenEleven]

I long since accepted the fact that my cameras are capable of much better pictures than this operator (me) is able to achieve.

i resemble that remark. That’s the cold hard truth for sure.

 

[gikigill]

i resemble that remark. That’s the cold hard truth for sure.

Same here, mostly do still photography and my entire kit including body, lenses, battereies et al is less than AUD2000. Spending more wont make me a better shooter. Phone handles casual duties while Sony Mirrorless does functions and serious stuff.

 

[Wes]

"Nikon just released the D780" but it is a sort of hybrid DSLR/mirrorless body. I am waiting to see if D750 prices will plummet, even tho I mostly use m43 mirrorless now.

Still have the Hassy c/m - mainly just for the feel and sounds of the mirror & shutter I guess.

 

[Ron Texas]

"Nikon just released the D780" but it is a sort of hybrid DSLR/mirrorless body. I am waiting to see if D750 prices will plummet, even tho I mostly use m43 mirrorless now.

Still have the Hassy c/m - mainly just for the feel and sounds of the mirror & shutter I guess.

Nope, the D780 is a DSLR.

 

[JeffS7444]

IMO, Nikon and Canon DSLR's are nowhere near legacy status. ... Those who shoot sports, action, street and photojournalism are not so enthusiastic. ... The visual process is very different.

Ultimately the market will decide, just as it did starting in the 1950s when Nikon and Pentax 35mm SLRs took market share from German brands such as Leitz and Franke & Heideke, who were still making rangefinder and twin-lens reflex cameras at the time.
https://petapixel.com/2020/01/08/canon-done-making-ef-lenses-unless-photographers-demand-more/

There is an improvement in image quality in each generation...

Sure, but my 2013 Sony A7 Mk 1 still works great, and I avoid stepping into shops in search of new-toy ideas!

 

[Wes]

the D580 has a number of mirrorless features & components

 

[Davelemi]

No inherent design advantage, none, zero not one? Prove it. All I know is when I pick up a Z6 and look through the viewfinder I find it much harder to compose rapidly than when using my D850. There are technical issues, but to avoid starting a war with mirrorless camera owners, I will not go into that. The last time I mentioned a factual problem they all got upset with me.

Love the Z6! Economics are much better than an equivalent Sony. I finally moved to FF after shooting Oly/Pan m43 for 6 years. All SLRs prior to that and I'll never go back to a mirror.
Having said that, the D850 is very hard to beat.

 

[LTig]

Depends how many years back. I have been looking through my archives at shots taken with a D300 (12mp,DX), D700(12MP,FX), D800 (36MP FX) and my D850 (45MP, FX) There is an improvement in image quality in each generation, although I have improved a lot in the last 10 years as well. I never owned a D810, but some say the difference between it and the D850 isn't that great.

I wonder how big the difference between D800 and D850 is. When I switched from D200 to D800 the gain in resolution (~ x 2) and SNR (~ x 5) was ramazing. I can't see anything like this when switching to D850, or to any current camera at all. And with no builtin flash the D850 is no good deal for me (I use is for remote control of external flash).

OTOH the D800 requires excellent work (best lens, best aperture, high speed or very good tripod and mirror up/live view) to catch pics with full resolution. Higher resolution as in D850 or up make it even harder to get full resolution into your pics.

 

[LTig]

Love the Z6! Economics are much better than an equivalent Sony. I finally moved to FF after shooting Oly/Pan m43 for 6 years. All SLRs prior to that and I'll never go back to a mirror.
Having said that, the D850 is very hard to beat.

I thought long about getting a Z6 or Z7, because I need a silent cam for shooting people in the local theater (hobby job). Using the D800 with my 24-120/f4 is not possible due to the loud mirror bounce. I finally decided against a current Z because they have no flash, no 2nd card slot, and there is the banding problem my D800 does not suffer from (sometimes I do a lot of lifting in the shadows). Already owning a Panasonic GX7 with 20/f1.7 and a silent shutter mode, I got me two additional used high speed lenses (Oly 45/1.8 and 75/1.8) which counter act the noise of the smaller sensor and its depth of sharpness. Gets the job done and is much lighter.

 

[maxxevv]

The specification direction for newer Canon EOS R cameras seem to point towards pro-sumer and keep a good gap above handphone sensor capabilities. Possibly why "capable" mirrorless cameras like the EOS M series are such great sellers in the generally weak market so far.

Its been some 11 years, finally see a camera that can fit in all my needs outside of a EOS 1D series and replace my 5D MkII. The EOS R5 and R6 seems to be spearheading the direction that Canon is heading.

 

[majingotan]

I'm happy with my aging Canon 5D still producing sharp photos with just a Canon 35mm f/1.4 lens. This one is just illuminated with nothing but moonlight @ f/1.4 13 seconds at ISO 1600

 

[digicidal]

"Nikon just released the D780" but it is a sort of hybrid DSLR/mirrorless body. I am waiting to see if D750 prices will plummet, even tho I mostly use m43 mirrorless now.

Still have the Hassy c/m - mainly just for the feel and sounds of the mirror & shutter I guess.

Oh man, I sure hope the D750 prices plummet... I absolutely love mine and want to buy at least one spare body before they're EOL'd... but they've been regrettably resilient in their retail pricing so far.

 

[snapsc]

One of the problems when you have a pretty good business that is under attack is that you feel that you have to use conservative measures to defend it so as not to "really screw things up". What the camera business needs is probably a bold jump forward where one of the big 3...sony, canon, nikon include some game changing software...similar to what apple is trying to do with their new iphone 11 night mode.

One might argue that this is a gimmick...put the pictures often say otherwise. I sure have heard a lot of people looking to upgrade their phone...and especially their iphone in order to have some of the increased capability that the 11 models offer. Now this may not persuade the pros...but I suspect that it would help the camera guys sell a lot more mirrorless, slr's, and $300+ point and shoots....but the marketing would be important as people are getting used to not having a camera with them.

And maybe the bold move won't be software....but just little tweaks of lenses, bodies and sensors will result in further decline!

 

[mhardy6647]

apropos of this thread, and from a profoundly biased source, I offer this*, strictly as-is and FWIW:
https://www.keh.com/blog/your-smartphone-is-not-enough-why-you-need-a-dedicated-camera/?utm_source=emarsys&utm_medium=email&sc_src=email_558481&sc_lid=41157089&sc_uid=t05InH3DPr&sc_llid=32150&sc_eh=dd420f9a30c987cd1&utm_campaign=Your+Smartphone+Is+Not+Enough+(2/10/20)&utm_term=Content

_____________
* Just came in an e-mail blast from KEH. I suspect that whole business is feelin' the heat.

 

[Wes]

computational photography is real the villain - it just hides inside the smartphones

 

[majingotan]

computational photography is real the villain - it just hides inside the smartphones

Mathematical interpolations are still far behind than the pure glass optics when pixel peeping though

 

[snapsc]

The purists would argue that photography is manual film cameras only...if the goal is to save cameras.. then the solution has to embrace all types of users/photographers. To my way of thinking software and hardware enhancements are all needed.

 

[Wes]

The purists would argue that photography is wet plate cameras only...

 

[NTK]

Mathematical interpolations are still far behind than the pure glass optics when pixel peeping though

How about AI interpolations that can create pixels out of thin air?
https://news.developer.nvidia.com/n...e-reconstructs-photos-with-realistic-results/