The Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA) has released its forecasts for cameras and related goods for the 2022 fiscal year.
This graph compares the total camera shipments for the last three years from Japanese manufacturers. (Source: CIPA.)
The latest report acknowledges the impacts of an on-going market decline since 2018 and the impacts of the shortage of semiconductor chips (although not COVID-19). In 2021 (January to December cumulative), the market has continued to decline, as shown in the graph above. Total shipments of digital cameras were 8,361,521 units, representing 94.1% of the previous year. However, shipments of interchangeable-lens cameras, which at more than 60% of the total, were 5,348,271 units, up slightly to 100.8% of the previous year. This category is now the mainstay of the market.
These graphs compare the past three years’ shipments of interchangeable-lens (top) and fixed-lens (below) cameras. (Source: CIPA.)
In contrast, shipments of fixed-lens cameras (shown above) remained at 3,013,250 units, or 84.2% of the previous year. Interestingly, as higher percentage of these cameras were sold to Japanese customers than off-shore, whereas the balance was skewed in the opposite direction for interchangeable-lens cameras.
This graph shows shipments of lenses for DSLR and mirrorless cameras for the past three years. (Source: CIPA.)
Interchangeable lenses, in comparison, have fared relatively well, reaching 105.8% of the previous year. This level represents roughly 1.8 times the number of lenses sold for each camera body. Buying more interchangeable lenses is an approach to broadening the range of expression with digital cameras, the report states, adding it’s a testament to the passion and motivation many people have for photography even under the prolonged COVID-19 disasters.
The 2022 outlook predicts an ongoing decline in the total shipments of digital cameras to 7,850,000 units, representing 93.9% of the previous year. This estimate is based upon roughly 1,090,000 units (94%) being sold in Japan and 6,760,000 units (93.8%) being exported. The fixed-lens category will continue its slow decline, while the interchangeable-lens sector is expected to reach 5,290,000 units, which is 98.9% of the 2021 figure, Similarly, the lens market is expected to reach 9,480,000 units, which is 99.3% of the previous year and continue to grow at 1.8 times the scale of interchangeable lens cameras.
Click here to visit the CIPA website.