This seems to be because the younger generation's are not interested...Harley-Davidson is also feeling this problem. Young people want instant everything. My daughter and granddaughters are proof to me. The boys would rather ride crotch-rockets for motorcycles, my daughter swears by her smart-phone...her quote: "don't need no damn camera.....got this phone" I guess the best thing for me to do is sit on the porch, sip my whiskey, and take photos with my DSLR Canon. God Bless America!

Interesting article (especially for us Canoneers) taken from an interview in a Japanese magazine with Fujio Mitarai (Canon CEO) recently. Not a total surprise to me but still a bit of a eye opener.

LittleRed (Ron)

Smartphones could halve camera market in two years, Canon warns
By James Artaius (Digital Camera World, digital magazine)

Smartphones eating into market, mirrorless cameras not growing it, says Canon CEO

The digital camera market will continue to fall for the next two years before it hits rock bottom, at which time it could have shrunk by almost half. That's the bleak forecast from Canon CEO, Fujio Mitarai.
In an interview with the Nikkei (spotted by Mirrorless Rumors and translated by Digital Camera Info), Mitarai stated Canon's intention to shift its business to corporate customers in response to the grim market trend. 
"In our company cameras have declined at around 10% a year in the past few years. The world market for interchangeable lens cameras is around 10 million," he said. "The mirrorless product is growing, but it is a replacement [for] single lens reflex, it is not adding to the market as a whole."
According to Mitarai, smartphones are the primary reason that the market is facing such challenging conditions.
"People usually shoot with smartphones.The digital camera market will keep falling for about two years, but professional and [advanced] amateurs use about 5 to 6 million units. Finally [the market] will hit the bottom."

The digital camera market has been in decline for some time, but it was hoped that the release of full-frame mirrorless cameras like the Canon EOS R and Nikon Z7 would reinvigorate things. Unfortunately, as Mitarai notes, mirrorless cameras are simply replacing DSLRs – they aren't resulting in new camera adopters. 
With a move to service corporate customers, it seems likely that Canon's product line – particularly its compact cameras and lower end DSLRs – might be in jeopardy. With rumours continuing to swirl about professional versions of the EOS R, it looks like Canon is starting to put its eggs into one basket. 

Seems like to me that the Canon pres is sending a message - Canon is not going to invest much money in cameras and lenses in future - he is saying there is no reason to invest in a market shrinking that fast.

The market shrinking that fast may or may not be true - I suspect he is wrong - I would guess the market has already pretty much stabilized and is NOT going to shrink anything like he predicts - but he is covering his posterior by telling us the reason why Canon is withdrawing from competing with future designs.

I'm sure Canon will milk their existing line as much and for as long as possible, and will bring out new gear that is entirely derivative of the design and engineering they already have - but I think we have just been told that will be it.

Sad.


Bob Locher