huemax Loc: High Point, NC

IT is YOU. Rent a camera that you might to own. You have to use it to see. Never buy a car without test frive.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

I imagine I'd still get pictures.

huemax Loc: High Point, NC

RENT one or more. Never buy a car without test drive?

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Canon, Nikon, and Sony are in it for the long haul. Fuji - I hope so. The problem is that camera sales are way down, so there is a much smaller pie to divide among the manufacturers. It's all about money, so if profits aren't good, they will drop cameras and look for money elsewhere. They're not sentimental; they're businessmen.

Bultaco Loc: Aiken, SC

2022 is the 21st century.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Yes, and how will the current "big sellers" be doing in fifty years?

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Selling cell phones?

MrPhotog

The number of brands has indeed dwindled. Camera companies typically make camera bodies and lenses.

You are also seeing the rise of companies that make only lenses, but for multiple camera systems. Interestingly, some are making new optics for very old lens mounts.

Some old names in cameras are still with us, but their prices have gone sky-high. Leica’s latest camera body (M11) is $9000, and yet it sells so quickly (and is made so slowly !) that it has been hard to find at that list price. Leica is partnering with Panasonic on their Mirrorless SLR models, so both brands are around—apparently thriving— and sharing the same lens mount, which means there will be less expensive bodies available for Leica optics.

Other old brands such as Hasselblad and Alpa are very expensive, but available. Fuji is cranking out new cameras, too. Cameras with Larger format sensors are a smaller market, geared to pros, more expensive, and not going to be big sellers— none will sell millions of cameras in a year like Sony does.

How do we factor which is best? A base set of features and how well it meets our personal photographic styles and needs. And price.

Sony’s biggest feature (in my opinion) was making a camera that accepted lenses from other manufacturers. They can have a dozen optical companies at work for them at the same time, and introduce a dozen new lens designs each year under a Sony label. Or, in some cases under another brand’s label, like Zeiss.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

No. Apple and Samsung have a tight grip on that market - at least in the USA. Nokia is still the #1 seller, but where are they now?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_mobile_phones

dbrugger25 Loc: Raleigh, NC

I own Canon cameras. In the past, I owned Olympus 4/3 cameras ending with the E-5. I thought they were great and was heavily invested in their premium lenses. Then Olympus abandoned the 4/3 format for the micro 4/3's. It would have been smart to have created an E-7 and then an E-9 out of respect for their customers. Certainly the sensors were available. I didn't want to buy all new lenses. After a few years, the Olympus software became incompatible with new versions of Windows. I searched for updates and there were none. I called Olympus customer service and they were awful to me and refused to help me in any way. It would have been easy to make their newer software compatible with E-type cameras but they wanted them to be as obsolete as possible. They also refused to make adapters to use the old lenses with their M-4/3 cameras. SO, I abandoned Olympus and moved to Canon. There was no particular reason except that I have known some photographers who like Canon. I am sure I would be equally happy with Nikon of Sony. I have three Olympus bodies, seven lenses including their former flagship models sitting in a cabinet because of the terrible attitude exhibited by Olympus Customer Service. My theory is that, if they treat a long-term, heavily invested customer that way I will never trust them or want anything to do with them. I am very happy with the Canon 5D-MK IV, the R5 and all the lenses bearing the Canon brand.

BebuLamar

You don't have to rent a car to test drive. Support your local camera stores.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

If there is one.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Followers think and talk about problems. Leaders think and talk about camera brands.

BebuLamar

In which case many people nowaday do buy a car without the test drive. It's the sign of the time. Back in the old days most people would go out to the camera store and try out several cameras before picking one. I remember back in the old days stereo dealers let me take the speakers home to try them out in my home for a week before I decide to buy them or not.
Oh well but we have the easy return policy. Back in the late 70's I don't think I can return a camera for money back. I could return it for another if it's defective. I am not sure now but at least before the pandemic there was no way to return a car for full money back. You would lose thousands of dollars if you bought a car drive it for one day and try to return it.

sheldon minsky Loc: iron mountain michigan

Please continue to enlighten the masses.