Canon sees a grim future for the camera business: the digital camera market is likely to shrink by half in the next two years

Here is a recap of a recent interview with Canon's president Fujio Mitarai for the Japanese website Nikkei:

• Canon will shift its camera business focus to corporate customers
• Camera application will increase in industrial fields such as surveillance and medical care
• Canon sees the market for digital cameras shrinking rapidly in the future
• The market for digital cameras could shrink by about 50% in the next two years
• Two quotes (Google translation):

"In our company cameras have declined at around 10% a year (sales volume) in the past few years (combined with single lens reflex and mirrorless) The world market for interchangeable lens cameras is around 10 million, but decreased yhe mirrorless product is growing, but it is a replacement with a single lens reflex, it is not adding to the market as a whole "

"People usually shoot with smartphones. The digital camera market will keep falling for about 2 years, but professional and high amateur (advanced) amateurs use about 5 to 6 million units. Finally it will hit the bottom. "

Via Digicame-info