Photography news, before it happens

CIPA (Camera & Imaging Products Association in Japan) published their April report. The downturn continues – the total number of shipped digital cameras is lower compared to the same month in previous years (orange: 2018, black: 2017, blue: 2016, click for larger view). The table with the actual numbers can be found here:

DSLR numbers:

• compared to previous month (number of units/yen value): 91.3% / 92.2% (2* column)
• compared to same month last year (number of units/yen value): 96.3% / 102.5% (3* column)

Mirrorless numbers:

• compared to previous month (number of units/yen value):  113.3% / 107.4% (2* column)
• compared to same month last year (number of units/yen value): 124.9% / 140.9% (3* column)

From January to April this year, the ratio of DSLR: mirrorless is still approximately 2:1 (one mirrorless produced for every two DSLR cameras). Mirrorless, however, generated a higher yen value per unit so far this year (total 53 million vs. 74 million for DSLRs) but this was not the case for April where DSLR had the higher yen number (20 million vs. 16 million).

Here are the other two graphs:

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