Camera sales fell by more than 50% in 2020

Following the outbreak of the Corona virus worldwide and the change in people’s lifestyles and the closure of many businesses, many industries, including the camera industry, suffered huge losses. Statistics now show a sharp drop in sales of DSLRs  , compact cameras and mirrorless cameras.

The Japan Camera and Imaging Products Association (CIPA) recently released information on global camera and lens production as of September this year. The results of this association show that the industry has been clearly hit hard by the global epidemic of coronavirus. The CIPA Association has published the volume of units sold and the value of their remittances, all of which have seen a significant decrease compared to the same period in 2019.

Camera makers sold 1.562 million DSLRs as of September this year, down 54 percent from the same period last year. It goes without saying that the value of these cameras is estimated at 64.6 billion yen (equivalent to 625.66 million yen), which indicates a decrease of 51%.

Mirrorless cameras, although in better shape, have seen a 34% drop in sales of 1.807 million units so far, and the value of these units has dropped by 26% compared to the same period last year, to 145.82 billion yen (1.412 billion yen). The dollar is estimated. 

Although more compact cameras were sold than DSLRs, only 2.498 million units were sold, down 51 percent, and they suffered the same amount of damage. The sale was worth 53.578 billion yen ($ 518.91 million), down 26 percent. In the chart below, you can see all the shipments of digital cameras with interchangeable lenses this year compared to the previous two years.

The final chart shows the sales shipments in the fixed lens market compared to the last two years.

According to the charts provided, camera sales in September were higher than in August (August) and the data show that the overall value of sales is increasing. Sales of DSLRs in September grew by about 68,000 units compared to August, while mirrorless cameras showed a growth of 140,000 units.

It will probably take some time for camera and lens makers to make up for the damage caused by the two-thirds of 2020 due to the Corona virus pandemic; But with the sale of them in September of this year, it shows that the industry has been able to revive itself a little and promises satisfactory sales of cameras in the future.