[toni-a]

Point and shoot cameras seem to have no future with the development of phone cameras, interchangeable lens cameras are also suffering graphs speak for themselves

source

 

https://www.statista.com/chart/5782/digi...shipments/

 

[southerncross]

Market saturation? 

 

At some point you have more equipment than you need

 

Hopefully we will still have point and shoot compact cameras under 500 $.

[Rover]

Point and shoot cameras do have some kind of future if you consider the fact that none of the smartphones have zoom lenses (to the best of my knowledge), AND  their image quality, on the average, is still way below the decent compacts with larger sensors (and I'm not speaking of the 1" sensors and larger - these will not be surpassed by the cellphones in the foreseeable future). Quite a few people I know are using decent dedicated compacts (not that $99 noname junk from the convenience store, of course) as a carry anywhere camera (though many have switched to Âµ4/3 for that purpose). The likes of Sony RX series, Panasonic LX and others are just a separate market from the smartphones. I would love to have something like a Sony RX100 Mark 4 or Panasonic LX100... The aforementioned $99 junk P&S cameras... well, if they're going the way of the dinosaur, good riddance.

By the way, Southerncross has a very valid point... the market is saturated, the evolution has slowed and now shows few radical leaps - just like it did with personal computers, so there's often very little incentive to upgrade. I'm typing this on a laptop made in 2007; my main camera is a 2009 model and I'm not inclined to upgrade it in any foreseeable future - unless, of course, I happen (God forbid!) to break it, lose it, or have it stolen. Then again, I'm buying a lot of equipment used (certainly the lenses, but some of the cameras as well, including this present one) so I'm not counted in that tally (over 15 years, I've bought 10 cameras - 3 P&S, 5 DSLR and 2 mirrorless, two of which - incidentally, my main bodies, both Canon 1D series, were used). Three of these cameras (2 P&S, 1 DSLR, 2 mirrorless) have been given away as gifts to various womenpeople of significance.

[obican]

The most saddening fact for me is that nobody wants anything to do with older digital cameras. Something quite hot today will be outdated and pretty worthless in a few years. Just like the high end film cameras of old times, you can buy a pretty high end digital camera of a few years age for quite cheap today. 

 

But would you like to? Who wants to have a 5D Classic today? 1Dsm2 anyone? Sony Nex 7? Nikon D100? How about a Fuji X-Pro1 in mint condition? A 22MP medium format back that only works tethered to a laptop and crops all lenses severely?

 

Actually the same goes for most film cameras. Where I live you can pick up a Mamiya RB67 set for less than 100$ in working condition, complete with a lens and a back. It will probably rival any digital camera when it comes to technical image quality but it weighs about 3 kgs with the lightest loadout. Nobody will want to use a Canon T90 save for a few enthusiasts and even many field-ready Nikon F5 are gathering dust on shelves. 

 

However, there are still many desirable film cameras. Hasselblad XPan prices have doubled in the past year. V series (500C/M and such) prices are on the rise as well. Relatively cheap Leicas that you could've bought under 1k$ (M4-P, M2, M6 etc.) have all risen over 1k$ and you can't simply get one in user condition for a daily shooter, this one is thanks to the collectors though. Mamiya 6 and 7 series are also on the rise. Used Fuji's 667 series still sell for their retail price, they simply never lost any value.

 

On the lower end of the price spectrum, Nikon FE and FM series are still sought after as they are probably the most sensible manual focus 35mm SLR cameras ever made. Canon A-1 and AE-1 models are also quite sought after in the used market here but we might be an exception. Somewhere else it may be the old MD/MC mount Minoltas. 

 

Most of these cameras won't lose much of their value anymore and some may even rise, unlike low and mid-range digital cameras of any time. Save for the Leicas, about everything I mentioned above are seeing field use every day and most will continue to do so for many decades. Any relatively old digital camera still desirable today, simply won't.

 

If mediocrity goes on killing digital camera sales at this pace, many manufacturers will simply drop their lines one by one, most probably starting from the bottom. Again, you can look at the film camera industry; 95% of the film cameras you can buy new today, are pretty high end in their class. Digital compacts are almost dead, save for megazooms and even interchangable market is changing severely. Canon and Nikon have pretty much stopped development of their lower end models, they simply add minor features and re-release them year after year. Sony is not even doing that. A mount is A6x series and above while mirrorless is pretty much A6xxx and above and that recently included a 300% price increase as well.

 

As a hobbyist, we are being forced to pay more and more for a contemporary model, including lenses. Most companies have dropped developing cheap primes in favor of zooms at all focal ranges. You can't really set out and get 3 primes for under 500$ anymore in most systems. If you are a pro, your equipment pays for itself but for the hobbyist, this is getting more and more expensive, with diminishing returns in what we really end up getting back. And that's even in the short run. In the long run, about all the modern equipment, especially mirrorless bodies and lenses, will become obsolete and inoperable by manufacturer's choice.

[Klaus]

Back in the days "you had to take a camera with you" in order to make decent photos (decent as in "decent enough" for most people).

That started to change in 2014 where at least the high end models started to have "good" cameras. Today even the mid-spec smartphones are there and a improved cameras is a mission statement for every new smartphone generation. So the issue is .. you have your "camera" with you all the time now anyway. Why bother with a dedicated one.

Let's face it - smartphone cameras are about as good as conventional digicams 3-4 years ago. 

 

I'm still waiting for a smartphone for camera enthusiasts. The Panasonic CM-1 was almost there but now the real McCoy please.

[Arthur Macmillan]

I've recently looked at some photos taken with 8 and 10 MP Canon DSLRs.  I printed 8 1/2 x 11 inch shots that looked fine.  I'm dreaming of purchasing a Canon 5D Mark III, now that the Mark IV is out.  I believe that will be high enough quality for me.  I will never have to upgrade again!


So I wonder...are sales dropping only because of phones?  Or could it be that we simply have cameras that are good enough for us now?


As a side note, I was given someone's no longer used Kyocera (Yashika T4 Super, I think) point and shoot 35mm film camera.  I assumed it would be worthless, like most not collectible film cameras.  Oddly enough there was still a strong demand for it a few months ago when I looked it up on eBay.  They were selling for double the price they sold for new!  I didn't think any compact film camera could be worth anything, but apparently this was a favorite of photographers who take candid shots.


I just looked again.  One is selling on eBay for over $400!  I'm not sure why there is still a strong following for a camera of this type (small point and shoot 35mm film).  Part of me thinks it might have to do with authenticity.  A set of negatives might be more convincing than a digital photo, as far as not being doctored?  Or are there still some die hard film lovers out there?

[Reinier]

'So I wonder...are sales dropping only because of phones?  Or could it be that we simply have cameras that are good enough for us now?'

 

I think both. And for most people there is no need to go beyond a 5D III or IV or even a 80D or D500 from Nikon or whatever other model and brand. There are a few exceptions, of course, but in general most people don't even need a better camera then the Canon EOS 400D for the way they take pictures and watch them.

 

And why carry around a big chunky Dslr, whilst there are some many good alternatives? I wonder if I stick to Dslr, because of it.

 

Kind regards,

Reinier

[Rover]

obican, I would gladly use a NEX-7 or a 1DS Mark II. Though I'd prefer not to bother with something like 5D or D100.

[obican]

Wish they put the A7 sensor and A7Rii firmware into a Nex 7 body and keep the Tri-Navi exactly as is...

[backcountryskier]

I think phone- and computer-enabled cameras are killing the flip-phones and PCs alike...

 

With regards to the interchangeable lens segment - I wonder if this reflects the maturation of digital camera bodies?  I remember the 20D being a huge upgrade from the 10D, and similarly the 350D to the 400D.  Then came live-view and video.  Lots of reasons to upgrade.  Nowadays the new models have minor new feature sets.