Smartphones Destroying High-End Camera Sales

Research firm IDC predicts that shipments of what it calls "interchangeable-lens cameras" (or dSLRs) will drop 9.1% from 19.1 million last year to 17.4 million this year. At the same time, Canon and Nikon, the leading dSLR makers, have been forced to lower forecasts for the year. Further, Tamron, a third-party maker of lenses, saw shipments slump by as much as 22% during the first three quarters, according to the Wall Street Journal.

http://www.informationweek.com/mobility/smart-phones/smartphones-destroying-high-end-camera-s/240163727

So where's it all going?

Will there be any prosumer DSLR's or EVIL's in ten years time?

Interesting comment and the way I feel the market is going . . .

LMSabo

It's true the point and shoot segment is being over taken by the smartphone. In the dSLR space I see the crop sensor camera market being over taken by less expensive full frame cameras. I suspect the first sub $1K full frame Canon or Nikon dSLR is a only couple of years away. At that point the crop sensor cameras are toast. I suspect Canon and Nikon will also make a push toward large format cameras for their professional segment.

I wouldn't have a sub-1k Canon (or Nikon) full frame camera if you served it up on a gold tray, covered it in rose petals and presented it to me together with a free lifetime supply of toothpaste. You still have to buy the monster lenses and deal with all the calibration crap that comes with them. Screw that for entertainment.

I wouldn't have a sub-1k Canon (or Nikon) full frame camera if you served it up on a gold tray, covered it in rose petals and presented it to me together with a free lifetime supply of toothpaste. You still have to buy the monster lenses and deal with all the calibration crap that comes with them. Screw that for entertainment.

This is it. And with dwindling consumer disposable spending I can't see DSLR's or EVIL's being anything other than professional end in the future, everyone else using telephones. Could be polarization of the market into phones which take great pictures and very expensive pro-gear.

There are currently many many people who enjoy photography as a hobby, who do not want to use a phone, but neither do they want to carry around a sodding big DSLR.

These people use compact cameras such as the Sony RX100, or Sony NEX, or MFT, or Fuji X series cameras (or Ricoh, or Sigma or so on). They may be in the minority; but they are not going to go away and they have zero interest in "very expensive pro gear" or in using a phone.

We have had this discussion in another topic so best agree to disagree. I'll come back in ten years and tell you "told you so, nah nah nah"; assuming I am still around.

The opposite side of that coin, is that it encourages more people to take photos

and perhaps leave some permanent record of their lives and the world around them.

The opposite side of that coin, is that it encourages more people to take photos

and perhaps leave some permanent record of their lives and the world around them.

. . . and get them into real cameras too.

It was FracturedRabbit and Kan Win that got me interested in all this a few years ago, now I'm about £7,000 down, and counting!!!

Samsung make a Galaxy 4 (I think that's the model) camera which comes

with a built in telephone and internet connectivity. From what I've read

on the net...it's pretty dam_n good too. Samsung gave a few "pro" photogs

the phone & told em to use it...they were impressed to say the least. If

you Google that phone/camera I'm sure many articles will pop up.

I'm not talking about the Galaxy 4 handphone...this jobber has a pretty

good sized zoom lens built into it that moves in & out like a happy snap

camera lens does....comes usually in white colour...well that's the only

colour I've seen it in....anyway...

Mind you...25 years ago I grunted out a loud HAH! to digital photography

in the professional arena amongst us pro's in a pub in Hong Kong. One

friend mentioned that my loud HAH! may blow back in my face and dam_n

...he was correct wasn't he.So I can envision an all in one pro photo/connect

gadget in the game...sooner than later....for better or worse.

I must admit...I'm all for it too. Albeit I'm not so sure about the possibility

of the NSA or DSD having a peek at an owners images as he uploads

em to his bureau's HQ....

I'm not talking about the Galaxy 4 handphone...this jobber has a pretty

good sized zoom lens built into it that moves in & out like a happy snap

camera lens does....comes usually in white colour...well that's the only

colour I've seen it in....anyway...

i saw that too... intriguing gadget.

@ Goshawk.....That be the gadget by golly!