2010 global digicam sales set new record
By
Mike Tomkins
(Monday, February 14, 2011 - 19:16 EST)
The Camera & Imaging Products Association has published its figures on 2010 digital camera shipments, as well as offering its predictions for the 2011 market.
Across the board, last year's figures have beaten CIPA's predictions made a year ago, in some cases by a pretty significant margin. Global digital camera shipments made by CIPA member companies in 2010 were some 121.5 million units, up 14.7% from 2009, which beat predictions by almost 11% to set a new record. Globally, interchangeable lens cameras made up some 10.6% of the market, while on a unit sales basis, fixed lens cameras still dominated, making up the remaining 89.4%. As might be expected, the tech-hungry Japanese market saw interchangeable lens cameras comprising a significantly higher percentage of total sales, with 14.2% of cameras sold in that market offering the ability to change lenses. Japan's adoption rate for interchangeable lens cameras is soaring, with unit sales up 40.2% from the previous year, while fixed-lens camera sales increased by a relatively modest 4.5% in the same period. Globally speaking, though, the Japanese market makes up only a fairly small proportion of global unit sales, with 91.3% of CIPA members' total production in 2010 sold outside of the Japanese market. For the rest of the world, interchangeable lens camera unit sales still surged by 28.8%, well above CIPA's prediction of 12.5% growth made just a year ago. Shipments of lenses for interchangeable lens cameras were also up significantly, climbing 34.8% globally, to 21.7 million units. It should be noted, of course, that all these figures relate solely to unit sales, and tell us nothing of the revenues or profits made from these sales. Still, it can only be seen as good news that the digital camera market in 2010 beat expectations globally, not only showing significant growth when compared to the previous year, but also besting 2008 figures recorded before the worst effects of the financial crisis were felt. For 2011, CIPA is forecasting total global digital camera shipments to grow by some 7.8% to 131 million units, comprising 115.5 million fixed-lens cameras, and 15.5 million interchangeable-lens cameras. These predictions equate to 6.4% growth in fixed lens camera unit sales, and 20.2% growth for interchangeable-lens cameras. Of particular note is that gains in fixed-lens camera sales are expected to be found only outside of Japan, with the Japanese-market for fixed-lens cameras expected to contract by 1.1%, while interchangeable-lens camera unit sales in that market are predicted to climb another 13.3% in the same period. Lens sales are expected to climb by 21.7% globally, with the Japanese market facing a slightly lower 19.2% growth, and other markets predicted to record growth of 23.3% year-on-year. More details can be found in the press release below. A list of CIPA member companies can be found on the English-language section of the CIPA website.
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Original Source Press Release:
| 2011 Outlook on the Shipment Forecast by Product-Type Concerning Cameras and Related Goods The Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA, President: Tsuyoshi Kikukawa) has announced the outlook on the shipment forecasts by product-type concerning cameras and related goods for the 2011 term. -
Track Record of Shipments in 2010
The total shipments of digital cameras in 2010 (the cumulative total of shipments from January to December) reached 121.5 million units, marking a new record. CIPA began compiling records in 1999, when digital cameras were still in their infancy. Since then, digital camera shipments recorded steady growth, reaching 100 million units for the first time in 2007, but in 2009 sales slackened year on year for the first time due to the impact of the global recession. Despite these conditions, at the beginning of the 2010 term CIPA announced a return to growth in its shipment forecast, and even that forecast was substantially surpassed as shipments exceeded 120 million units and expanded the market to an unprecedented scale. In a breakdown by product type, shipments of digital cameras with built-in lenses (i.e., compact digital cameras) totaled 108.6 million units, a year-on-year increase of 13.2%, shipments of cameras with interchangeable lenses (including digital single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras, as well as so-called mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras and interchangeable unit cameras) reached 12.9 million units, a 30.0% increase, and shipments of lenses for interchangeable lens cameras amounted to 21.7 million, a 34.8% increase, exhibiting solid growth overall with especially conspicuous results in categories with higher added value, namely cameras and interchangeable lenses that serve as resources for business system deployment. -
Outlook on Shipments in 2011
The forecast for total shipment (the cumulative total of shipments from January to December) of digital cameras in 2011 is 131 million units, a year-on-year increase of 7.8%. In a breakdown of digital cameras by product type, shipments of cameras with built-in lenses and those with interchangeable lenses are forecasted to reach approximately 115.5 million (a year-on-year increase of 6.4%) and 15.5 million units (a year-on-year increase of 20.2%), respectively. Of particular note is the expectation that the rapid growth trend will continue in the category of digital cameras with interchangeable lenses for markets outside Japan, with shipments of 13.8 million, a year-on-year increase of 21.1%, anticipated. The total shipments of lenses for interchangeable lens digital cameras continue their marked growth in step with the expanding market for digital cameras with interchangeable lenses and the broad range of product offerings, with a forecast for 2011 of shipments of 26.4 million units, a year-on-year increase of 21.7%. | Millions of units | | Item | Total Shipments | | Actual Results in 2010 | Year-on-year change | Forecast for 2011 | Year-on-year change | | Digital cameras (total) | 121.5 | 14.7% | 131 | 7.8% | | | Interchangeable lens cameras | 12.9 | 30.0% | 15.5 | 20.2% | | | Built-in lens cameras | 108.6 | 13.2% | 115.5 | 6.4% | | Lenses for interchangeable lens camera | 21.7 | 34.8% | 26.4 | 21.7% |
| Millions of units | | Item | Shipments to Japan | | Actual Results in 2010 | Year-on-year change | Forecast for 2011 | Year-on-year change | | Digital cameras (total) | 10.6 | 8.5% | 10.7 | 0.9% | | | Interchangeable lens cameras | 1.5 | 40.2% | 1.7 | 13.3% | | | Built-in lens cameras | 9.1 | 4.5% | 9 | -1.1% | | Lenses for interchangeable lens camera | 2.6 | 44.5% | 3.1 | 19.2% |
| Millions of units | | Item | Shipments to Countries other than Japan | | Actual Results in 2010 | Year-on-year change | Forecast for 2011 | Year-on-year change | | Digital cameras (total) | 110.9 | 15.4% | 120.3 | 8.5% | | | Interchangeable lens cameras | 11.4 | 28.8% | 13.8 | 21.1% | | | Built-in lens cameras | 99.5 | 14.0% | 106.5 | 7.0% | | Lenses for interchangeable lens camera | 19.1 | 33.6% | 23.3 | 22.0% | Note: Figures may not add up due to rounding |
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