Sales of interchangeable-lens system cameras has grown by 2.3% last year, according to the Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA). Lens shipments also increased, by 2.8%. Compact cameras, on the other hand, have experienced a drop of 12.8% in sales. Nevertheless, at 96 million units shipped, compacts still make up almost 91% of the total digital camera market. In 2010, compacts are forecast to grow by 3%, while shipments of system cameras - including DSLRs, Micro Four Thirds et al - are expected to increase by 11.1%.

Press Release

2010 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 term 2010.

1. Track Record of Shipments in 2009
The total shipments of digital cameras in 2009 (the cumulative total of shipments from January to December) reached 105.9 million units, exceeding the performance in 2007 for the third consecutive year, when shipments broke through the 100 million unit mark for the first time since CIPA began compiling statistics.

While this represents a year-on-year decrease of 11.6% compared to 2008, when shipments exceeded 119 million units, a breakdown by product-type shows that, although shipments of digital cameras with built-in lens (i.e. compact digital cameras) reached 96 million units, a year-on year decrease of 12.8%, shipments of digital SLR cameras with interchangeable lens (i.e. digital single-lens reflex cameras, including Micro Four Thirds System and interchangeable unit cameras) reached 9.9 million units, a year-on-year increase of 2.3% and, additionally, shipments of interchangeable lens for SLR cameras reached 16.1 million units, a year-on-year increase of 2.8%, exhibiting solid growth in categories with higher added value.

2. Outlook on Shipments in 2010
The forecast for total shipment (the cumulative total of shipments from January to December) of digital cameras in 2010 is 109.9 million units, a year-on-year increase of 3.8%. On a breakdown by type, shipments of digital cameras with built-in lens and digital SLR cameras with interchangeable lens are forecasted to reach approximately 98.9 million (a year-on-year increase of 3.0%) and approximately 11 million units (a year-on-year increase of 11.1%) respectively.

Of particular note is the expectation of conspicuous growth in categories such as digital SLR cameras with interchangeable lens for markets outside Japan, with shipments of 9.9 million units, a year-on-year increase of 12.5%, anticipated.

The total shipments of interchangeable lens for SLR cameras continue to grow apace with the expanding market for digital SLR cameras with interchangeable lens, with a forecast for 2010 of shipments of 17.9 million units, a year-on-year increase of 11.2%.

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