AfterDawn: News

Canon results show nobody wants compact digital cameras anymore

Canon reported their quarterly earnings today and one thing is clear: nobody is buying compact digital cameras.

The Japanese company is the world's largest camera maker.



Profits came in at 33.93 billion yen ($284 million) for the period ended March 31st, much lower than the 53.64 billion yen ($450 million) analyst estimates for the quarter. This complete miss was due to an even larger drop in digital camera sales than expected.

Since Apple released the iPhone and Google released the first Android phone, sales of compact digital cameras are down 70 percent. The company lowered its forecast to 7-7.8 million units sold, a 23 percent decline from 2014.

High-end SLR cameras with interchangeable lenses saw a decline, as well, but lesser in scale. Sales are projected at 5.8 million, a 9.4 percent YoY decline.

Source:
Reuters

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 27 Apr 2015 23:17

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• 11 comments

• doowop72

  Well yeah... Megapixels are getting better in newer phones. So these sales decreases make sense.

  27.4.2015 23:35 #1

• cart0181

  The main problem with digital cameras and camcorders also, is that they aren't with you at all times like your smartphone is. I would much rather capture the moments with "real" cameras, but where are they? Back at home in a drawer. Useless.
  

  28.4.2015 00:35 #2

• Semperfipal

  Originally posted by cart0181: The main problem with digital cameras and camcorders also, is that they aren't with you at all times like your smartphone is. I would much rather capture the moments with "real" cameras, but where are they? Back at home in a drawer. Useless. I agree, our digital camera is somewhere in a bankers box in the attic since we purchased a smart phone years ago. All our photos and vidoes are taken with the cell phone.
  

  "Do not underestimate the power of an enemy, no matter how great or small, to rise against you another day." - Atilla

  28.4.2015 10:28 #3

• KillerBug

  Originally posted by cart0181: The main problem with digital cameras and camcorders also, is that they aren't with you at all times like your smartphone is. I would much rather capture the moments with "real" cameras, but where are they? Back at home in a drawer. Useless. Also, this article is about compact digital cameras...it does mention DSLR's, but is mostly about fake cameras. The camera in the headline image is only 16 megapixels, the same as the Note 4. I know the optical zoom gives it an edge, and you can get around the terrible compression issues if you use a custom firmware and a really good memory card...but even then, it is only slightly better than the camera built into a phone that wasn't really trying on the camera front. Heck, the note 4 might actually be better when it comes to video...I know my old Note 3 is mighty impressive on that front. Honestly, the only uses I can think of for a non-dslr non-phone camera is if you are going to put it in places that you wouldn't leave a phone. Security cameras, a camera near the targets at a firing range, etc...
  
  DSLR is something else entirely of course...the only explanation I can think of for why those sales are down is market saturation/diminishing returns from newer technology...or sales might be stable and people are just buying brands that don't require you to install a custom firmware right off the bat.
  

  
  

  28.4.2015 10:32 #4

• Bozobub

  I don't exactly disagree, but I think this article greatly overstates the issue; $450 million US is, after all, a sizable profit, even if it doesn't measure up to "the good ol' days".

  29.4.2015 16:10 #5

• soupy51

  Bozobub: The profit was ONLY $284 million, $450 was the projected amount. Funny how $284 MILLION comes in as a loss. We should be so lucky!!
  

  29.4.2015 21:44 #6

• pmshah

  Originally posted by Bozobub: I don't exactly disagree, but I think this article greatly overstates the issue; $450 million US is, after all, a sizable profit, even if it doesn't measure up to "the good ol' days". $ 450 Million was last year's figure. $ 284 million is a substantial drop from that.
  
  I live in a country and location where we have ultra bright sunshine for 10 months of the years, barring the monsoon. In This situation there is not a phone or a dedicated camera that sports an even half way decent screen that will permit you viewing what is being photographed. Recently I read about a new reasonably priced Xiaomi Mi 4i phone - on Gizmag - that will permit that with its "Sunlight Display". If it meets this criterion I am going for it.

  30.4.2015 01:13 #7

• soupy51

  Originally posted by pmshah: Originally posted by Bozobub: I don't exactly disagree, but I think this article greatly overstates the issue; $450 million US is, after all, a sizable profit, even if it doesn't measure up to "the good ol' days". $ 450 Million was last year's figure. $ 284 million is a substantial drop from that.
  
  I live in a country and location where we have ultra bright sunshine for 10 months of the years, barring the monsoon. In This situation there is not a phone or a dedicated camera that sports an even half way decent screen that will permit you viewing what is being photographed. Recently I read about a new reasonably priced Xiaomi Mi 4i phone - on Gizmag - that will permit that with its "Sunlight Display". If it meets this criterion I am going for it.
  
  It was an ESTIMATE for the quarter. Here is the quote from the article which you obviously neglected to read. I really don't feel sorry for Canon OR its shareholders.
  
  "Profits came in at 33.93 billion yen ($284 million) for the period ended March 31st, much lower than the 53.64 billion yen ($450 million) analyst estimates for the quarter"
  

  30.4.2015 08:36 #8

• DullRazor

  "Nobody wants them":
  
  - proves no matter how small the publication, sensationalism is more important to marketing than telling the truth
  
  - proves that if you can't make exponential growth part of your portfolio in today's Wall Street driven economy, you need to close your doors
  
  - proves that everyone must be rich or it's time to close down shop and go home
  
  - proves the "Instamatic" totally destroyed the high end camera market
  
  - proves that everyone is actually enjoying those out of focus, poor dynamic range, blurred and low color resolution Instagram selfie hits that you are sharing
  

  30.4.2015 12:02 #9

• Bozobub

  I apologize for the mistaken number, but my point still stands just fine. A $284 million profit, by the very definition of "profit", is NOT a loss!
  No matter how Wall Street (and analysts) behave, a lower-than-projected profit isn't a loss, except likely to those who bet on the higher profit projection. And as soupy51 notes, betting the farm on corporate profit estimates is pretty damn foolish.

  30.4.2015 12:09 #10

• SomeBozo

  If they want to sell their camera, better add a phone.
  
  

  30.4.2015 14:12 #11