Signalling the end of Summer and beginning of Autumn, the latest camera and lens sales data for September 2024 has been released by Japanese camera and lens manufacturers' trade body, Camera Imaging Products Association (CIPA).
With Black Friday and Christmas looming, it’s no surprise that the latest CIPA numbers show the highest shipments of the calendar year so far across all categories, however, cumulatively DSLR units are down 21% compared to 2023.
CIPA reports that the quantity of total shipment of digital stills cameras (DSCs) worldwide for September 2024 stands at 832,874, up from 831,098 in 2023.
September is typically when sales start to ramp up in the lead up to the upcoming holiday season pushing the stats as high as they can get all year.
August figures showed that despite a slight dip compared to July, they are up in terms of both volume (5.4%) and value (14.3%) compared to the year-to-date figures for the same period last year.
August had the highest shipments of the year to date for DSLRs, despite being 20% down from 2023, and in September that percentage crept up another 1%.
CIPA has predicted 5.89m interchangeable lens cameras (ILCs), 1.52m compacts and 9.57m lenses for calendar 2024. Based on 2023 shipping patterns, ILC’s could potentially come in at 6.3-6.4m units, which is higher at the low end than Nikon Rumors predicted last month but lower at the high end.
Mirrorless cameras are up 14% since 2023, compacts are up 7%, full-frame lenses bigger are up 3% and smaller-format lenses are up 8%.
If sales trends run like similar years recorded by CIPA we will continue to see sales increase in the month of October, apart from possibly DSLRs, only to drop dramatically again in November, presumably when everyone has bought all their more expensive Christmas presents, or taken advantage of the pre-holiday sales.
These figures only represent shipments of cameras and lenses originating in Japan. However, as CIPA represents the main Japanese industry players (Canon, Cosina, Fujifilm, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Sigma, Sony, Tamron, Tokina, Ricoh and Zeiss) it's by far the vast majority of the traditional enthusiast camera market.
Take a look at our guides to the best mirrorless cameras, and the best compact cameras. We've also go guides to the best Fujifilm cameras, and the best retro cameras.
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