Revenue From DSLR sales Dropped 43.6% between January and February

Pretty bad news coming from Japan, check this out. DSLR companies trying to push new models to lure more customers, while the market keeps shrinking from month to month.

DSLR manufacturers rushing to put out new models as camera market takes a beating

The digital single-lens reflex camera's market is getting tough. There are signs that the once-thriving market for digital single-lens reflex cameras (DSLRs) may be slowing down, according to newest market research data.

While pricing for DSLRs is less aggressive than that of compact digital cameras, manufacturers are still striving to boost sales, in hopes of additional sales of lenses and accessories.

However, according to the Camera and Imaging Products Association, revenue from DSLR sales has dropped 43.6 percent between January and February.

Also, according to market research firm BCN, while unit sales for March are up 29.3 percent, successive price drops mean that revenue has only gone up by 5.9 percent.

While BCN says there are various factors causing the disparity, it explained: "Between November and February, while sales did increase, these were for cheaper products, such as older models, causing the phenomenon of negative growth for the same month the previous year. Sales in the DSLR market are not progressing as well as they did before."

Manufacturers are now rushing to add new features to their cameras in order to pump up sales further. Panasonic's Lumix DMC-GH1K, a beginner-oriented camera with the ability to shoot high-definition video, goes on sale this month, with a similar offering from Nikon next month.

Canon has said that in the current economic environment, it doesn't expect a major surge in sales but recognizes underlying demand for the cameras and hopes to attract customers with new products.

Via Mainichi Daily