Market for DSLRs shrinking dramatically and why Canon / Nikon are to blame

[animan]

Even if its true its not a reason to be frustrated imo.. I dont see a big difference for example having a frustrated or emotional reaction that McDonalds corporate profits were down because their recent happymeal campaign failed..

 

Plenty of manufacturers and technology will give us all our hearts desire within a year Id guess, for me i dont care which company brings it.. 

 

Why worry how much profit corporate CEOs and shareholders end up with?

[animan]

(Unless you believe your blog post can speed things up, in that case fair enough!)

[hmcindie]

I think it's just the natural evolution of things.  The old adage of huge bulky cameras is going away.  It's about functionality and convenience. 

 

Funny because I don't like the smallness of the a7s while doing video. I'd love for that sensor package to be in Canon 5d mark IV (the bulkyness is good!) a7s is a bitch to operate compared so functionality and convenience goes to 5d too. And the size is still a misnomer when I'm using bulky fullframe lenses anyways.

[Astro]

I agree with Andrew and aside of the graphs.... the evidence appears to be there and his arguments make a lot of sense.

How many shooters have left Canon recently and advising others that they no longer need to look at Canon/ Nikon anymore for hybrid Cameras in DSLR format...Celeb Pike, Dave Dugdale and many others, tons of them on youtube that own or no longer own a Canon...scan through some reviews and you will see what I mean, the bigger ones are getting between 10,000 and 35,000 hits on theiir reviews of the Gh4 and A7s, this has to have an effect.

Last time I looked at camera sales and Camcorders at BH Photo the GH4 and A7s were in number one and two position, I had to wait over two months (after paying) to get a GH4 in Australia, the importer told me (and they have about 4 outlets online that stock Canons, Nikons etc...), that it is very difficulty to get a GH4, they are so much in demand, same for the A7s...I dont think he is talking about niche markets here, nor do I think BH having those cameras at the top of the list of sellers is niche either, or Amazon selling out over and over.

 

As I said the evidence is crystal clear, Panasonic cant keep up with demand, they doubled production a while back...and Sony would be delighted with the response and sales of the A7s as well.

 

Sure both cameras have their well documented achiles heels, but consumers want better hybrids with increasingly better and more comprehensive video features...most of my friends (know didlley squat about video) are content to shoot (Postcards from or happy snaps) on their iPhones.

But I have asked them what would you want from a DSLR or Mirrorless cam and they all indicate ..great video quality and some bells and whistles, but they would not spend $5000 plus on a Canon C line cam..

Sony, Panasonic and Olympus have clearly seen this gap and they are going for it, and its paying off, the evidence is there, and I think Andrew is right on the money.

I dont agree with everything he says but I sure agree with this.

Its my opinion only...but look at the sales of these cams, how can you argue against that!

[mtheory]

Many of my pro friends are jumping ship to Nikon ( photo ) and A7S ( video ) primarily because of superior low light. I still have big hopes for 7D2 ( basically, I want it to be a low light king without A7S's rolling shutter issues and RAW capability ) , but if Canon disappoints again I will just move over to Sony with all my Canon lenses, - my 5D with RAW will still last as a great B cam for years, while my A cam will probably be 4K.

[slakjaw]

I agree with Andrew for the most part. while i dont think they have to make a mirrorless, nikon and canon are feeling some pain right now. Nikon especially. I am not sure Nikon will ever recover and they might get bought out in another year or two. Nikon stock shows everything and is all the proof I need. Canon will be able to keep going like a zombie missing an arm for a while.

[wind1414]

Hello Andrew, I am new here. Enjoying your blog, guides etc. Great work!  I am gaffer and working in film/movie business. At first I studied photography. Please let me say one thing about mirrorless / EVF / Sony A7s etc.: For fun and private projects I owned a 5D II. I sold it to get a A7s instead, especially for Video. Yes, the Sony has great IQ for Video etc. But let us be true about Electronic Viewfinders for photography, about battery life, about reliability, about colour, about the display. To look through the A7s (viewfinder) is, for Video: fine, ok. (but I expected much better focus peaking etc);  for Photography: a pain.  EVF is the future, no doubt. BUT right now, and compared to a high end optical viewfinder- It is crap. Ok its a completely different thing. Nobody points that out. Do you want to SEE with your eyes while taking photos or do you want to look into a small electric thing like your handy, like your computer? Battery Life, colour of the display: Far from good. Today I was working with a photographer, she works with 6x7 medium format.  After setting up everything and after lighting etc we do "test photos" with a digital camera like the A7s, just to get a feeling how the picture will look like (like a polaroid, ignoring the differences to film in format and depth of field etc).  A7S: Colours of the display- weird. (mixed light, white balance was set correct) Battery life- :-(   Bugs with metabones adapter:  :-(   The A7s offers some great things like its video codec etc.  But for me it feels, like many other cameras, at least for photography, more like a computer, not fully developed.  Of course great things can be done with this camera. But  i think its far from a photographers AND Cinematopgraphers tool, far from a "Purists" tool. So, my advice: try before you buy.  :-)   Best, T.

[Damphousse]

I agree with Andrew and aside of the graphs.... the evidence appears to be there and his arguments make a lot of sense.

How many shooters have left Canon recently and advising others that they no longer need to look at Canon/ Nikon anymore for hybrid Cameras in DSLR format...Celeb Pike, Dave Dugdale and many others, tons of them on youtube that own or no longer own a Canon...scan through some reviews and you will see what I mean, the bigger ones are getting between 10,000 and 35,000 hits on theiir reviews of the Gh4 and A7s, this has to have an effect.

 

Without debating whether Andrew is right or not I can tell you will 100% certitude the average consumer rarely if ever uses their DSLR to make videos and that is not a big driver when they are buying a camera.  I can also tell you that the majority of DSLRs the largest camera maker in the world sells cost less than $1,100.  So the idea mirrorless camers selling for $1,700 and $2,500 are in any significant way responsible for the DSLR sales drop is ludicrous.  I don't know how many times it needs to be said.

 

I was out shooting with a friend.  They had their Canon Rebel set up on a tripod and took a picture.  Without missing a beat they pulled their iphone out of their pocket and shot a short handheld video.  I repeat, they had a Canon DSLR bolted to a tripod with an L lens attached... and they made a handheld video with a cell phone.  That person is not buying an a7s.  I'm sorry.

 

 

Last time I looked at camera sales and Camcorders at BH Photo the GH4 and A7s were in number one and two position, I had to wait over two months (after paying) to get a GH4 in Australia, the importer told me (and they have about 4 outlets online that stock Canons, Nikons etc...), that it is very difficulty to get a GH4, they are so much in demand, same for the A7s...I dont think he is talking about niche markets here, nor do I think BH having those cameras at the top of the list of sellers is niche either, or Amazon selling out over and over.

 

As I said the evidence is crystal clear, Panasonic cant keep up with demand, they doubled production a while back...and Sony would be delighted with the response and sales of the A7s as well.

 

 

Yes B&H may sell a lot of GH4s but you have to understand in a country of 310+ million people it is probably one of only a handful of places you can get a Panasonic GH4.  A month ago the BMPCC was probably the number one or two selling camera at B&H.  Does that mean it is responsible for the drop in DSLR sales... or does that mean B&H is one of only a handful of authorized dealers that sell the camera... in a country of 310+ million people.

And really what do you think the production run is for the GH4?  I can tell you it is nowhere near the size of the production run of a Canon Rebel at launch.  So the fact it sold out doesn't prove anything.  In the United States we have a company called Microsoft and when they made their first modern tablet they had some people in the marketing department that succumbed to irrational exuberance.  They made way too many of the tablets and they are still selling them as new YEARS later... and after multiple substantial price cuts.  So what did they do for the next model?  They made a much smaller production run and voila!  All of a sudden the Surface 2 was selling out everywhere.

 

As I said before this is more about understanding marketing than anything else.  Things you guys have to understand are... video isn't that important to the average consumer; the average consumer isn't going to pay over $1,100 for a camera body; just because NEW DSLR sales are down doesn't mean USED sales are down or that people who already own DSLRs aren't using them any more.  Sales can't go up forever.  Once the product gets to a certain level of quality and everyone has one it is perfectly natural for new sales to go do.  Eventually you will only be selling to hardcore gear heads, new immigrants, and new people that are born.  While that isn't great for stock prices I fail to see why it has any relevance to the average consumer.

 

Marketing 101...

 

 

[Guest Ebrahim Saadawi]

The market Canon created with their 5D mk II, is not a small one. The sales of both the GH4 and A7s prove that, it's larger than you might expect. People are getting into video, I might even say it's getting as big as the photography market, and it's only getting bigger and bigger.

Canon knows this, Nikon knows this, Panasonic and Sony know this (they even made cameras specifically for it), and I promise you all the next releases from these companies will have a big emphasis on video.

[Andrew Reid]

Damphouse, do feel free to explain why mirrorless shipments have remained steady whilst DSLR shipments have halved in 2 years. Clue... it's nothing to do with the product life cycle stages. It has all happened relatively recently in a matter of months not over the long term.

[Damon Mosier]

Without debating whether Andrew is right or not I can tell you will 100% certitude the average consumer rarely if ever uses their DSLR to make videos and that is not a big driver when they are buying a camera.  I can also tell you that the majority of DSLRs the largest camera maker in the world sells cost less than $1,100.  So the idea mirrorless camers selling for $1,700 and $2,500 are in any significant way responsible for the DSLR sales drop is ludicrous.  I don't know how many times it needs to be said.

 

etc etc

 

 

I think you are missing the point. I don't think the argument is about convincing the average joe that they need to plonk down thousands of dollars instead of using their phone. It is about convincing the person who is already in the market for plonking down thousands of dollars why they should spend those thousands on a particular camera.

The only reason to release a MkII or MkIII of anything is because you want people who already have the earlier version to upgrade for the latest new features. The manufacturer is attempting to cash in on the reputation of the previous version, but updating it and making it new and improved. But for the last five years, there haven't been any new features! Or barely any. The MkIII was only an incremental tweak of things the MkII already did just fine, and if the leaked specs of the 7D MkII are true, there is nothing in that package to warrant spending money on if you already have a 7D or 5D.

The rest of this isn't directed specifically at you, but just a general statement. I don't understand it when people complain about somebody complaining about the lack of innovation. It's like people say "What are you complaining about? People don't care about new features. They aren't going to spend lots of money because a camera can do X." 

Then WHY would they spend money at all? If they aren't going to be enticed to spend a few grand on a camera regardless of the advances, then why are those people being included in the conversation to begin with? They aren't the market. Period. The only people who's opinion matters are the ones who would buy it, and if there is no reason to buy it because the tech in the particular line of cameras has been stagnant for five years they aren't going to.

Sorry if I seem like I'm rambling. My point is this: It may not be the case that the person buying the GH4 did so because they didn't like the 5D MkIII's features. They may not even be the same market. In all likelihood, the people who would buy a new DSLR feel like they have no reason to, while people who feel like buying a new mirrorless camera are finding a reason to.

 ----------------

So basically, I'm saying I don't really understand what your point is, other than that it appears you are suggesting that there is no point in Canon or Nikon making better cameras because nobody is interested in buying them in the first place, regardless of how much better they are.

And I think that Andrew is saying that there ARE people out there who want to buy better cameras, but they are sitting on their cash instead because there is nothing out there they feel is worth buying, aside from the portion of that crowd who is seeing something in the mirrorless market that is actually convincing them to purchase one.

Or am I off base?
 

[mtheory]

Hello Andrew, I am new here. Enjoying your blog, guides etc. Great work!  I am gaffer and working in film/movie business. At first I studied photography. Please let me say one thing about mirrorless / EVF / Sony A7s etc.: For fun and private projects I owned a 5D II. I sold it to get a A7s instead, especially for Video. Yes, the Sony has great IQ for Video etc. But let us be true about Electronic Viewfinders for photography, about battery life, about reliability, about colour, about the display. To look through the A7s (viewfinder) is, for Video: fine, ok. (but I expected much better focus peaking etc);  for Photography: a pain.  EVF is the future, no doubt. BUT right now, and compared to a high end optical viewfinder- It is crap. Ok its a completely different thing. Nobody points that out. Do you want to SEE with your eyes while taking photos or do you want to look into a small electric thing like your handy, like your computer? Battery Life, colour of the display: Far from good. Today I was working with a photographer, she works with 6x7 medium format.  After setting up everything and after lighting etc we do "test photos" with a digital camera like the A7s, just to get a feeling how the picture will look like (like a polaroid, ignoring the differences to film in format and depth of field etc).  A7S: Colours of the display- weird. (mixed light, white balance was set correct) Battery life- :-(   Bugs with metabones adapter:  :-(   The A7s offers some great things like its video codec etc.  But for me it feels, like many other cameras, at least for photography, more like a computer, not fully developed.  Of course great things can be done with this camera. But  i think its far from a photographers AND Cinematopgraphers tool, far from a "Purists" tool. So, my advice: try before you buy.  :-)   Best, T.

 

Welcome to the forum. What issues did you have with Speedbooster adapter?

[Damphousse]

The market Canon created with their 5D mk II, is not a small one. The sales of both the GH4 and A7s prove that, it's larger than you might expect. People are getting into video, I might even say it's getting as big as the photography market, and it's only getting bigger and bigger.

Canon knows this, Nikon knows this, Panasonic and Sony know this (they even made cameras specifically for it), and I promise you all the next releases from these companies will have a big emphasis on video.

 

You've made some nice nebulous statements... unfortunately you haven't posted any facts to back up what you are saying.  You look at the volume of posts on photography forums and they dwarf the volume of posts on video forums.  Heck I frequent a FILM photgraphy forum and it has more posts than this forum.

 

The market for cell phone video is huge.  The market for DSLR video?  Markedly smaller.  Again in my circle of friends I'm the only one that does it.  And once I get my BMPCC up and running I will leave the hybrid camera video world behind for a couple of years... at least. 

 

I think you are missing the point. I don't think the argument is about convincing the average joe that they need to plonk down thousands of dollars instead of using their phone. It is about convincing the person who is already in the market for plonking down thousands of dollars why they should spend those thousands on a particular camera.


 

 

I think you missed the point of the graph in the OP.  It shows a decline in number of units shipped of ALL DSLRs.  Now if you want to analyze the graph what do you think is of more relevance, the smaller portion of units shipped (ie 5D MK III, et al) or the larger portion of units shipped (ie sub $1,100 cameras).

 

I have taken several college level marketing classes and I’m astonished at how tripped up people are getting over this basic market analysis.  It’s a simple graph.  And all you have to do is couple it with one simple FACT, sub $1,100 cameras are the majority of units Canon ships.  So if you want to analyze a major move in the graph why on earth wouldn’t you start there?  The a7s and the GH4 are not going to be considered substitutes for 70Ds and Canon Rebels by most people.  So their introduction is not going to cause the sales of Rebels to crater.

 

And another point is if you look at that graph we know in all likelihood DSLR sales will rocket to levels far above mirrorless sales sometime in the next 12 months.  You can cherrypick points on the graph going back years and tell whatever story you want.  But anyone that doesn’t think DSLR sales aren’t going to go up dramatically from this point is kidding themselves.  Every year we have people saying DSLRs are dead… then sales rocket up and they are silent.  Then sales fall again and they are back saying this is the end.  All good things come to an end eventually… but whether it’s on Wall Street or video forums I haven’t met a person yet that can call a bottom in a market.

[bumpy]

Another newbie comment, been reading EOSHD for a long time and have learned a lot - thank you.

 

On my daily commute I walk between the Boston Childrens Museum and the Boston Tea Party Ship, which is a photogenic historic landmark and tourist stop.  This space brings together the two biggest camera demographics - Parents and Tourists.

 

I certainly see plenty of cellphones, but the dedicated camera is in no danger of extinction. I see lots of dedicated cameras, almost all of which are small.  Very few p&s small, most are in the csc, bridge camera, superzoom, etc. size range. Some DSLRs, but few and far between.  If mirrorless is failing in the US, you wouldn't know it from what I see on my commute.

 

I believe the $300-$700 mirrorless segment is going to really kill the dslr.  Anyone who struggles to pack all the gear (parents, travelers) prizes small.  Equal image quality and features, the smaller camera will sell. At this point the smaller camera is also winning the quality/feature race.

 

Parents always want video, and not needing a separate dedicated video camera saves a lot of money and space. Two lousy $350 cameras or an A6000?

 

Pragmatic everyday space/cost/quality decisions by parents and travelers now tip so far in favor of small still+video cameras that the bigger more expensive to manufacture DSLR is doomed to eventual extinction in that segment. Particularly when all these average people ask their photo enthusiast friends who read sites like this for advice, and the only advantage anyone can claim for a $700 DSLR is the ovf.  How many of your non-enthusiast friends have asked about their legacy glass? Any brand loyalty there among the kit-zoom crowd?  Or do most people just want a new camera?

 

In this light the CaNikon attempts (M/1) at mirrorless make sense, they are aiming at the right target. The problem I see is CaNikon seem to want to position mirrorless for consumer against their dated $500-$700 DSLRs.  The competition is pushing innovative capabilities into that price range much faster, esp. video, evf, sensors, stuff that compares well against CaNikon (also dated) Pro equipment. What average parent/traveler buys a big $1000+ DSLR over a Nex6 or A6000 (to pick a popular option) for kids or travel when small counts, video saves you a whole 2nd camera, and you sacrifice nothing in image quality or low light?  Back in the stone age of the Nex6, autofocus might get a parent to go DSLR, but A6000 removes that barrier.  What is left aside the mighty ovf?  Really there is no reason not to choose small, and small sells to anyone who has to pack and carry gear.

 

I am confident the US consumet market will shift, probably soon. I see the signs every day on my commute.

 

The future is small, versitile and beautiful.

[slakjaw]

Without debating whether Andrew is right or not I can tell you will 100% certitude the average consumer rarely if ever uses their DSLR to make videos and that is not a big driver when they are buying a camera.  I can also tell you that the majority of DSLRs the largest camera maker in the world sells cost less than $1,100.  So the idea mirrorless camers selling for $1,700 and $2,500 are in any significant way responsible for the DSLR sales drop is ludicrous.  I don't know how many times it needs to be said.

 

I was out shooting with a friend.  They had their Canon Rebel set up on a tripod and took a picture.  Without missing a beat they pulled their iphone out of their pocket and shot a short handheld video.  I repeat, they had a Canon DSLR bolted to a tripod with an L lens attached... and they made a handheld video with a cell phone.  That person is not buying an a7s.  I'm sorry.

 

 

 

Yes B&H may sell a lot of GH4s but you have to understand in a country of 310+ million people it is probably one of only a handful of places you can get a Panasonic GH4.  A month ago the BMPCC was probably the number one or two selling camera at B&H.  Does that mean it is responsible for the drop in DSLR sales... or does that mean B&H is one of only a handful of authorized dealers that sell the camera... in a country of 310+ million people.

And really what do you think the production run is for the GH4?  I can tell you it is nowhere near the size of the production run of a Canon Rebel at launch.  So the fact it sold out doesn't prove anything.  In the United States we have a company called Microsoft and when they made their first modern tablet they had some people in the marketing department that succumbed to irrational exuberance.  They made way too many of the tablets and they are still selling them as new YEARS later... and after multiple substantial price cuts.  So what did they do for the next model?  They made a much smaller production run and voila!  All of a sudden the Surface 2 was selling out everywhere.

 

As I said before this is more about understanding marketing than anything else.  Things you guys have to understand are... video isn't that important to the average consumer; the average consumer isn't going to pay over $1,100 for a camera body; just because NEW DSLR sales are down doesn't mean USED sales are down or that people who already own DSLRs aren't using them any more.  Sales can't go up forever.  Once the product gets to a certain level of quality and everyone has one it is perfectly natural for new sales to go do.  Eventually you will only be selling to hardcore gear heads, new immigrants, and new people that are born.  While that isn't great for stock prices I fail to see why it has any relevance to the average consumer.

 

Marketing 101...

 

 

 

 

lol smh lol. no. its not about "Marketing 101" lol go look at the stock prices for Nikon and Canon. both are around 5 year lows. this has nothing to do with product life cycle. it is plain and simple people are buying less dslrs over a pretty long period of time. And you are right Nikon and Canon arent going anywhere anytime soon but this is still a trend. so at what point in time does a long term trend become the norrn for you? 

 

We have a short wait till the 7D mkII and Nikons D750. Let see how dslr sales skyrocket with these. I dont think they are going to sell very many of either. When sales do not skyrocket, maybe that would be a good time for you to start asking why then see andrews list. 

 

Interesting narrative you came up with though. 

[Damphousse]

 

lol smh lol. no. its not about "Marketing 101" lol go look at the stock prices for Nikon and Canon. both are around 5 year lows. this has nothing to do with product life cycle. it is plain and simple people are buying less dslrs over a pretty long period of time. And you are right Nikon and Canon arent going anywhere anytime soon but this is still a trend. so at what point in time does a long term trend become the norrn for you? 

 

We have a short wait till the 7D mkII and Nikons D750. Let see how dslr sales skyrocket with these. I dont think they are going to sell very many of either. When sales do not skyrocket, maybe that would be a good time for you to start asking why then see andrews list. 

 

Interesting narrative you came up with though.

 
 
The graph you just quoted illustrates exactly what you are talking about.  I don't understand where the disagreement is.  Canon and Nikon have made quality products that meet the needs of their target market.  And the products last... pretty much indefinitely.  My Dad still has and uses his Canon from the 70s.  Once you reach that point NEW camera sales decline as my graph illustates the stock price declines.  Can you show me anywhere in this thread where I have posted something that contradicts that?
 
You have to decide whether you are a photographer/videographer or a stock market investor because the needs of these two groups are often in conflict.  That is why companies often go private.  Because they want to concentrate on their core market and their core product and not have to engage in asinine debates about cherrypicked numbers every quarter.  If you've ever been on a quarterly earnings call you know exactly what I mean.  The OP's graph says NOTHING about actual DSLR nor mirrorless USAGE by the end user.  People have said it in this thread and in other threads that there is a very robust market in USED DSLRs.  I haven't bought a new DSLR in YEARS does that mean I don't use one?  Does that mean I use a mirrorless camera?
 
I mean really the interpretation of the OP's graph throughout this thread has been the millisecond a camera is sold it no longer exists.  That's nuts!
 
And who cares if Canon and Nikon's stock prices go down?  Just because a company's stock price goes down doesn't mean anything changes in regard to their bank account.  I mean when when blackmagic slashed the price of the BMPCC did that mean your BMPCC stopped working?  Canon's stock price could be a quarter of it's current value and they could make cameras and lenses just fine.  It sucks for stock holders but it has no effect on camera holders.

Really it's weird how someone said Canon and Nikon need to innovate "like Apple."  Well according your analysis Apple is a failure...
 

iPad sales are falling because those who own the devices are so happy with them they feel no need to upgrade, Apple has claimed.
According to research shared during its results announcement, 98% of iPad owners and 100% of iPad mini owners surveyed by Apple said they were "satisfied" with the device - a figure Tim Cook called "astonishing" according to a transcript from Seeking Alpha.
However, while Cook said that customers "enjoying their iPads and using them heavily" is what's most important to the company, this has had a negative impact on its tablet sales.

 
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/389944/ipad-sales-stall-as-owners-too-happy-to-upgrade

We are not satisfied with Canon and Nikon but we aren't the core market for their sub $1,100 cameras. My photographer friends never complain about their DSLRs. At most they will complain they would like something with similar image quality in a pocketable format. And obvioulsy a Pansonic G6 and many other mirrorless cameras aren't pockatable especially once you slap a decent lens on them. They are smaller... but not smaller in a way that cross important thresholds for the average consumer.

[Andrew Reid]

Your graph shows a long term product life cycle. What we are dealing with here is a sudden, disruptive technological change. DSLR sales had been increasing for around 10 years straight! Only in the last 2 years they have fallen back dramatically.

 

That isn't a controlled decline due to a mature product line as your graph and theory says. To me that looks like a sudden and uncontrolled decline due to a complete lack of fresh and relevant products to ship to new customers...

[Clayton Moore]

The Wall Street Journal reported a while back that DSLR sales fell in 2013 by 10%.  

 

I personally think this was a very well written post.  Both companies have (in my opinion) come to a crossroads.  The recently annoounced 7DMII is a fine stills camera for nature and sports but thats about it.  Its puzzing that they seem to still want a stake in a

shrinking market instead of looking to the future like so many others are at this point.  Im not sure how sustainable major investment in DSLR will be for either company.....in the next 2-5yrs.

[mikegt]

Andrew:

 

Don't let the "we don't care about video features in our Canon cameras" crowd get you down,  I had a similar reaction on DPReview when I dared to say that Canon DSLRs don't compare well with other makes when it comes to video features.  The folks on that forum started attacking with comments like "no one but you cares about video", "Canon's DSLR video quality is in fact fantastic", etc. etc.

 

This reminds me of the Apple iPhone fans who would attack anyone who suggested that the screen size of the iPhone was too small in comparison to Android models, with comments like "only an idiot would carry around a phone with a screen bigger than 4 inches!".  These are the same folks now lined up around the block to get the new iPhone 6 with it's 4.7 inch screen, now that Apple has officially blessed the idea that a bigger screen is not a bad thing.

 

As to why Nikon doesn't seem to want to compete in the higher-end video market, I suspect this may be because they get their sensors from Sony and others, who they don't want to annoy by stepping too heavily on their turf.

 

Mike G.

[Danyyyel]

I just saw this article, http://lensvid.com/gear/lensvid-exclusive-what-happened-to-the-photography-industry-in-2013/

it seems that Mirror less camera (- 25%) was even more severely hit by drop in sales last year than DSLR ( -19%).