After years at half mast, the photo market will come out of the water a little in 2022

Deliveries up nearly 11%

The Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA) has released photography market figures. Between January and December 2022, the sector experienced a slight upturn. Indeed, for the first time since 2017, sales of cameras with interchangeable lenses increased to reach 5.927 million units sold, against 5.348 million in 2021 and 5.308 million in 2020. An increase of 10.8% which remains to be qualified, since before the Covid 19 pandemic, 8.462 million boxes had passed.

Hybrids more prevalent than ever

A level even lower than that of the record of the decade which is in 2012, with 20.16 million units sold. In detail, hybrid (mirrorless) devices account for nearly 70% of production and sales and 86% of the value of products sold. Deliveries are thus up by 31%. SLRs being gradually abandoned by manufacturers, they show results down 17%. At the same time, the fall of compacts and bridges also continues.

The slow agony of compacts

2.084 million bridges or compacts were delivered worldwide in 2022, compared to 3.013 million in 2021 and 3.578 million in 2020. This goes hand in hand with a production that is falling significantly. Interestingly, Europe remains the largest market, with between 25 and 38% market share depending on the products sold (reflex, mirrorless, compact and lenses).

Europe, still a land of reflexes

Besides, whether in America or Europe, SLRs continue to sell better than in the rest of the world, the same goes for compacts, when the rest of the world, especially Asian countries, seem to be s to be diverted from it more quickly. Finally, in 2022, slightly fewer lenses were sold compared to the number of boxes delivered, with a ratio of 1.64 lenses per device, compared to 1.79 in 2022.