I reported several times
in the past that Leica is the only major camera manufacturer that is able to
point to sales gains, not just during the recent fiscal year where they gained
a 12 percent increase, but also to several fiscal years prior to that.
In comparison, camera
markets across the board are in a downturn.
This is further emphasized by the fact that Nikon is going to cut 1000
jobs in Japan. These will be primarily
in their semiconductor equipment and digital camera businesses. In addition, Nikon has trimmed its full-year
sales forecast for its high-end cameras for a second straight quarter, from
6.55 million to 6.20 million, and operating profits have dropped 41% to $222
million in the latest 6 month period.
But Nikon is certainly not
the only company that is struggling. Shipments
of cameras with built-in lenses and camera with interchangeable lenses have
dropped from a high of 121.5 million units in 2010, with the vast majority of
the sales generated by cameras with built-in lenses, to a sales volume of 13
million units in 2016 (sales from January through July) with the sales almost
evenly split.
Chart by Statistica
There is no doubt that
these severe drops in sales was primarily caused by the success of cell phones or
more specifically, cell phones with built-in cameras. Better cameras, combined with better sensors
and a wealth of new apps allow these camera to do a perfectly acceptable job
for what they are intended to.
Nobody would choose such a
camera to do professional photography especially if relatively big enlargements
are needed, but for the typical memory photograph, or even prints up to 4x6 or
5x7 inch size, these cameras are perfectly acceptable.
It shows the
farsightedness of Leica that they are the only major camera manufacturer that
has actively involved itself in the cell phone business by joining forces with
Huawei. The dual lens technology
developed for the Huawei P9 and its follow-up model has proven to be quite
formidable in the cell phone industry.
Huawei P9 with dual Leica Lenses and Leica camera technology
But that was relatively
recent. The sales gains at Leica clearly
show that their model policy is the main reason for their success. Nobody will ever make the perfect camera, but
with the various models offered by Leica, they do have something to offer for
everyone interested in a superior camera with lenses, unsurpassed by anyone.
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