Financial results - everyone making a loss except.. CanoNikon

[Franglais]

I saw this on a mirrorless site. It doesn't list any sources so it's to be taken with caution:

The Final Three Results | Sans Mirror ? mirrorless, interchangeable lens cameras | Thom Hogan

All camera manufacturers are making a loss on selling camera - except Canon and Nikon.

[geraldb]

Nikon and Canon have more users than any other brand thats why their sales and profits are higher. When it comes to stocks value and financial stats of companies, they vary according to many other management aspects. Even Apple stocks went down and their fist quarter profits didn't look great. I rather look at the issue from a technological view point and what makes sense and what doesn't. Mirorrless technology is very young and developing. As a camera user choosing between two capable cameras, one is big DSLR and the second is small mirorrless I'd choose the smaller. Any company such as Sony, panasonic, Olympus, and now Fuji are all carving their space out of Nikon's and Canon's. Not that DSLR will die completely but we'll soon start seeing less DSLR models and more mirorrless.

ADDED
Many people still believe that bigger sensors are better though but I think that is something of the past when sensor size effect on image quality was a work of in-camera hardware only. Now smaller sensors are aided by chips and software that make them more capable than before.
Full frame camera sensors captures the image at 100% and output it at 100%. Soon smaller sensor will do the capturing only at maybe 70% but could possibly output it at 100% by going through in-camera software equal to full frame camera with matching quality.

[Franglais]

Thanks for your reply. Here's my view:

- point-and-shoot sales have dropped off sharply due to the competition from smartphones
- Nikon and Canon have remained profitable because they dominate the DSLR market which is both more profitable than point-and-shoots and not subject to competition from smartphones
- right now the sales of mirrorless are low in most markets (no mirrorless cameras in Amazon's top 100 best sellers)

I think that Nikon have actually been pretty smart:

- the Nikon 1 series mirrorless has a smaller sensor than the other mirrorless offerings but that allows a smaller, cheaper lighter camera+lens combination while still offering much better image quality than a smartphone
- Nikon have succeeded in making the 1 series the number one seller in the Japanese market where mirrorless has really taken off
- Nikon already have a pretty complete lens and accessory line-up for the 1 series

So if there is a switch from DSLR to mirrorless at the consumer end then Nikon are ready to pick up up the clients. At the upper end - I think a bigger sensor will always win in terms of image quality.

I don't understand Canon's strategy so no comment (especially after recent statements by their chief executive)

[geraldb]

Nikon and Canon have huge DSLRs line of products to worry about its sales and would like to see it selling for the longest time possible. They're slow developing mirorrless ...but the development of mirorrless is not up to Nikon or Canon but rather to the inventors of mirorrless such as Olympus and Panasonic who don't have big stake in the DSLR market to worry about. I think regardless of Nikon or Canon, mirorrless will keep advancing and in few years Nikon and Canon would have no choice but to follow.
I'm glad you mentioned smartphones. Did you see the camera of iPhone 5?, I think that technology is where the futur of photography would be like.

[Franglais]

I have had a succession of smartphones (currently a Samsung Galaxy S3). It's as good as a basic point-and-shoot and of course each generation gets better. No zoom, no fast lens, no RAW, no focussing, lifeless image but ideally suited to what most consumers want to do nowadays - post a few snaps on Facebook, with no fuss.

My Sony RX100 (one-inch sensor compact) is in another world in terms of image quality (as good as my D300 IMHO). I think the one-inch sensor is the sweet spot. Put an DSLR sensor in a mirrorless (like Canon and Sony have done) and you have to use a lens which is the same size as a DSLR one. No advantage in terms of size or cost

[maya628]

The development of mirorrless is not up to Nikon or Canon but rather to the inventors of mirorrless such as Olympus and Panasonic who don't have big stake in the DSLR market to worry about. I think regardless of Nikon or Canon, mirorrless will keep advancing and in few years Nikon and Canon would have no choice but to follow.