The camera market - France

1.2 Global market trends and key players

evolution of camera deliveries

World, ****-**** Source: ****

The global camera market is shrinking year on year, after peaking between **** and ****. The number of cameras delivered in **** was more than ten times lower than ten years earlier. The market has been hit hard by the increasingly rapid evolution in the quality of smartphones, which offer more than satisfactory photo quality. However, despite a drop in camera production, the market in **** saw an increase of *.* percentage points in value compared to ****. Desinations of camera exports by Japanese companies World, **** Source: CIPA Destination zone Europe America (***) China Asia (***) Others Quantity (***) ****,*** ****,*** ****,** ****,** ***,*** This graph shows that the biggest importing zone for cameras is Europe, closely followed by America. Total shipments of equipment amount to *.** million units worldwide, with *.** million units destined for Japan itself.The global market for digital cameras is dominated by five companies, with a combined market share of **.*%. Key players in the global camera market World, **** Source: According to Nikkei Asian Review, via Lesnumériques As can be seen, the five dominant companies are all Japanese and all part of CIPA. The market leader is Canon, which alone has more than double the market share of second-placed Sony. Other companies are present on ...

1.3 A declining French market, weakened by smartphones

The French market is in line with the dynamics of the global market for camera manufacturers: a weakened market.

trends in the camera market France,

In terms of sales volumes, the French market can be estimated on the basis of the European market. On January *, ****, the European population will be ***.* million. According to Insee, the French population was estimated at **.* million at the same time. After calculation, we can say that the French population represents **% of the total population of the European Union. As we saw earlier, CIPÄ estimates the number of cameras on the European market at *.*** million units. We can therefore roughly imagine that the French camera market represents **% of the European market, giving us a market of around ***,*** units.

2.1 Demand cyclicality

A study by the Observatoire du rapport des français au loisir(***). This is followed by photo and video work, where **% of active hobbyists are in the habit of sharing their work. share of cultural and leisure spending on TV, hi-fi, video and photography France, ****-**** Source: Insee Share of cultural and leisure spending France, **** Source: Insee The figures presented in these two graphs show an almost stable trend over the last * years in the budget allocated to television, photography, hi-fi equipment and video. Of course, photography is part of a whole, but it's interesting to see that these kinds of items are not neglected by the French. In addition, the total French budget allocated to culture and leisure will amount to around *,*** million euros in ****.

2.2 Consumer profile

The profile of camera consumers varies according to their intended use. Three main categories can be distinguished: -Professionals/passionates: These consumers want top quality and flexibility in their choice of accessories, so they go for top-quality cameras. They include sports, wildlife, landscape, war and paparazzi photographers, for example.-Individuals who want better quality/more authentic photos than their smartphone: These profiles tend to go for versatile models that offer more effects and quality than a smartphone. Many are also turning to film cameras, which are making a comeback.-Young people/beginners: This type of profile gravitates towards medium/low-quality cameras such as compacts. These models don't necessarily offer higher quality than smartphones, but are nevertheless suitable for use by young children. There are compact models of rather good quality so that you can progress.According to a study carried out in October **** by OpinionWay, the camera remained at that time the first product used by the French to take photos (***). However, this study may be considered outdated given the rapid evolution of smartphones, particularly in terms of the quality of the photos they produce.Even if smartphones are now capable of taking superb photos, there are still reasons why some consumers ...

2.3 Consumer motivations, expectations and spending

Photo equipment revenues France, Q* ****-Q* **** Source: GFK This graph shows that, every year, the last quarter of the year is the one with the highest revenues for photo equipment. This period corresponds to the end-of-year festivities, so we can deduce that the camera market is sensitive to festive periods, surely because it's an object that can be given as a gift. evolution of interest in the search "camera" on Google France, ****-**** Source: GoogleTrends Google search trends for "Camera" confirm this year-end appeal for cameras. However, Google Trends shows us that there is also a slight upturn in searches around the time of the summer vacations, surely explained by consumers' desire to take beautiful snapshots of their vacations.

3.1 Industry forces and organization

Leading brands in the camera market France, **** Source: ****

The figures shown on this graph are more or less approximate. In the case of Nikon, for example, we have taken their annual results as our starting point. The first is to establish a geographical zone, and only the results for Europe are given, not those for France directly. Since earnings in Europe represent **.*% of total earnings (***). Finally, Nikon states in its **** annual report that **.*% of its earnings come from camera sales, so we apply this percentage to our approximation of the French market to arrive at a market of around €**.** million, or **% of the French market. These estimates highlight Sony's dominance of the French camera market, placing it ahead of Canon, the world leader. Unfortunately, too little data is available to establish which companies share the remaining **% of this market.

3.2 A wide range of distribution channels

Distribution channels are varied and attract different customer groups. Even if the price of the equipment remains a central criterion to be taken into account, the warranty conditions offered, after-sales service and support play an important role (***):Specialized online photo retailers

Specialized online retailers are brands whose universe revolves around photography and video. The best-known are MissNumérique,PhotoSpecialist, Digixo, Camaraetc. offer personalized support and a minimum constructor's warranty. They have a substantial catalog and the advantage of being open ** hours a day.

Generalist marketplaces

According to the Nikonaccording to the Nikon website: "These are sales platforms that cover all fields, including photography and video. These marketplaces either sell certain products themselves or put buyers and sellers in touch (***) are often a strong incentive to buy. "

Specialized superstores

Major multimedia retailers are to be found on the outskirts of major cities, as well as in the heart of many regional capitals(***). These stores offer a wide selection of photo equipment, as well as older-generation models at attractive prices. They offer the advantage of allowing you to get to grips with the equipment.

General retailers

According to the Nikonwebsite: " Hypermarkets often have a photo department where you can find several brands and ...

3.4 Direct competition with smartphones

We can draw a parallel between the evolution of smartphone quality, and therefore sales, and the fall in the camera market. As we saw earlier, the global and French camera market has been in constant decline since ****. conversely, the smartphone market has been particularly buoyant over this period.

Total smartphone sales by volume Worldwide, ****-**** Source: ****

4.1 Camera types and prices

Cameras fall into five main categories:

- Film cameras are the film cameras that existed before the advent of digital cameras. These products are enjoying renewed appeal, with iconic models such as the Nikon FM*, Leica M* and Polaroid SX** offering instant printing.

- Hybrids: This category has only recently emerged and developed. They are interchangeable-lens compacts with larger sensors than conventional compacts. They have more or less the same optical advantages as SLRs, but are on average easier to handle.

-Lightweight and compact, they are easily transportable and used by novices and amateurs who rely on automatic settings.

-Consumer and professional SLRs equipped with sensors. They are equipped with a wide range of functions (***) and are of interest to more discerning photographers and experts.-Lenses that resemble SLRs, with a similar grip, but without the option of changing their lens.

Source: ****

Consumer price index for photographic, cinematographic and optical equipment France, December ****-February **** Source: ****

In the space of a year and a half, inflation has had an impact of around *% on the photographic, cinematographic and optical equipment market.

4.2 The different parts of the camera

A camera is made up of a few inalienable components: the sensitive surface, which in film also acts as a storage system, the lens, the diaphragm and the shutter mechanism.

The viewfinder

The viewfinder is the element used to compose a photo, distinguishing between a frame and an out-of-focus area. Located in line with the lens (***), it is also used to focus on the subject being photographed. "The viewfinder is made of optical glass, plastic or a glass/plastic combination. An in-line mirror has specialized coatings for color separation; up to ** coatings can be added to the mirror to correct and modify its reflective properties."

The lens

A camera uses a lens system - the objective - which focuses the light so that it correctly impresses the sensitive film or sensor. Lenses can be fixed or variable focal length (***), with a wider or narrower aperture range.

Source: ****

The darkroom and shutter

The darkroom consists of an aperture to let in the light emitted by the scene to be photographed, and asensitive surface to record this light. On SLR cameras, a moving mirror system opens in front of the sensor or film when the shutter is released. The shutter is an electromechanical ...

4.3 Product innovation and high-end development

The photographic market still has growth potential, thanks to innovations that stimulate the renewal of equipment.

While compact cameras are directly targeted by competition from smartphones, traditional players are betting more and more on high-end cameras. Hybrids, which are cameras with more powerful sensors, Wifi, *k and multiple options, are showing strong growth, even enabling them to overtake SLR cameras in sales at the end of ****.what's more, giants Nikon and Canon have announced that they will stop developing their reflex camera range in ****, which should tip the balance in favor of hybrids .

In contrast to new technologies, film cameras and photography are enjoying a resurgence: Fujifilm reported sales of *.* million units in ****, compared with ***,*** in ****. Similarly, in ****, the French Ministry of Culture estimated that **% of photographers at that time used digital photography as their primary medium, but that over a third continued to use film as a complement to digital.

4.4 Most popular models

The Digital Phtography School site, a reference for photography enthusiasts, frequently publishes a list of the hottest camera models of the moment. These lists are compiled from the purchases of the site's members, and are therefore not based solely on France.

Source: ****

5.1 Current regulations

The Eco-labelthe only official European eco-label, distinguishes products that are more respectful of the environment, thanks to criteria that guarantee the suitability of products for use and a reduction in their environmental impact (***).

The reparability index was introduced on */**/****, as part of the anti-waste law of **/**/****. It is a mandatory note to be displayed on products at the time of sale. It applies to several types of appliance (***).the aim is to raise consumers' awareness of the need to repair products as soon as they are purchased, by informing them of the repairability of their appliance, all with a view to combating waste. The index is based on five criteria:

Availability of documentation Demountability, access and tools Availability of spare parts Price of spare parts Criteria specific to the equipment category concerned

6.1 Segmentation

• Olympus
• Nikon
• Sony
• Fujifilm
• Canon
• Carl Zeiss Group