Predictably, Sony has taken a big hit in Japan following the entry of Canon and Nikon into the market. Up to last August Sony had the market to itself, with a share of 99.5%. No
The advent of Nikon in August and Canon in September had an immediate and dramatic effect on Sony’s fortunes. In September the two market leaders grabbed 21% of the total market, reducing Sony’s share to 79%. By December Sony had fallen another 13 percentage points to 66.4% while Canon took 17.5% and Nikon 16% for their new full-frame mirrorless offerings.
Eating Sony’s lunch
I would imagine that Canon and Nikon will continue to eat Sony’s lunch, and the arrival on Panasonic, with the S1 and S1R in March will only make matters worse for the pioneering full-frame manufacturer.
Of course, Sony will have expected this and will have been surprised just how long it took the two market leaders to realise that mirrorless is the future. A little competition will work wonders, as long as there is room for all four manufacturers to survive.
The specs and price of the Canon RP caught me off guard. Wasn’t expecting this one and clearly it is placed to penetrate the market. It sounds like it works quite well, too.
I think Canon and Sony will dominate the market, with Nikon to follow way behind.
Canon has the brand and despite their camera technology lags behind, their lenses are excellent. Sony on the other hand has been innovating like there’s no tomorrow, and will definitely become more aggressive now that it has direct competition.
Nikon will probably be behind these two.
Panasonic will continue to cater to the video gang and with one digit market share, if they are lucky enough to survive. Camera and lenses are too big and expensive compared to the competition, and they don’t offer anything interesting if you are not into videos.
I still think the A7iii is the best all round compromise in speed and weight – the Nikon/Canon versions are heavier as are their lenses. So let’s wait and see how the race pans out. I think it wold not be wise for Sony to follow the weight lifting competition – given the new Olympus – and the Panasonic, no matter how many whistles and bells!
Sony does have the A9 which is more of a direct competitor to the bigger models from Nikon, Canon and Panasonic. But you are right, it will be interesting to see how things work out. Sony has the handicap of being first in the field, but the A7 is a fine range and competes very well with the newest models.