Full 2013 Japanese camera sales data. Olympus and Sony rule.

BCNranking posted the full exact single camera sales numbers for 2013. Mirrorless conquered 40% of all interchangeable camera sales. And the most sold mirrorless camera was the Sony NEX-5r.

If you sum all camera sales than you will get these market shares within the mirrorless world:

Olympus 29.1%

Sony 26.4%,

Panasonic 14.2%,

Ricoh imaging 9.8%, 

Nikon 9.34%

Canon 9.25%.

 

Surprised to see that Canon still has 10% share, not so far behind Panasonic!

Panasonic new GF camera pictures leaked in patent.

Hover and scroll the images on top to see more pictures!

Just like every year Panasonic will soon introduce a new GF camera. And first pictures have been “leaked” through an official Panasonic patent. These are the pictures (there are no specs).

Doesn’t look bad but I think the GM1 is way more sexy :)

 

New Fuji X camera specs (AF faster than X-E2). And new XF lens roadmap.

Digicameinfo and Fujirumors are spoiling all Fuji secrets and this is what Fuji is going to announce soon:

In January will announce a new high end and weather sealed X camera with Fujica ST classic alike design. Rumored features are:

– bigger and better EVF
– APS-C X-Trans sensor (16MP)
– double SD-card slot
– weather sealed body
– price range between X-E and X-PRO line
– FujicaST-like design
– faster AF than the X-E2

And this should be the new XF lens roadmap:

– XF 16-55mm F2.8
– XF 50-140mm F2.8
– XF 18-135mm F3.5-5.6
– Large-diameter wide-angle lens
– Super-telephoto lens (200mm or more?)

P.S.: The X30 will come in February/March.

Credit Suisse: “Smartphones Shatter Mirrorless Hopes”

Yu Yoshida is analyst at Credit Suisse and he debunked the mirrorless hype in his latest Interview with Reuters. The main reason why mirrorless isn’t really growing anymore is that “buyers put connectivity above picture quality” and:

Consumers don’t want to connect cameras to phones, analysts say; they want a single interface that can instantly upload photographs to social networking sites such as Facebook Inc and Twitter Inc.

Mirrorless isn’t catching up in USA and Europe because “consumers tend to equate image quality with size and heft

And in the long term only Canon-Nikon and Sony are likely to stay in the digital camera business.

Mirrorlessrumors opinion:

I am neither a well paid analyst nor a marketing expert. But all I can say is that it’s years now that I hear that small manufacturers like Pentax, Olympus and so on will die. And it never happens. Probably because analyst tend to focus on numbers and do not see the full picture. Olympus for example keeps the digital camera business alive also because the profitable medical business can take advantage of the sensor and imaging technology coming from the camera division. And than there is that Japanese culture that doesn’t fit with the western idea that what’s unprofitable has to be sold or closed.

My guess, the Reuters analyst is plain wrong with his forecast :)

Why Mirrorless?

Why Mirrorless ?

What is a Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera (MILC)

and

How does it differ from a Digital Single Lens Reflex Camera (DSLR) ?

Read more

(UPDATED) The rumored Samsung NX30 specs. Announcement next week?

Image on top shows the current NX20

Someone at Dpreview claims to know the Samsung NX30 camera specs. The camera could be announced at the CES show which starts next week.

Samsung NX30 specs:

Sensor : 20.3 MP built-in 105 phase detection AF points.
AF system : Phase 105-points + Contrast 247-points hybrid AF system
Image processor : DRIMe IV
Video : 1080p FHD (H.264) @ 60fps
Screen : 360 degrees rotation Super AMOLED screen with touch
View finder : EVF, 2.36 Mega-dots
System : Tizen OS

The camera will replace the current NX20.

UPDATE: Another source added some more info:

– Tiltable EVF with 2.3millions dot
– Optimize the Super AMOLED swiveling touch display
– 9fps Continuos shooting
-Slightly bigger size than predecessor NX20
– Integrated of 3.5mm socket for external microphone such as RØDE etc..
– Bundle with 16-50mm / F2.8 S lens or purchase with just the body
-Improvements of Samsung Smart Camera application to the version 3.0,it could be fully control to change all the parameters by smartphone or tablet
-Improvements of NFC,it could be beam the images or videos directly to the smart phone or tablet without get into the application
-will be available of Power Zoom Lens
-will be availble 50-150mm mid telephoto lens
-will be available 58GN of Samsung external speedlite
-replace the Skydrive with Dropbox
-more focus on Videography user
-New APSC CMOS Sensor will be employs
-more useful of physical buttons and dials
-optimize of battery usage
– 1/8000 of shutter speed
– ISO range might will be boost up to 51200