Latest japanese rankings (GF2 rules!)
Mirrorless cameras are very popular in Japan. That’s why you can find the Panasonic GF2 under the three most sold system cameras (last week sales). Source: BCNranking.
You can check Amazon rankings to get a very approximate idea on how it is going in the rest of the world (the stats are not reliable!). And looking at them you can easily understand why Canon has no hurry to join the mirrorless competition:
- System camera rankings (DSLR+mirrorless) at Amazon US (Click here)
- All digital camera rankings Amazon Germany (Click here)
- All digital camera rankings at Amazon UK (Click here)
- All digital camera rankings at Amazon France (Click here)
Canon and Nikon keep domintaing the worold with their low end DSLR. A bit of a wonder why the usually conservative japaneses market is the only one where mirrorless has a huge 40% market share. Need some expert out there that can explain me that 
CRB
3 years ago |One of the reasons for having no sensor improvements whatsoever….still more of the same ( stills IQ, not video ) and yet selling like hot cakes….too bad…
43photo
3 years ago |because IQ is good enough for 99% of the people. Most people realize they do not need a better sensor to make better pictures…
KjKe
3 years ago |Kodak color prints from Instamatic cameras used to be good enough for at least 95% of the people and they are all gone now. The same was true for super-8 film equipment, musical magnetic tape equipment, VHS recorders etc etc. Technology systems that stagnate are in dire risk of beeing replaced by emerging technologies. People never settle for “good enough” they always look for the best value their money can get them.
43photo
3 years ago |Thank you for giving the correct answer. The GF2 gives the buyers the best value for money.
You comparison with kodak color prints and super 8 film is nothing. GF2 is a recent camera of m4/3, the system of the new era in digital photography. It will become even bigger and huge sensor systems with better IQ will migrate to studio environments.
GF2/ GH2/ pen cameras is what people want: small reliable with excellent IQ. It gives them the best value for money.
CRB
3 years ago |great….+1
Vlad
3 years ago |Or maybe these rankings just doesn’t mean anything?
CRB
3 years ago |I dont want to sound rude, but then im among the 1%…thats not the “its not the camera, its the photographer” talk…my former G1 sucked at anything above iso400 (raw) and DR was extremelly limited….even DXO gives the LX5, S95 and G12 better scores for DR…(small margin but still, a MUCH smaller sensor)…so 99% that are buying these cameras are ocassional shooters..park, barbecues, soccer games and etc…BTW, the sony nex sensor is much better than m4/3…the problem is the lenses grade for now….but at least if the 24mm zeiss come to be as good as the alpha version, then a nex+the 24mm (36mm) combo will be an awesome combination (expecting to have a new better controls NEX in the near future)
GreyOwl
3 years ago |EOS Kiss X4 & X3. Why ‘Kiss’ I wonder. Perhaps naming a camera ‘Kiss’ is the way to get the top two rankings…….
Matsuoka
3 years ago |Kiss = Keep It Simple, Stupid
Andi
3 years ago |“Canon and Nikon keep domintaing the worold with their low end DSLR. A bit of a wonder why the usually conservative japaneses market is the only one where mirrorless has a huge 40% market share. Need some expert out there that can explain me that
”
Sure that Japan is conservative?
I always thought Europe is conservative…
Mr. Reeee
3 years ago |Size.
As in Small.
This why the Japanese bought more laptops than desktop computers, among other things, way before the trend took off here.
People here (US) think that having a big, black heavy camera with a really long lens will take better pictures of the cat and the Xmas tree for them. THEY aren’t taking better pictures, the CAMERA takes better pictures.
Miroslav
3 years ago |“why the usually conservative japanese market is the only one where mirrorless has a huge 40% market share”
East Asians are least conservative when it comes to new technology. They embrace it faster then people in any other region of the world. That’s why mirrorless is so successful there – people understand and do not shy from buying and using new tech.
Joel
3 years ago |I also wonder how much of the Japanese sales are foreign sales (i.e. people buying from Japan through ebay etc)??
Vlad
3 years ago |Admin, there’s a small mix up I think. Japanese can be conservative in their ways of approaching business – investment, marketing, etc, but the consumers there, as Miroslav stated, are very quick to adopt new products.
admin
3 years ago |It’s one of my dreams to visit Japan. I hope I will be able to learn a few general aspects of their culture.
Thanks Miroclav and Vlad for your answers!
Vlad
3 years ago |I hope you will. It is an amazing country.
Miroslav
3 years ago |I wouldn’t mind spending several years there
…
abel
3 years ago |Doesn’t this well illustrate that the Japanese market is very different to the other main markets!
safaridon
3 years ago |I find it hard to believe the Amazon sales rankings given just how low they rank any ILS cameras. The top ILS is GF2 at #19 followed by G2 at #24, and at #27 and GF1 at #44. The EP1 IS #28 and NEX5 #43 & #54?
If you look at just the m4/3 camera rankings the Panasonics come out with 7 of the top 10 with GF2 #1, G2 #2, and GH2(14-42 lens) at #3.
I don’t think these figures take into account sales made direct with the manufacture or with other outlets other than Amazon so may be a poor reflect of reality?
Try and explain those figures anyone? Seems that US reviews like DPR and others have been too good at brainwashing the public here in the past that bigger sensor and size DSLRs are better if you want good IQ while much of rest of world realizes IQ is already good enough and are tired of carrying that all around or want the convenience of having a camera always with you for any event.
Vlad
3 years ago |I would gladly try to explain them, but can someone point me to the explanation of where they come from? I don’t seem to be able to find that.
A “good enough” IQ is completely subjective and thus calling people “brainwashed” based on that doesn’t seem to be the best idea.
CRB
3 years ago |+1…….
safaridon
3 years ago |Admitedly brainwashed may be the wrong term to use as I was including myself in that number. What I am referring to is the endless statements from reviews to the effect that smaller sensor cameras are only suitable for small prints while in reality many of them are now producing resolutions equal to what was the best of larger sensor DSLRs only a few years ago. No doubt this assumption is pushed by the major manufactures who want you to buy their bigger more expensive models. In good light conditions one can hardly see the difference between the photos taken with a good compact and the much more expensive and larger DSLRs and the camera tests show the super compacts to have very high resolution indeed. Of course there is more to IQ than only resolution but resolution determines how much enlargement one can make and still keep the picture sharp and they can take good IQ up to ISO 800 which is all many need as they have flash for indoor dark conditions. I own and use more than half a dozen compacts and DSLRs and it is the compacts that see the most use because of their convenience, greater focal length spread and faster lenses. I am simply amazed at the quality of some 8×10 enlargements made by pictures coming from these small sensor cellphones.
Vlad
3 years ago |Agreed, I have no problem with the prints from my G10.
Btw, really, did anyone find the explanation of how they get those numbers on Amazon’s ratings?
Brod1er
3 years ago |The instamatic 95% do not buy any of these cameras – they use their phone cams. The quality is good enough, the camera is with them, and they are effectively free. Now that is good value!!!!
It is just us hobbyists that buy dedicated cameras. That said, mft still offers the best combination of size, handling and picture quality in my opinion. I still can’t get over the hopelessly large and poor quality NEX lenses- although the sensor is excellent it doesn’t make sense. The NEX lenses will never get significantly smaller- whereas sensor tech will improve.
Eric
3 years ago |I’m not saying this is what I want, but here’s a good article about Apple and Ikea and why both of them pretty much ignore customer feedback:
http://www.fastcodesign.com/1663220/user-led-innovation-cant-create-breakthroughs-just-ask-apple-and-ikea
The conclusion of those two companies is that user-led innovation can’t create breakthroughs. It’s hard to argue with the results of Apple.
However, I think the key to that is to have innovative and knowledgeable personal. I sometimes question if some of these photography companies have any actual photographers working for them.
Eric
3 years ago |Edit, posted that on the wrong article, that was meant for the Olympus post
soldar
3 years ago |easy explanation, japan is very tech oriented and camera enthusiast, while there’s also a demand for small cute stuff, put those two together, and mirrorless is a sure win
just wait till they make pink GF2s for the girls
George
3 years ago |even with insane mirrorless success in Japan, E5 still is not on top 60
They have different taste, but they also have enough brains not to spent $1600 on a cam that has entry level DSLR IQ but with weather-proof body so-called pro cam
Igor
3 years ago |As of today Amazon (USA) bestsellers ranking the GF2 + 14mm climbed to #11!