A race that never stop!

On the contrary of we may have thought last year (2020), the manufacturers of photo equipment have been very active not only to consolidate their infrastructures and operations but also by offering a surprising high level of new products. The fact that the traditional photo market has been more limited and definite than the passing years before can have helped a lot.

Photography have generated a nice niche consumer market during the past decades (and centuries!). Oppose to the habitual mass market concept, a narrowed specialized consumer base deeply simplifies the technical and marketing challenges with specific needs and constraints and the traditional photo equipment market have learned its lessons about the numerous attempts (and failures) to overpass this simple fact.

The rich, the poor and the maniac are may be the real segmentations that characterize the photo gear market base. The rich composed from professional and wealthy people, the poor that are ranging from the newcomers and the modest wallet persons, and the maniacs made of enthusiasms and aficionados of the domain. The task for the manufacturers is to fulfill a part or the complete spectrum of this market which represent millions of potential sales because it is a "large" niche market after all!

There is no certitude for anybody, big or small, into any consumer market. Photo equipment market cannot escape that constatation. From a very strong position, you as a manufacturer may move to a much more fragile state in a short period of time and past examples are numerous and dolorous. The best ideas, the better concepts, the finest products are not a full guaranty to success or longevity. Even a trademark name may not be sufficient to survive.

Reviews from last year (2020) activities about photo gear announcements and product introductions have presented you their own choices of the more significant novelties. These preferential listing are often incomplete and a personal interpretation of a real overview of the photo gear market in term of importance in view of a more global analysis. What we have seen during these twelve past months is a surprising resilience from manufacturers to survive, regroup and progress in spite of a very disturbing media climate. Already forecasted programs have been rearranged to face the new challenge of the pandemic input shortages difficulties. Moreover, manufacturers have accelerated the rationalization of their production plants. And some players finally decided to exit may be faster the market.

In the whole, Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, Panasonic, Leica and the non-mentioned others, are still in activity and are not certainly going to throw the towel in a short term. Although they will play their cards differently, their maintaining market presence is the best reassurance that the consumers can ask for the moment. For a specific product or line of products from each of them, we cannot predict a specific continuity, but for the trend, we can be reassured of an active future. Yes, that race is still on the go and promising!

All pictures from CIPA - Camera & Imaging Products Association.