Camera industry recovers after severe slump caused by smartphones
Sony, Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Fujifilm, Ricoh – most of the major camera manufacturers are from Japan. However, this industry, once so vital to Japan, has shrunk significantly since smartphones began offering increasingly better cameras. Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has now released new statistics on Japanese camera production that illustrate the impact of smartphones.
According to these figures, in 2006, one year before the launch of the first Apple iPhone, approximately 37 million still cameras and 12 million video cameras were manufactured in Japan alone. By 2024, total production had fallen to only about 2 million units. The fact that dedicated camcorders are hardly produced in significant numbers anymore is due in no small part to the fact that more and more mirrorless cameras, traditionally used primarily for photography, now also offer comprehensive video features.
In 2024 and 2025, production increased compared to the previous year – the first time in nearly 20 years that production volume has risen for two consecutive years. As the chart embedded below shows, SLR cameras have practically disappeared. However, mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras have become significantly more popular in recent years, and even the market for compact cameras has been recovering since 2023.
The Japanese Ministry of Economy attributes the growth primarily to a younger generation of customers who want better photo and video quality for social media than smartphones can offer. Currently, the camera market is stable, but it is safe to assume that the industry will not come close to reaching the heights of the early 21st century.
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