LaForet: Dedicated Cameras are Coming to an End for all but PROS

I am sharing this on every photo forum I am a member of as we are either working or hobbyist photographer who have probably bought a mirrorless/SLR camera. I find it a fun topic to talk about, assuming you aren't selling these still cameras.

Vincent LaForet was the first to promote the coming of HD video onto SLRs making his thoughts on the ongoing decline of still cameras have weight.

Without further adieu read this blog post below.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Note to Vincent: Get someone to proof read for you.

This video below expounds LaForet's thoughts with some rounded numbers

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Here are some more precise numbers to supplement the blog and video.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Source: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

42.8 million - still cameras covering point & shoots, mirrorless and SLRs
- 29.28 million point & shoots
- 3.17 million mirrorless
- 10.32 million SLRs

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

61.0 million - still cameras covering point & shoots, mirrorless and SLRs
- 44.19 million point & shoots
- 3.18 million mirrorless
- 13.64 million SLRs

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

22.3 million lenses covering crop & full frame
- 5.7 million full frame lenses
- 16.6 million crop lenses

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

25.88 million22.3 million lenses covering crop & full frame
- 6.01 million full frame lenses
- 19.87 million crop lenses

vs

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Makes me wish I used all the money I spent on Canon & Apple gear went into Apple stock at $7.00/share in 2002.

What makes the smartphone market so big is that a sizeable chunk of smartphone users are on contract so they get upgraded phones every 12, 24 or 36 months. These upgrades are "pushed" on them rather than us working/hobbyist photographers "pulling" these upgrades with our still cameras.

I also think just like the PC shipping figures still cameras are either abandoned in favor of smartphones/tablets or upgraded based on need (the subject they're photographing needs XYZ feature or the camera broken down and isn't worth repairing).

Less than 1% of those buying a still camera of any sort buys a SLR. The 1% of the 1% of SLR buyers buys a double grip pro body like a Canon 1D X or Nikon D4S.

It puts into perspective where/who we are today. Doesn't it?

With this in mind do you find yourself thinking perhaps the next upgrade you will skip all together?

So, since 2011 photography has changed from art to fun?

I some how agreed to what the speaker has presented. To regain the market share, the gears have to be as user friendly as possible, the best is even a 3 year old can manage it. All these while camera manufacturers are focusing on how to make high end cameras. What if they focus on how to make great pictures? By then, maybe the camera will compose by it self...haha

But I don't think the SLR is dying, it is just returning to its original position where all those "fun" users which were not able to catch up with the latest/complicated technology had eventually left SLR.