The Canon EOS 5DS R helped to increase DSLR sales in Japan and Europe. However, total demand for interchangeable-lens cameras declined worldwide due to ‘market shrinkage’, according to Canon

Unit sales of compacts fell 29%, while total digital camera sales at Canon declined 24%.

However, ‘healthy demand’ for cameras such as the EOS 5DS, EOS 5DS R and EOS 750D fuelled a rise in sales in Japanese and European markets.

‘During the third quarter, despite a gradual recovery in sales of interchangeable-lens digital cameras in Japan and Europe, severe conditions continued in other regions while sales volume for digital compact cameras decreased compared with the same period of the previous year,’ Canon said in a statement.

canonstats copyThe figures are contained in Canon’s latest financial results

The company added: ‘As for digital compact cameras, while sales volume declined amid the ongoing contraction of the market due to the effects of the growing popularity of smartphones, profitability improved thanks to the growing ratio of high-added-value models featuring high image quality and high-magnification zoom capabilities such as the new PowerShot SX710 HS and PowerShot G3 X.’

The news comes as analysts at Futuresource Consulting point to digital camera demand moving towards photography enthusiasts as many consumers switch to smartphones.

Arun Gill, a market analyst at Futuresource, told Amateur Photographer: ‘The population of digital camera users is shifting towards a hobbyist profile, concentrated around cameras with premium features.

‘This trend has led to a shift towards higher value cameras favouring the interchangeable-lens segment.’

Meanwhile, Futuresource predicts that compact system cameras will account for 40% of interchangeable-lens camera demand worldwide by 2019.

‘This will be fuelled by a number of factors, including wider product availability, greater support from retailers, and greater acceptance among premium users, including previous DSLR users,’ Futuresource added in a statement.