Canon Exec Sees A Dark Future For Digital Cameras, Thinks Market Will Shrink By Half In Next 2 Years

In an interview with Nikkei, Canon CEO Fujio Mitarai gave some interesting insights in Canon’s future strategy.

Mirrorless Rumors summed up the interview:

Canon will shift the camera business’s focus to corporate customers
The market for digital cameras could shrink to about half in the next two years.
Cameras sales have declined at around 10% a year in the past few years (combined with single lens reflex and mirrorless). The global market for interchangeable lens cameras is around 10 million, but decreased
The mirrorless market share is growing, but it is a replacement with a single lens reflex, it is not adding to the market as a whole
People usually shoot with smartphones. The digital camera market will keep falling for about 2 years, but professional and high amateur (advanced) amateurs use about 5 to 6 million units. Finally there I will hit the bottom