TOKYO, March 28, 2023—Canon Inc. announced today that the company's interchangeable-lens digital cameras (digital SLR and mirrorless cameras) have maintained the No. 1 share of the global market for 20 consecutive years1 from 2003 to 2022.
Canon develops the key imaging system components featured in its EOS series of digital interchangeable-lens cameras—CMOS image sensors, image processors and interchangeable lenses—under the core concept of, “Speed, Comfort and High Image Quality.” Putting together a wide-ranging product lineup—from high-performance flagship models that are highly trusted by professionals to entry-level models that allow users to enjoy high-image-quality shooting with easy operation, as well as a rich selection of RF and EF series lenses that make possible a wealth of creative expression—Canon continues to support the diverse needs of customers.
During the dawn of digital SLR cameras, Canon introduced its breakthrough EOS Kiss Digital (EOS Digital Rebel or EOS 300D in other regions) in September 2003. This groundbreaking camera, which was competitively priced and featured a compact, lightweight design, became the engine for growth in the digital SLR market, capturing the top share of the global market and heralding the age of digital SLR cameras. Since that time, Canon has continued to launch a range of groundbreaking products, including the professional-model EOS-1D series and the EOS 5D series, which paved the way for digital SLR video recording. Canon's desire to further expand the boundaries of visual expression led to its next-generation EOS R System, launched in October 2018, that includes the EOS R5—the first camera to feature 8K video recording2—released in July 2020 and the EOS R3 in November 2021, which features tracking of fast-moving subjects and continuous shooting performance. In addition, Canon launched the EOS VR System, designed to record video for virtual reality content, in December 2021.
In 2022, Canon announced the EOS R7 (released in June 2022) and EOS R10 (released in July 2022) the first APS-C size models in the EOS R Series, and the EOS R6 Mark II full-frame camera (released in December 2022) that features advanced AF functionality and superb video capabilities, alongside six new RF lenses3. While further expanding its lineup Canon managed to secure the No. 1 share of the global market for the 20th consecutive year.
Canon will continue to refine its proprietary imaging technologies while further strengthening and expanding the EOS series of cameras and RF/EF series of lenses, opening up new avenues of image capture to meet the needs of increasingly diverse users and to promote the spread of photo and video culture.
A day may come when the courage of Canon fails,
when we forsake our cameras
and break all bonds of fellowship,
but it is not this day.
An hour of Sony and shattered Nikon,
when the age of Canon comes crashing down,
but it is not this day!
This day we fight!!
By all that you hold dear on this good Earth,
I bid you stand, People of Canon!!!
How about some 20% special discount for 20th consecutive years? ;)
- Canon financial documents
The company puts their 2022 ILC market share at (2.86/5.85) 49%.
(...note to Canon: about that M format)
Being like Apple is not a good thing. And I'm a 20-year Apple user.
Nope. High quality products in great design doesn't mean excessive locking in, shady marketing practices and a lack of after purchase options.
About Sony's competition, there would be no R5. It would be no advanced AF tracking. They only made these moves to try to maintain their number one spot, not for the good of the customer. Give companies too much credit. They don't give you what you want they give you what they want to sell you.
And when you mean great quality products, apparently you're not talking about the 50 mm 1.4 that is literally 20 plus years old They refuse to upgrade. Or their new set of lenses that go all the way down to a disgusting 7.1. Or the excessive prices of their L lens lineup.
Or the embarrassment that is RFS lens lineup, which is almost non-existent and terrible.
Or lack of Ibis unless you pay $1,500.. And that's for a crop body.
I can go on but I don't want to.
The truth is that Sony at the time were new to the DSLR market, in which Canon and Nikon were very much dominant, and rather than compete against them in their own field, they decided to develop an entirely new line of mirrorless products (the a7 line) which were in many ways hugely superior to DSLRs. Without a kick up the butt from Sony, there would be no R5, no Z9 - without a kick up the butt from Sony, we'd probably all still be using DSLRs.
Canon and Nikon were caught with their pants down, and it took them years to catch up, and to arguably surpass Sony. I say all this as a neutral observer, having owned extensive systems by Nikon, Sony and Canon. (I've used Canon for 12 years now and currently own a R5 and 7 RF lenses, as well as a 5DMkiv).
There's two ways (three?) to view perceived industry laggards: either they are spurred on by the competition as you assert, or they wait until a certain feature reaches quality standards acceptable to them, which can take years after their competition releases it. The third way is a little of both. Sony is known to release half-baked, not-quite-there products and features that Canon quality would never stoop down to, from the filter stack coating issues that Canon mitigated from the get-go with a physically covered sensor on the R, to the infamous star-eater noise reduction that never afflicted Canon's, to the completely ineffective anti-flicker on the a73, where Canon's anti-flicker worked from the beginning. Not to say Canon's features don't go through iterations and improvements, but the level of quality on initial release and stability throughout its life, is indeed reminiscent of Apple versus Android, we've all probably gone through many iterations of Android and Apple phones (at least I have) to know that Apple products in general have better feature implementation and stability throughout its life.
That being said, a capitalist market does require competition to keep the leader honest, and two-horse races are never ideal (Airbus/Boeing, Apple/Android, and now Canon/Sony), versus the ideal scenario like the auto market with many players and not just a few dominant ones. But nothing is perfect or remains so.