I do not see this fall in sales as any sort of problem or at all unexpected. it is a return to the normal state of affairs.
Sales have been far higher than usual because of the development and changeover to Digital photography.
It is now entering the mature market stage. where there are a number of cameras filling just about every photographic niche and need.
However just as during the mature analogue phase, there will always be new models coming forward as needs, fashion, society and technology changes. But these changes likely to be more measured now that both Phone and cameras mature.
The market place is never saturated. Cameras wear out, accidents happen and the population grows, ages and is replaced by fresh faces with new desires, needs and interests. everything goes in a cycle. everything changes.
There will, it seems, always be a desire for image making, and photography in all its forms is part of that mix.
I am happy to predict that Photography is health and not about to die.
But change it will.
Time and time again.
Canon might fear for its own future, but it only needs to do so if it fails keeps pace with our future desires and demands.
The British camera industry failed, not because of lack of demand for cameras, but because it failed to change with the times, and offer what people wanted and at the price they could afford.
However, even today we still make world leading specialist lenses for science and the film and TV industry.
Camera will once again attain the position of a commodity, like Tv's and washing machines. People will still buy them, not just because new models become available, but because it is something they need, for what ever reason. The recent regrowth of the
second hand market, indicates that the broad spectrum of needs can be fulfilled, to a large extent, by existing models, Though the pleasure of buying new and the best, will always define the top tier of the market