It seems like mirrorless is quietly overtaking the traditional mirrored DSLR cameras. While mirrorless has been very popular outside the North American market, in the U.S. itself, photographers had continued to consider a traditonal mirrored DSLR as the better professional camera. Sony, with its full-frame α7RII and α7SII (and lenses), set out to prove everyone wrong, attracting many professional photographers to its rank. Canon still holds the top dog position, but Sony has now overtaken Nikon for the #2 position in the full-frame interchangeable lens camera market.
Is there still a technical reason to have a mirror in a camera? While Canon and Nikon doggedly hold on to their traditional mirrored DSLRs, companies like Sony, Fujifilm, Olympus, Panasonic, and even Hasselblad are increasingly winning the hearts and minds of photographers with more compact and lighter mirrorless models.
Sony Overtakes #2 Position in U.S. Full-Frame Interchangeable Lens Camera Market
Record Sales from Sony Driving Growth in Overall Full-Frame Market
SAN DIEGO, April 14, 2017 – Sony Electronics – a worldwide leader in digital imaging and the world’s largest image sensor manufacturer, has announced today that their continued growth has vaulted them into the #2 overall position in the U.S. full-frame interchangeable lens camera market. 1
Sony’s interchangeable lens cameras and lenses have seen record sales in 2017, in particular within the U.S. full-frame camera market, where they have experienced double-digit growth (+23%)2 compared to the same period last year. The popularity of key models including α7RII and α7SII has been paramount to this success.
Additionally, Sony’s rapid growth has helped to drive growth of the overall full-frame interchangeable lens camera market compared to the same period last year. Without Sony’s contributions, the full-frame market would be facing a slight decline.3
“Our commitment to the industry is stronger than ever,” said Neal Manowitz, VP of Digital Imaging at Sony North America. “We are always listening to our customers, combining their feedback with our intense passion for innovation to deliver products, services and support like no other.”
A variety of exclusive stories and exciting content shot Sony α products can be found at www.alphauniverse.com, Sony’s community site built to educate, inspire and showcase all fans and customers of the Sony α brand.
1 The NPD Group / Retail Tracking Service, U.S., Detachable Lens Camera, Full Frame, Based on Dollars, Jan- Feb 2017
2 The NPD Group / Retail Tracking Service, U.S., Detachable Lens Camera, Full Frame, Based on Dollars, Jan/Feb 2016- Jan/Feb 2017
3 The NPD Group / Retail Tracking Service, U.S., Detachable Lens Camera, Full Frame, Based on Dollars, Jan/Feb 2016- Jan/Feb 2017
