DSLR sales go up
Chennai: Whether at a wedding or at an evening out with friends, Bangalore-based Ashwin Susarla can rarely be seen without his Nikon D3000. The 25-year-old management trainee gifted himself the digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera two years ago for his birthday, after he used his friend’s DSLR over a weekend trip to Kashid Beach.
“I was planning to buy a guitar, but I realized I enjoyed shooting with the DSLR and bought one instead,” he says. Susarla has no formal training, but looks up the Nikon website and refers the hundreds of ‘How To’ videos on YouTube when in doubt.
Companies like Nikon and Canon are warming up to hundreds of consumers like Susarla. The DSLR market has been virtually doubling year-on-year growth in the consumer segment over the past three years.
Three years ago, the consumer segment contributed to about 5% of the sales. Today, it accounts for 50%. In 2009, the DSLR market saw sales of 40,000 units and last year sales touched 80,000. This year, sales are expected to touch 2 lakh units.
This may seem like a small market when compared to the compact camera market that currently stands at 30 lakh units. “But in value terms, DSLRs contribute heavily, as the average spend on a DSLR starts at around Rs 40,000, when compared to compact camera, where consumers spends in the range of 10,000 to 12,000,” says Alok Bharadwaj, senior vice-president, Canon India. Around 50% of the sales at Canon’s exclusive brand outlets comes from DSLR cameras and the company is planning to ramp up from 16 stores to 300 in the next three years.
Unlike the compact camera market which is cluttered with various brands like Sony, Panasonic, Olympus and Minolta, Canon and Nikon have over 95% market share in the DSLR market in India, of which Nikon claims to have 55% market share. The typical DSLR buyer is between 25 years and 35 years and is looking to upgrade from a compact camera.
The reasons for the sudden spurt are not hard to find. Increasing disposable income and reducing prices of DSLR cameras are the biggest drivers.
Three years ago, it was hard to find a DSLR for less than Rs 50,000. Today, there are models that start at less than Rs 30,000. Besides, with the camera market having moved almost entirely to digital and prints becoming rare, photography isn’t as expensive a hobby as it used to be.
“Social networking sites like Facebook or photo-specific ones like Flickr are also a huge contributing factor. People see photos on such sites and are strongly influenced to buy a DSLR,” says Kaushik Krishnan, founding member and informal mentor at the Chennai Photography Club.
The club, which was started in 2006, has 350 members. Of these, 200 joined last year. “Over 80% of the members who join are those who buy a DSLR and are clueless about how to use it or are planning to buy one and are looking for guidance,” he says. “A DSLR today has become a lifestyle accessory. But not everyone with a DSLR shoots good pictures.”
Canon and Nikon have identified this and are creating communities in various cities to help consumers maximize the potential of their cameras. Canon’s community of 25,000 consumers is a vibrant lot that constantly exchange tips and suggestions on photos. They’re also tapping into wedding photographers in small towns and villages.
The climbing sales figures have compelled these companies to reduce the price differential with the grey market.
“I was planning to buy a guitar, but I realized I enjoyed shooting with the DSLR and bought one instead,” he says. Susarla has no formal training, but looks up the Nikon website and refers the hundreds of ‘How To’ videos on YouTube when in doubt.
Companies like Nikon and Canon are warming up to hundreds of consumers like Susarla. The DSLR market has been virtually doubling year-on-year growth in the consumer segment over the past three years.
Three years ago, the consumer segment contributed to about 5% of the sales. Today, it accounts for 50%. In 2009, the DSLR market saw sales of 40,000 units and last year sales touched 80,000. This year, sales are expected to touch 2 lakh units.
This may seem like a small market when compared to the compact camera market that currently stands at 30 lakh units. “But in value terms, DSLRs contribute heavily, as the average spend on a DSLR starts at around Rs 40,000, when compared to compact camera, where consumers spends in the range of 10,000 to 12,000,” says Alok Bharadwaj, senior vice-president, Canon India. Around 50% of the sales at Canon’s exclusive brand outlets comes from DSLR cameras and the company is planning to ramp up from 16 stores to 300 in the next three years.
Unlike the compact camera market which is cluttered with various brands like Sony, Panasonic, Olympus and Minolta, Canon and Nikon have over 95% market share in the DSLR market in India, of which Nikon claims to have 55% market share. The typical DSLR buyer is between 25 years and 35 years and is looking to upgrade from a compact camera.
The reasons for the sudden spurt are not hard to find. Increasing disposable income and reducing prices of DSLR cameras are the biggest drivers.
Three years ago, it was hard to find a DSLR for less than Rs 50,000. Today, there are models that start at less than Rs 30,000. Besides, with the camera market having moved almost entirely to digital and prints becoming rare, photography isn’t as expensive a hobby as it used to be.
“Social networking sites like Facebook or photo-specific ones like Flickr are also a huge contributing factor. People see photos on such sites and are strongly influenced to buy a DSLR,” says Kaushik Krishnan, founding member and informal mentor at the Chennai Photography Club.
The club, which was started in 2006, has 350 members. Of these, 200 joined last year. “Over 80% of the members who join are those who buy a DSLR and are clueless about how to use it or are planning to buy one and are looking for guidance,” he says. “A DSLR today has become a lifestyle accessory. But not everyone with a DSLR shoots good pictures.”
Canon and Nikon have identified this and are creating communities in various cities to help consumers maximize the potential of their cameras. Canon’s community of 25,000 consumers is a vibrant lot that constantly exchange tips and suggestions on photos. They’re also tapping into wedding photographers in small towns and villages.
The climbing sales figures have compelled these companies to reduce the price differential with the grey market.
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