Nikon are number 1

[Jonathan]

If you didn't see it yet http://nikonrumors.com/2010/07/08/nikon-1.aspx

Smallish rise in Nikon sales couple with collapse in Canon and it's the first time the charts have looked like this since something like 1980.  IIRC Canon were over 40% a couple of years back and Nikon were somewhere down near 20.  Reinforces my belief that Canon just can't answer the D3 series and that rumours about reliability issues (whether or not true) are sticking.

List of biggest selling cameras is also interesting.  It's not about pixels any more.

Note that places 3 - 6 added together are a shade more than Canon's market share now and have all improved share apart from Sony.

This is why despite all the coolness coming from second tier brands they don't get a lot of review time.  They actually get their fair share - an article on a new Nikon will interest nearly 5X as many people as a new Sony.

Cue flame war in 3....2....1....

[picsfor]

Well, it wouldn't be right if they didn't share the honours every now and then!

But you are right - it was for Canon to throw away the race, and didn't they do it in style!

[michaelb104]

I'm not surprised that the Sony market share has gone down as I think they have shot themselves in the foot with their model range. 
I currently have an A350 which I think is a great camera for starters and I have learnt so much from using it.  The thing is where do I go from here, the obvious choice used to be the A700 but that is now discontinued and apparently there is no replacement in the near future (from rumour sites).  The other choice would be the A550 but I wouldn't feel that I've got any improvement in camera spec, well other than smile detection and that's so important when taking macro shots of flowers 
The next option is to go FF in the A8xx/A9xx range but as I guess a lot of us are, I'm on a budget and when I purchased a new lens I've gone for one that only does APS-C size sensors, so the FF is out of question, I suppose the other option is to change manufactures.

I just wonder how many Sony users that have had there kit for a couple of three years are jumping ship to other manufactures to be able to get an upgrade.

[krennon]

Michael I to have the A350 and at the moment am very happy with it and would not want to change the camera. I've had it for just over a year. The only thing I would have liked sony to add to the camera would be mirror lock up for long exposures and maybe an electronic "spirit level".
The 500/550 does give a faster fps rate which if you are into sports/wildlife could be very useful...But I was having this conversation with my dad, why upgrade just because the manufacturers have bought out a new model. Unless your camera has stopped working completely.why change it...invest the money that you would spend on a new model on some new lenses, get to grips with your current model with new lenses then when your current camera packs up you will have a nice collection of lenses to put onto the newest 1zillion megapixel 35fps only weighs 2 ounces model. The manufacturers push us into the high MP/High ISO must be better because that's what the majority of people believe....I took shots on my old Fuji S6500fd Bridge Camera that have been very highly commended and indeed 2 of them scored 10/10 in my camera club competitions, something I have yet to achieve with any of the shots I have taken on the SONY.. (come close though 1 judge awarded me a 9.5)
So if I had the money to spend on a new 500/550 I would actually buy a nice 50mm prime lens (or a macro lens depending on price) and a 75-300mm and maybe if there was any change a 1.5 or 2x convertor...Practice with all of those and keep saving for the new model for when the current one finally packs...People buy CANIK for their own reasons I bought Sony as I didn't want to be a sheep and I liked the feel of it in my hands....And it was within my set budget....would I jump ship to another manufacturer possibly but only if I felt the product on offer was better than what I currently use

[ABERS]

But I was having this conversation with my dad, why upgrade just because the manufacturers have bought out a new model. Unless your camera has stopped working completely.why change it...

Dads always know best Keith.

When I returned to photography some three years ago now, I opted for Sony because of the service that I had from them as a brand when I was working, figuring out that if they had decided to enter the DSLR market the product would be right, so I bought an A100 and a couple of kit lenses, to which I added a couple of others, a wide angle and a crisper 16-80 Zeiss Sonar. The A100 did everything I wanted. After about 18 months I made the decision that I needed to upgrade, don't ask me why, I couldn't explain Why. So I bought an A700.

Did my photography improve, of course it didn't, not to any noticeable degree anyway. All I've got is a heavier lump of camera in my hand with a few more knobs on it!

The fact that other manufacturers sell more cameras than other manufacturers is the result of better marketing, publicity and PR.

Unless the A700 turns it's toes up I don't think I'll be taking the 'upgrade' trail again.

P.S. The A100 is seeing out the rest of its days converted to IR. Now that's a regrade that I've enjoyed and found useful.

[michaelb104]

Krennon, I completely agree with you, I was having a bit of a hypothetical rant previous. 

As I was once told, it's cheaper to keep a customer than it is to go out and find a new one, maybe Sony haven't come across this saying.

[Oldboy]

As I was once told, it's cheaper to keep a customer than it is to go out and find a new one, maybe Sony haven't come across this saying.

Yes very true, but you have to have customers in the first place!   

[krennon]

As already said Sony need to come up with an affordable replacement to bridge the gap between the 500 series and the FF 850/900....Cue maybe an A600/650/750 with some advanced features over the 500 series and some cut down features compared to the FF stuff....Sony are concentrating on the NEX series at the moment, but I suspect there will be something in the offing soon maybe in time for Xmas for us DSLR users (although as above I am not in the market for a new SLR body and won't be for the foreseeable future.)

[anglefire]

No flame war. Just curious as to why you care?

I don't. Makes no difference to me,

[ABERS]

No flame war. Just curious as to why you care?

I don't. Makes no difference to me,

I can see that is a 'not bovvered face' 

[Jonathan]

No flame war. Just curious as to why you care?

Do I care?  Not really.  One zaibatsu has made marginally more money from one area of business than another zaibatsu.

Am I interested?  Of course.  For me there are 2 interesting points:

1. What do Canon do next?  It may look like a small percentage gain to you or me but in most Japanese firms there's a staggering difference between number 1 and everybody else.  Canon will have known these figures for a long time but only have to face them now.  What do they do next?  Roll over and admit they are no longer number 1?, stick to a long term steady as she goes marketing plan?, roll out new models a little early and try to buy back the top spot with discounts?  Who knows.  But it interests me.

2. In early 2007 I sat in a meeting with Sony where they stated their intention to become a top 3 player in the DSLR market within 3 - 5 years.  3 years on they are 6th.  And also the gap between 2 and 3 is still so big that there really isn't a 3rd player at all.  What went wrong?  Are they abandoning that plan or just off to a slow start?

Things to think about while Lightroom does your work for you.....