BCNranking collected the sales data from a majority of the Japanese stores. And there is really good news! BCN reports:

After losing a lot of sales during the COVID-19 pandemic, the camera market is recovering in the post-COVID era. December sales volume was 123.7% higher than the previous year, showing a booming performance. Unlike PCs and TVs, cameras generally increased year-on-year until around last summer. There were times in the early fall when sales fell significantly below the previous year’s level, but they regained momentum in November and December and significantly exceeded last year’s level. Compact cameras with built-in lenses showed particular growth. December sales volume was 132.7% higher than the previous year. Meanwhile, sales volume of interchangeable lens cameras, whose momentum has slowed due to rising unit prices, continued to fall below the previous year’s level since August, but in December it rose to 101.0%, slightly higher than the previous year.

Canon led the camera market overall in December with a 25.5% unit sales share. Sales volume increased significantly to 151.4% compared to the previous year. Fujifilm, in second place with a market share of 18.6%, maintained its good performance with a 107.3% increase compared to the previous year. Kenko Tokina, which rose to third place for the first time with a market share of 11.8%, also put up a strong performance with a 256.8% increase compared to the previous year. However, Kodak, with a market share of 10.4%, was affected and ended up below double digits at 89.7%. Sony, which remained in fifth place with a market share of 9.7%, also fell below the previous year to 92.4%.

As is often the case, we don’t receive detailed reports from markets like the US, China, or Europe, which is unfortunate. The key takeaway here is that Sony holds just a 9.7% market share. This is largely due to their absence from the growing affordable compact camera market, which is experiencing a boom right now. In contrast, companies like Kenko Tokina and Kodak had strong years, as both offer popular compact models. Again a call for Sony to revive the RX lineup….

You may have noticed the new Sony A1II is out of Stock everywhere in USA (BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama ) and Europe (FotoErhardt, FotoKoch, Calumet, WexUK). Sony Japan issued a statement saying that the number of preorders was higher than expected and that this will delay the delivery of preorders. Now we have two updates:

• Adorama reports the A1II will be back in Stock in March
• FotoErhardt reports “expected delivery time is over 1 month(s).”

The only place were you can find the Sony A1II in Stock is as reconditioned at BHphoto (Click here).

All these lenses are excellent….but Sony is even more efficient :) It is the lightest, most affordable and overall optically superior system too!

Sony trio:

• Sony 16-35mm GM II (Amazon, B&H Photo, Adorama)
• Sony 24-70mm GM II (Amazon, B&H Photo, Adorama)
• Sony 70-200mm GM II (Amazon, B&H Photo, Adorama)

Daniel Ockeloen is developing a grip extender for the new Sony A1II and Sony A9III. He writes:

As promised, an update on the design of the extender for the A1ii (and a9iii and probably a7V) I really want Sony or someone to make. This is now a fully working prototype: 17mm height, Airtag inside, Arca plate, Peak Design plug space, and easy battery swap. The Baby Extender Grip (BEG) is my way of begging some brand to make this. I am open to some people with 3D printers to share the files so you can test them. The core is now designed around an Airtag alu part from JJC.

The extender is compatible with popular Sony models such as the Sony A1 II, Sony A9 III, and Sony A7V.

He also made a special cooling grip:

Made a 2h22m 8k 25p 50hz, 520M 10bit 4:2:2 recording with my first test a1ii cooling grip. I just wanted to see if cooling in between the lcd and body would work. I think it can go unlimited in my test case at 20c room and no direct sunlight. I stopped it at that point. I also had to attach a usb bank to the a1ii because at 1h10m internal battery was at 10%. Did this because i was bored and well engineers that are bored start to fiddle and to provide feedback to Denz Ahmet. Ill report this back to smallrig sony design manager and maybe sony or smallrig or… will add something like this to their new cases as a option or build in. Canon made a 570 euro cooling grip for the R5ii that kind of does something like this and even this small test shows it could be done for the a1ii. I have no deep feelings if a a1ii should be used for 2hour 8k video thats up to people themselves and their usecases.

Cool project!

I always thought that the next big leap in image quality would be the move to three-layer sensor technology. Sigma has named the Foveon sensor as such. At Isscc from February 16-20, this will be one of the main points of discussion.

The 3-layer sensor technology (Foveon) is considered a potential future of imaging because it captures all three primary colors (RGB) at every pixel location, unlike traditional Bayer sensors that interpolate colors using a mosaic pattern. Here’s why it’s promising:

1. Superior Color Accuracy: Each pixel captures full RGB data, resulting in more accurate and natural colors compared to Bayer sensors.
2. Sharper Images: Without a Bayer filter, there’s no need for demosaicing, reducing artifacts like moiré and providing sharper details.
3. Better Micro-Contrast: Foveon sensors excel at reproducing fine details and textures, offering superior micro-contrast ideal for high-quality photography.
4. Simpler Workflow: Eliminates the need for anti-aliasing filters and complex post-processing for color reconstruction.
5. Potential for Innovation: With advancements in material science and processing technology, the challenges of high noise and limited ISO range in Foveon sensors can be addressed, unlocking their full potential.

If these challenges are overcome, Foveon and similar 3-layer sensors could redefine image quality, particularly for fields like fine art, product, and landscape photography.

A whole series of new global shutter sensors will also be presented at the same event. They are particularly interesting when it comes to video use. As a photographer, I’m more interested in seeing 3-layer technology in a future full-frame mirrorless camera. Sigma is working on it, but hasn’t gotten some production issues under control yet. Sony has patented several “ideas” in recent years, but there is still no indication of when their new sensors will be market ready.ensors will be market ready.

One insight from 2024 is that compact cameras with a fixed lens are back in fashion. This is what Techradar writes:

Zoomers embrace point-and-shoots, they don’t have a lot of choice when it comes to new gear. Perhaps that’s the point, and it’s all about vintage retro camera gear instead, which if true is great news for the secondhand market.

And that’s why the author writes:

I’d love to see an eighth iteration of the Sony RX100 series. The RX100 VII is five years old now, and Sony has done a lot since then, so a new model could be a seriously powerful pocket camera. What’s more likely, however, is a successor to 2016’s RX1R II – Sony’s pricier full-frame premium compact with a fixed 35mm lens. That series was hamstrung by its sky-high pricing (it wasn’t much cheaper than its Leica rival), but if Sony could make a next-gen model that’s priced a little closer to the Fujifilm X100VI, while adding a little retro flare, it’ll be a hit.

It would be stupid from Sony to miss out on the opportunity of this booming market!

Hollyland just announced the new Lark Wireless MIC you can preorder at Amazon and BHphoto.

First youtubers reviews: