Worldwide demand for camera accessories including lenses, bags, cases, supports and flashes, reached a trade market value of $5.1bn in 2012, according to a new global industry report from Futuresource Consulting.
“Although worldwide demand for fixed lens cameras is declining, we’re seeing interchangeable lens cameras bucking the trend and posting solid growth in excess of 16% year-on-year,” says Arun Gill, Market Analyst, Futuresource Consulting. “In 2012, this translated to an annual average accessories spend per interchangeable lens camera of $307, compared with just two dollars per fixed lens camera.”
Lenses represented the majority of demand, at nearly 80% of the total trade market value, followed by bags and cases, flashes and supports.
Digital camera vendors – including Canon, Nikon and Sony – represented the majority of accessory sales in value terms, mainly due to their strength in lenses. For other accessories, a number of specialist brands play a more significant role, including the likes of Manfrotto, Metz and Sigma.
“In terms of purchase behaviours, many high value users may still prefer to use photo specialists to get expert advice and handle the product before purchase,” says Gill. “However, when it comes to the sale, a growing number of these users are buying through pure online players, motivated by savings of up to 25%.”
