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Why are cameras getting more and more expensive?

1.6.2021

Translation: Veronica Bielawski

Those who follow camera news are mainly interested in devices like the Sony Alpha 1, which costs almost 8,000 francs. Does this also mean that all other cameras are becoming more expensive? Let’s take a look at the price trend in recent years.

Are cameras actually getting more expensive, or does it just seem that way? According to Swiss market researcher GfK, the average price of a camera has risen from 442 francs in January 2013 to 946 francs in January 2021. Looking at those numbers only, the answer is clear. The price of a camera has risen sharply over the years.

However, the average camera today is very different from the average camera back in 2013. The average camera today is not a cheap compact cam; it’s an interchangeable lens camera packing serious features. Smartphone cameras are getting better and better, and the demand for small, inexpensive cameras with mediocre performance is noticeably sinking. The share of high-end cameras on the market today is much larger than it used to be.

Comparing apples to apples

Richard Butler of dpreview.com took a look at the long-standing camera price trend. He argues that you should only compare cameras within the same segment to each other. And doing just that, the author can’t find an overall price increase. Take mid-range APS-C cameras, for example. Since 2010, Sony has raised its prices slightly in the mid-range segment, while Nikon has lowered them somewhat. Fujifilm has also lowered prices on the X-E lineup. The price trend for full-frame cameras also looks very stable.

But because these are trends on the US market, they can’t be directly compared with the situation here – especially not specific examples. But the main conclusion does also hold up for Switzerland at large: prices are increasing mainly because people are buying more high-end cameras.

Here’s an example with Swiss prices (RRP): take the Canon EOS 5D in its different generations. This camera series has been around for a long time and has kept its focus on being a pro-device with great video capture since its second generation.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II (2008): 4098.–
Canon EOS 5D Mark III (2012): 3998.–
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV (2016): 4019.–
Canon EOS R5 (2020): 4479.–

Prices are always about the same, with a slight increase at the R5. But the R5 is mirrorless, so it can only be compared with its predecessors to a limited extent.

Manufacturers push high-end devices

So are cameras just getting more expensive because customers want better equipment? It’s not quite that simple. It's not just because of the customers that high-end cameras are so dominant, but also because of the manufacturers. Demand determines supply, but supply also helps determine what ends up being bought.

Take sensor size, for example. Many amateur photographers have switched to full-frame cameras, even though they hadn’t initially planned on doing so. Why? Because the new, much more exciting products tend to be full-frame cameras. Manufacturers that offer both full frame and APS-C have been putting the smaller format in second place for many years. Fujifilm is even trying to make medium format cameras suitable for the masses. The result is a camera that’s actually cheap for a medium format camera, but still much more expensive than the average.

There’s no doubt: manufacturers are pushing the high-end market. The circumstances around this development are a rapidly shrinking market. According to GfK, around 47,500 cameras were sold in Switzerland in January 2013. In January 2021, the number fell to just 9,000. Selling in smaller numbers is forcing manufacturers to achieve higher margins, and that works best with high-end products. The market is never really saturated there either. If you want what’s top-of-the-line, you’ll need to buy new things constantly. For a less demanding clientele, even a five-year-old camera is good enough.

The average price in 2021 of 946 francs is quite low compared to the prices of the high-end models. This means than that even in rich Switzerland, most people simply don’t buy the top cameras.

Once you do make the switch to a larger format, you’ll need new and more expensive lenses. These have also become more expensive overall. According to GfK, the average lens bought cost 440 francs in January 2013. In January 2021, it was 863 francs. Again, the price increase is mainly due to vendors focusing on the high-end market. To make matters worse, the mirrorless systems are all quite new, so there aren’t any old, inexpensive lenses. In the world of SLRs, things were different. Richard Butler points this out in his article and mentions the 50 mm lens for the Canon SLR system as an extreme example – it’s from 1990.

Affordable alternatives

Fewer new cameras are appearing in the affordable segment than before. However, there’s still a good selection of inexpensive cameras because the manufacturers have decided to keep offering older models for a long time. Although these cameras are technologically no longer up to date, they do have advantages over a new entry-level camera. Namely, they tend to be better made and offer more settings. Older components are now also being used in new, inexpensive cameras, so you’re not actually buying the latest technology there either.

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Even in the future, inexpensive cameras will probably join the ranks of older, formerly quite expensive cameras. This seems to be the manufacturers’ solution to the problem of sinking unit sales. By extending the life cycles, they can still manufacture the cameras in economically viable quantities.

Cameras are the new desktop PCs

Cameras are going through a similar development as desktop PCs have already gone through. They were also once inexpensive, mass-produced goods. But as notebooks became cheaper and more powerful, desktop PCs became more expensive. Today, they are aimed at a specialised, demanding target group and are produced in smaller quantities. Both lead to higher prices.

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David Lee

Senior Editor

David.Lee@digitecgalaxus.ch

My interest in IT and writing landed me in tech journalism early on (2000). I want to know how we can use technology without being used. Outside of the office, I’m a keen musician who makes up for lacking talent with excessive enthusiasm.

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Why are cameras getting more and more expensive?

Comparing apples to apples

Manufacturers push high-end devices

Affordable alternatives

New trend: old cameras remain available for a long time

Cameras are the new desktop PCs

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From Alpha to Z: The decade of new camera systems

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