Digital cameras are "a dying breed" says data journalist

A journalist for a data gathering website has asked if digital cameras are a "dying breed".

Felix Richter writes: "Ever since smartphone cameras have become as good or better than most mass-market point-and-shoot cameras, many people don't see the point in carrying an extra device, and rightly so."

Richter references a data chart from Statista Consumer Insights that shows the global decline of digital camera ownership over the last few years, stating that "it's probably not a stretch to assume that usage has declined by even more than that."

He adds: "A look at global camera sales shows an industry in disarray, as more than 30 years of growth have been wiped out over the past decade."

In a chart of 1,000 to 10,000 respondents aged 18-64 years old, surveyed in 2018 / 2019 and 2023 / 2024 in the United States, digital camera ownership fell from almost 60% of people to just over 30%. 

In the UK, the same figure fell from over 60% to just under 40%. 

Smartphones have changed the camera game, offering a level of convenience that is not possible with larger, bulkier cameras. The quality of the cameras is now so good that you even have photographers like Rankin endorsing Honor phones. 

The new iPhone 16 range, set to be released on September 09, has updates almost entirely devoted to improving the camera and photo-taking abilities. 

"Over the past few years, smartphone cameras in general have improved significantly,” adds Richter. "So much so in fact, that most people no longer see the need to carry or buy a dedicated camera."

Richter described the effects of this smartphone surge as "devastating", a statement supported by Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA) data that shows camera shipments dropping by 94% between 2010 and 2023.

Citing fixed lens cameras in specific, which were once the backbone of camera sales, CIPA data shows that in 2023 just 1.7 million cameras were shipped – down from almost 109 million in 2010, "wiping out decades of growth" according to Richter. 

"The steep decline was mainly driven by a drop-off in shipments of digital cameras with built-in lenses, the type that casual photographers used to rely on prior to the rise of smartphone photography."

Still, like anything, trends come and go, and come back again. Just look at what's happening with film cameras right now. 

The latest industry figures from CIPA reveal that more cameras were shipped between January and May 2024 than during the same periods in 2022, and 2023. While we're unlikely to hit the highs of the 2010s again, digital cameras probably aren't quite the dying breed that Richter might think.

Take a look at our guides to the best camera phones, the best film cameras, and the best DSLRs.