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PRESS RELEASE
February 22, 2024
Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA)
About the Results of the Integrated Survey of Photo Imaging Market: Japan Edition
The Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA; President: Hirotaka Ikegami) conducted the Integrated Survey of Photo Imaging Market: Japan Edition, targeting users of digital cameras and smartphones (Outsourcing Contractor: BCN Inc.; President: Yoshie Okuda).
One of the most symbolic responses from digital camera users was that "digital cameras have made outings and trips more enjoyable." As soon as you take the plunge and buy a digital camera, you will find that your lifestyle will suddenly become more active, enhancing your motivation to travel deep into the mountains to take photographs of landscapes and nightscapes, visit botanical gardens around Japan to photograph flowers and plants, and travel both in Japan and overseas. This series of surveys gives a strong impression that this is what it means to live with a digital camera, and this is the pride of our industry.
Ironically, however, the totally unexpected advent of the COVID pandemic stood in the way of the very character of the product that represents such outdoor and outing items.
This latest survey was conducted at the end of 2023, when the dark clouds of the COVID pandemic were clearing. The greatest point of focus is on the extent to which outdoor demand and outing demand can be revived.
Outline of Implementation of the Integrated Survey of Photo Imaging Market: Japan Edition
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Survey method
Web survey
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Timing of the survey
Early December 2023
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Subjects of the survey
Men and women residing within Japan, aged from teens to 70s.
The main survey is for those who take pictures with an interchangeable lens digital camera, compact digital camera, or smartphone.
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The number of samples
1,000 (main survey), 4,876 (preliminary survey)
The main survey was allocated a minimum sample size of 300 each for interchangeable lens digital cameras and compact digital cameras (with duplicates for use of both types).
Camera & Imaging Products Association
MA Shibaura Building 3F, 3-8-10 Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0023 Japan
TEL. +81-3-5442-4800 (Main)
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Outline of the Results of the Integrated Survey of Photo Imaging Market: Japan Edition
While the main theme of the survey was photographs, we also included questions related to videos, which is one of the most appealing features of both digital cameras and smartphones.
Revival of the motivation to take photographs with the end of the COVID pandemic. The motivation to take photographs of those in their teens, 20s, and 30s is on the increase.
Changes in motivation to take photographs
The survey asked about how the respondents’ motivation to take photographs at the time of the 2020–2022 COVID pandemic and the present has changed.
A total of 18% of all the respondents indicated that their motivation to take photographs has become "stronger" (much stronger + somewhat stronger), a clear trend among the younger age groups.
Nearly four out of ten teens (39%), 36% of those in their 20s, and 31% of those in their 30s responded that their motivation has become "stronger."
n = overall: 1000, teens: 36, 20s: 122, 30s: 137, 40s: 181, 50s: 222, 60s: 171, 70s: 131
8 10 8 1 3 7 3 6 17 12 5 7 4 3 3 8
69 68 76 75 63 55 56 68
6 9 7 10 18 27 22 12 1 1 4 7 13 9 17 6 0%20%40%60%80%100%70s60s50s40s30s20sTeensOverall
It became much weaker.It became somewhat weaker.No change.It became somewhat strongerIt became much stronger.
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Although photographic subjects are approaching pre-COVID levels, the outdoor demand is still only halfway to a full revival.
Object (subject) rankings: "Photographs" vs. "videos" (multiple answers/top)
Photographs
Videos
Landscapes and nightscapes
51.7%
1st
Domestic trips
34.7%
Domestic trips
46.3%
2nd
Children and grandchildren
31.8%
Children and grandchildren
30.1%
3rd
Landscapes and nightscapes
28.2%
Flowers and plants
28.8%
4th
Pets and animals
25.1%
Food
27.1%
5th
Husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, and partner
20.4%
Memorandums
24.7%
6th
Friends and acquaintances
16.0%
Pets and animals
24.3%
7th
Gatherings of friends
14.7%
Husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, and partner
23.6%
8th
School events
13.4%
Snapshots and townscapes
21.0%
9th
Overseas trips
13.3%
Friends and acquaintances
19.1%
10th
Theme parks and amusement parks
13.3%
Gatherings of friends
19.0%
11th
Snapshots and townscapes
12.5%
Theme parks and amusement parks
15.0%
12th
Food
12.2%
Overseas trips
14.2%
13th
Sports
11.8%
The objects (subjects) strongly associated with outings are shown in bold print.
The most recent "photographs" survey was conducted in 2019, with smartphones added to digital cameras. Although it was the year just before the COVID pandemic, the top five choices at the time, including "Landscapes and nightscapes" (1st place; 60.9% at the time) and "Domestic trips" (2nd place; 51.3% at the time), remain the same this time around.
However, "Overseas trips" (25.4% at the time), which ranked seventh in 2019, came in at 13th (14.2%) this time, while "Theme parks and amusement parks" (21.8% at the time), which ranked ninth, was only ranked as 12th (15.0%) this time.
In terms of objects (subjects), it cannot yet be said that a full-fledged revival of outdoor demand or outing demand has been achieved.
Domestic travel (34.7%) was ranked first in the "videos" category. However, "Gatherings of friends" and "School events" (which were the mainstay of the spring and fall periods of greatest demand during the video camera era, such as entrance ceremonies and athletic meetings), "Overseas trips" and "Theme parks and amusement parks" were all in the top 10 but were only in the 10% range.
n 1000