Japanese camera makers shift focus in China as demand falls

With more shares taken up by phones, companies look elsewhere for growth

Japanese camera makers have accelerated steps to shift their focus to medical equipment, commercial printing, semiconductors and other emerging segments due to shrinking demand for miniature digital cameras and impact from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The popularity of smartphones with built-in cameras has eaten into the market share of traditional camera manufacturers, experts said. Japan's Camera and Imaging Products Association said shipments of digital cameras reached 8.89 million units in 2020, down 41.6 percent on a yearly basis.

Japanese tech giant Canon Inc recently said it plans to shut down some of its production lines in Zhuhai, Guangdong province, which mainly produce compact digital cameras.