Panasonic expects UK sales of CSCs to grow further

A spokesperson from Panasonic UK has affirmed his belief that compact system camera sales in the UK will eventually follow the same trend as in Japan and outsell traditional DSLRs. Currently, UK sales figures suggest that almost one in three of interchangeable lens cameras sold is a CSC. At the moment, with the exception of Canon, all the main camera brands produce at least one mirrorless camera. Asked if Panasonic was pleased with the number of manufacturers currently in the market, Barney Sykes from Panasonic UK said, "Panasonic is built on a history of competition, and we believe very strongly it's very important in the market - the more brands that are in it, the more it's going to drive us and make us better." Panasonic was the first manufacturer to produce mirrorless cameras, starting in 2008 with the first G series camera. It is has since managed to retain its number one position in the market, despite increased competition from a number of rivals. Sykes continued, "It's rumoured Canon will join this year, and all these manufacturers give the system credibility, that it is the future." Trends In 2011, it was revealed that for the first time CSCs had managed to outsell DSLRs in Japan, rising to 51%. "We follow quite closely the Japanese market with our trends, we're about a year or so behind, so for Japan to have already have compact system cameras outselling DSLRs is a big statement. "It's a big message, it obviously shows that there's a huge amount of confidence in the system, we expect very shortly the same thing will happen in the UK," Sykes continued.