CIPA March Numbers: DSLRs Are Done, Mirrorless Keeps Climbing

DSLRs are now down 40% in units year-to-date. Not a trend anymore. A conclusion. The CIPA March numbers confirm what anyone paying attention already suspected: the DSLR category is in terminal decline, not a slump. The more interesting signal is compacts up 23% in units, which tracks with the premium compact boom driven by travel shooters and street photographers who want something pocketable that isn't a phone. Mirrorless up 10% is healthy but not explosive, and the near-flat full-frame lens numbers suggest buyers are upgrading bodies without committing to new glass yet. If you're advising clients or planning your own kit investments, the market is telling you something: the middle is dying and the extremes (premium compact, high-end mirrorless) are where the energy is.