# Flickr camera stats for 2015



## neuroanatomist (Dec 21, 2015)

Flickr recently published some summaries of the EXIF data in their image database.

*iPhones top the list, and the top 10 comprises 7 models of iPhones and three Canon dSLRs. 
*



I'm ergonomically apalled that the iPad comes in at #15, at least it's the lowest-ranked of the iDevices on the list. Interesting that there are two FF Canon dSLRs in the top 10. Not much love for Nikon among Flickr users, only one old model comes in above the iPad, and no Nikon FF bodies on the list. Sony, oh Sony...where art thou (cameras that is, not sensors inside iPhones)?


*Of those who use more than one camera, the pairing of Apple and Canon was most popular:
*



Perhaps logical in light of the fact that Apple and Canon are the two most popular brands. Interesting that 10% of those who's primary camera is a Canon have a Sony as a secondary camera.


*Also, we clearly see the impressive popularity of mirrorless cameras, which are absolutely killing dSLRs as has been predicted for many years.
*



Or not. 



*TLR*


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## krisbell (Dec 21, 2015)

Interesting post Neuro - thanks for sharing. I am one of those that have a Canon and a Sony but I would hate to choose which camera is my primary!


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## TeT (Dec 21, 2015)

krisbell said:


> Interesting post Neuro - thanks for sharing. I am one of those that have a Canon and a Sony but I would hate to choose which camera is my primary!



according to the chart 58% chance its the Sony first...


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Dec 22, 2015)

Aside from smart phone users being the largest posters on flickr, the fact that Canon waits so long to update their models means more images posted, while manufacturers that frequently change models don't run up the statistics. I'm surprised that point and shoot models are not near the top. This shows how complete of a market rout that smart phones have accomplished. P&S cameras have fallen off the top of the chart.


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## Drum (Dec 22, 2015)

Forget the I-phone and phone camera scores this is an INDEPENDENT entity giving these statistics
Canon= 27% 
Nikon = 16% :-[
mirrorless=3% :
Sony = ?????

Its a real pity about all those DR challenged Cameras isn't it?


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## candc (Dec 22, 2015)

Wow, a lot of diversity in the list. The top 20 add up to 38%. There are a huge number of photos being taken with a wide range of camera types nowadays.


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## LukasS (Dec 22, 2015)

candc said:


> Wow, a lot of diversity in the list. The top 20 add up to 38%. There are a huge number of photos being taken with a wide range of camera types nowadays.



NOT TAKEN - PUBLISHED on Flickr - there's a huge difference.


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## candc (Dec 22, 2015)

Well there are more taken than published on Flickr but I would imagine the relative percentages are similar.


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## Orangutan (Dec 22, 2015)

LukasS said:


> NOT TAKEN - PUBLISHED on Flickr - there's a huge difference.



This post has context, it's a call-back to last year when someone else tried to use these numbers to justify a certain perspective on the market. The published data don't give us a lot to go on, but we can make a few modest inferences:

* It does not show what fraction had no metadata to pull from
* We can guess (but can't confirm) that higher-end users are more likely to purge their metadata, especially for their carefully processed images
* Canon products are well-represented; however, we have no way to know if that's because they sell well, users find them easy to use, or because they're durable and are not replaced by another brand.
* Nikon and Sony are not taking over the world.
* Mirrorless is not taking over the world...just yet.

In short, *this was not a scientifically valid sample*, and very few conclusions can be drawn


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## candc (Dec 22, 2015)

True, I think in general the numbers posted on Flickr would show a higher percentage taken with higher end cameras than on Facebook for instance. 31% from dslr's seems like a high percentage for "all" photos taken. I suppose 500px would show an even higher percentage.


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## neuroanatomist (Dec 22, 2015)

Orangutan said:


> In short, *this was not a scientifically valid sample*, and very few conclusions can be drawn



About specific numbers, of course not. But the overall trends do mirror what are much closer to valid datasets, the IDC reports – Canon leading Nikon by a significant margin, all others far behind the two leaders.


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## Orangutan (Dec 22, 2015)

neuroanatomist said:


> Orangutan said:
> 
> 
> > In short, *this was not a scientifically valid sample*, and very few conclusions can be drawn
> ...



By happenstance this may be true this year; maybe next year it will not be so. It's the other data that support this data set; this data set does not support those others. About all we can say with some confidence is that the public are not throwing their Canon gear on the trash heap in favor of Nikon, Sony or any brand of mirrorless.

For some entertainment you might go back and look at last year's Flickr conversation.


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## neuroanatomist (Dec 22, 2015)

Orangutan said:


> neuroanatomist said:
> 
> 
> > Orangutan said:
> ...



I wouldn't say it's 'by happenstance' – it's logical cause and effect. Canon has sold more dSLRs than anyone else for over a decade. More cameras of a particular brand in users' hands means more pictures taken with that brand. Looking at numbers from a large image database, we see greater representation of that better-selling brand in 2013-2015. 

I'm sure some would cry correlation doesn't equal causation, but in this case those same people would likely need a piano dropped on them from above to suspect a causal role for gravity in their injury.


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## Orangutan (Dec 22, 2015)

neuroanatomist said:


> Orangutan said:
> 
> 
> > neuroanatomist said:
> ...



Er...sorta. Based on sales data these numbers are not surprising, though I'm not sure you could reliably infer sales data the other direction, except possibly smartphones.

I'm not sure it's wroth rehashing, though.

Cheers.


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## 9VIII (Dec 22, 2015)

I think the most telling thing is that the 5D3 is so well represented.

Though, technically the D800 was split across three SKU's over its lifetime, that would be very bad for statistics.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Dec 22, 2015)

neuroanatomist said:


> Orangutan said:
> 
> 
> > In short, *this was not a scientifically valid sample*, and very few conclusions can be drawn
> ...



I have to agree. If we were to be able to see numbers from a more professional photo site like Smug Mug, then high end cameras would likely hold the lead. Step up to photoshelter and the pricy camera equipment would take a overwhelming lead.

However, Flickr statistics are probably closest to the majority of people taking photos. I don't have a flickr account any longer, but a huge number of people do.


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## Hillsilly (Dec 22, 2015)

Flickr have got their stats wrong.

Like most of you, I upload my photos to social media directly via the big red "share" button on the back of my camera. But this utilises my phone's internet connection. And when flickr get's the image, they think it came from a phone. And as Neuro pointed out, most of us use an iPhone. Flickr incorrectly flags these images as coming from an iPhone. 

And whatever you do, don't adust the red button settings to automatically upload every shot to Flickr. You know what I mean - where a 50kb to 100kb jpeg is uploaded every time you press the shutter button. This seriously skews the numbers in favour of phones. 

If you want Canon to appear higher up on the stats, stop pressing the red button! Instead, take you memory card out of your camera, find a computer and then import the photos into the computer. From there, navigate to the Flickr site and manually upload the photos. Alternatively, you could import the photos into a program like LightRoom and upload the photos from within there. This way, they'll still be recorded as Canon images.


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## zim (Dec 22, 2015)

Don't people with Samsung's take photos or use flickr? My understanding is its the number one seller world wide

The only conclusion I'd take away from this is that taking pictures is alive and well and that's great!


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## Drum (Dec 22, 2015)

The Samsung was there S4 and S5 (next to the 7D). The only thing really that this proves is that its a lot easier to upload photos to these sites by phone. What this does indicate is the likely balance of cameras being used by a large cross section of people, and only by looking at that over a number of years could you see changes to camera users habits. This "snapshot" shows a healthy canon usage compared to Nikon or Sony. Flikr would be one of the best known photo sharing sites, but I wouldn't know the number of users compared to other sites that would be similar.


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## LDS (Dec 22, 2015)

Hillsilly said:


> And when flickr get's the image, they think it came from a phone.



Uhm, no, it should not, if they read the EXIF metadata correctly and nothing changes them from the camera to the site. Hope iOS is not designed to alter EXIF data in transit, to boost those stats, LOL!



Hillsilly said:


> Alternatively, you could import the photos into a program like LightRoom and upload the photos from within there.



My preset for LR export for publishing is to strip EXIF metadata but copyright and a few other data. No need to brag about my gear, and I prefer not to leave too many information about what I own in public places.



Hillsilly said:


> And as Neuro pointed out, most of us use an iPhone.



I'm too a bit surprised how many iPhones are there - it is true Android is much more fragmented and models are changed more quickly, but I'd have expected more. But it could reflect the US market to be more pro-Apple than some European and Asian ones - which may use other sites also.


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## unfocused (Dec 22, 2015)

There are a couple of other interesting charts that weren't shared.

One shows "Camera Types by Year" from 2010 to 2015. The chart is cumulative, so be careful how you read it. But, it shows DLSRs consistently have between 30-35% of the posts for the past five years. Mirrorless have increased slightly, but represent a very small percentage -- looks like about 5%. Point and Shoot have gone from over 40% to maybe 22% -- cut nearly in half.

Camera phones have swallowed almost all of that point and shoot segment, going from a little less than 20% to close to 40%. Not surprisingly, video cameras and film scanners represent just a small portion of the Flicker posters. 

My conclusion: Among Flicker users the statistically significant change has been from Point and Shoot to Camera Phones -- essentially a one-for-one replacement over the past five years. DSLR use is holding steady. (Flicker says it's increasing about 1% a year) Mirrorless is growing, but very slowly and taking most of its new users out of the point and shoot segment, not the DSLR segment. 

The other chart shows camera brands by month from 2010 to 2015. This one is going to stir up controversy, but only if you deliberately ignore context.

Canon's monthly share has dropped over the past five years from about 37% to 20%. But before the Sony-ites get all excited, they should be aware that Sony's share has dropped from about 13% to about 9% -- Oops!

Nikon has dropped from about 22% to about 15%. Fuji is flat: consistently at about 4%.

The growth? Samsung and Apple. Samsung has gone from basically nothing to about 15%. I don't think those are cameras though, they are likely to be the Galaxy phones. And, Apple has shot up from about 7% to 30%.

Careful now! Before the anti-Canon-ites get all excited, remember that these stats include point and shoots. So, if you think about it logically, this chart also reflects the collapse of the point and shoot market, with Canon and Nikon both taking big hits that reflect their relative market share at the start of the five year period. In other words, Canon has more of the point and shoot market, so they had more to lose. 

Now, keep in mind that these statistics only reflect Flicker users. I don't know the profile of the average Flicker user, but I'm guessing it skews heavily toward amateurs and is used by people who want to share their images with others (Yes, I know there are a handful of Flicker Kings and Queens who have turned it into a business, but the vast majority, I suspect, are folks who just like to take pictures of friends and family and things they find interesting and post them.) 

Of course, we will all read our own conclusions into this. Mine is this: Canon, Nikon and Sony all screwed up royally with their painfully slow adoption of internet connectivity (which they STILL have not integrated into their cameras in any user-friendly, innovative fashion). They might not have been able to forestall the camera phone revolution, but they certainly could have cut their losses a little more if they had put a greater emphasis on connectivity. Now they are paying the price and all I can say is: "It serves them right. The revolution took place on their doorsteps and they never even bothered to look out the window to see what was happening."


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## Hillsilly (Dec 23, 2015)

LDS said:


> Uhm, no, it should not, if they read the EXIF metadata correctly and nothing changes them from the camera to the site. Hope iOS is not designed to alter EXIF data in transit, to boost those stats, LOL!



I don't know if you picked up on the cynicism/sarcasm, but sadly there is no "share" button on Canon DSLRs.... there should be. 



unfocused said:


> Now, keep in mind that these statistics only reflect Flicker users. I don't know the profile of the average Flicker user, but I'm guessing it skews heavily toward amateurs and is used by people who want to share their images with others.



Do the other charts show any details of the number of images posted? Flickr is still a major player in image sharing (possible still THE major player?), but I get the impression that their popularity amongst enthusiast photographers has dwindled substantially. And new services like Google Photos will eventually take a away a significant amount of android users. I think Apple have recently released something similar, too? Details of the numbers of images posted would be interesting to see how healthy the Flickr community actually is.

FWIW, my understanding of a current, stereotypical flickr user would be someone who was using the site pre-2010, of an older age group, adverse to change and risks and would prefer to stick with tried and testing products. That would explain the over-representation of big brands - Canon, Nikon and Apple. (Eg, the Flickr stats clearly show that mirrorless users are far less likely (almost 50% less likely) to be using an Apple phone.)

People more interested in more control over how their photos are displayed online, happy to try new things, go against the crowd etc would be more likely to be using an android phone, using a mirrorless camera and would be using 500px, DeviantArt, Zenfolio, smugmug, instagram etc. They might occasionally visit their grandparent's flickr page.

From Canon's perspective, I don't read too much into the stats provided. Now that the photo fad has passed, I suspect that most camera users have become more discerning with the images that they upload. Given the ease of uploading from a phone vs a camera, you have a natural decline in uploads from cameras. But I think everyone is on the same page in criticising Canon (and others) for not integrating more with current technology.


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## scyrene (Dec 23, 2015)

What I find surprising is how different the stats are to my experience of Flickr. I guess we build the experience we want, by following certain people, or by the search terms we use. But I see almost no phone pics. There must be a vast hinterland I've never encountered :/


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## LukasS (Dec 23, 2015)

scyrene said:


> What I find surprising is how different the stats are to my experience of Flickr. I guess we build the experience we want, by following certain people, or by the search terms we use. But I see almost no phone pics. There must be a vast hinterland I've never encountered :/


Have exactly the same experience with flickr, wondering where all those phone photos go.


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## Maiaibing (Dec 23, 2015)

Seems to me that what we can see safely from the numbers is the following:

The camera you have at hand is the one that will be used. Thus mobile cameras win the day by a huge margin.

People who invest in FF are likely to use their camera a lot.

Canon is very strong in the existing FF segment (5DII/5DIII). 

However, I cannot see any info from these numbers about current sales for DSLRs or where the FF/DSLR/Mirrorless market is heading. 5DII's position is an excellent example of the disconnect from these numbers to what is happening in the market place. 5DII is by far the most used DSLR - but has seen zero sales for 4 years.


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## LDS (Dec 23, 2015)

Maiaibing said:


> However, I cannot see any info from these numbers about current sales for DSLRs or where the FF/DSLR/Mirrorless market is heading.



Exactly. Most people who spend their time making photos may spend less time chasing the latest gadget...


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## bholliman (Dec 23, 2015)

LukasS said:


> scyrene said:
> 
> 
> > What I find surprising is how different the stats are to my experience of Flickr. I guess we build the experience we want, by following certain people, or by the search terms we use. But I see almost no phone pics. There must be a vast hinterland I've never encountered :/
> ...



Same here. The Flickr groups I belong to have relatively few camera phone pictures, probably under 15%.


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## unfocused (Dec 23, 2015)

Maiaibing said:


> ...5DII's position is an excellent example of the disconnect from these numbers to what is happening in the market place.



Actually, it may be an excellent example of what is happening in the market place.

This shows that most consumers see no need to replace a camera that works just fine. Note also that the venerable T3i (which for years was Amazon's best selling DSLR) remains the second most popular DSLR in the lineup.

Too often, we think that forum participants and forum discussions reflect the marketplace. But the reality is internet gear forums are a very poor place to judge what is happening in the real world.


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## neuroanatomist (Dec 23, 2015)

unfocused said:


> Maiaibing said:
> 
> 
> > ...5DII's position is an excellent example of the disconnect from these numbers to what is happening in the market place.
> ...



Agreed, that's the difference between relying on your own impressions vs. looking at aggregated data. 




unfocused said:


> Too often, we think that forum participants and forum discussions reflect the marketplace. But the reality is internet gear forums are a very poor place to judge what is happening in the real world.



Ding ding ding...we have a winner!


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## geekpower (Dec 24, 2015)

yeah, i hardly see any camera phone pics in my flickr groups or people i follow, but of course the people i follow are generally only posting their best photos. i think there are sections of flickr where people using camera phones upload dozens of selfies and such every day, rather than one or two carefully selected shots. those people have to be skewing the numbers quite a lot.


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## unfocused (Dec 24, 2015)

geekpower said:


> ...those people have to be skewing the numbers quite a lot.



Keep telling yourself that. 

Sorry, but I strongly suspect the number of cell phone camera users are probably under-represented on Flicker in comparison to the population as a whole, not over-represented.


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## geekpower (Dec 24, 2015)

unfocused said:


> geekpower said:
> 
> 
> > ...those people have to be skewing the numbers quite a lot.
> ...



um, ok. i wasn't talking about the population as a whole though. i was talking about flickr.


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## martti (Jan 3, 2016)

There are three aspects about statistics. One is how the material is chosen, the other one how it is processed and the third how it is read. Who are Flickr users and how do they choose the pictures they post on Flickr? How does Flickr do the counting? So what?

On a photo site they'd probably post their camera pictures on Flickr and their smartphone pictures on Instabookler. I find the interface in Flickr awkward. This might be because I do not use it much and because my net connection gets very slow at times. But the question was: What is the population of pictures that Flickr represents?
I would say amateurs, advanced amateurs and real pros. Of the pictures taken in the Universe, Flickr does not give a relevant sample. Most pictures are taken with smartphones and posted on social media sites.

I am not sure if the Flickr analysis is done according to photos posted or per user. Some Flickr users have the idiotic habit of uploading the whole memory card with no selection at all. If he gets counted by the number pictures posted, he skews the sample. If he gets counted as one person, OK. 

How should we read the Flickr data? Probably that there are lots of new users who post their smartphone pictures there. So a bigger and bigger fraction of pictures on Flickr are taken with a smartphone. Not a surprise. Meanwhile, there are the old users with their prosum equipment who keep shooting and posting there. Their (my) smartphone pictures end up on FB and Instagram. So basically we have the numbers and we do not really know what is the reality behind them.

What are the conclusions we should make?
What I see is the us/them dichotomy that has been enhanced by the social media, its trolls and cyberbullies during the recent years. People identify themselves with the silliest issues like "I am a prime shooter" or "I never use filters" or "Canon (Nikon, Sony) is the only rational choice"...and now people are reading the Flickr statistics to feel better about themselves. In Heaven's name, what does it matter to me what other people buy or use or post on a net site? How does it change my behavior in general or _vis a vis_ photography?

This subject is about social psychology, not at all about photography .


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