Compact system cameras are failing to make a dent in the purses of Amazon shoppers, as no mirrorless models can be found in the top 40 best selling cameras in the UK, US, Germany and France.
Despite the huge increase in compact system cameras currently available on the market, and the frenzy surrounding rumoured Canon and Nikon releases, no existing compact system camera models are appearing in Amazon's best seller lists.
In Japan, official charts show the overall market placings of digital cameras, and these recently indicated that more than half of all cameras purchased were mirrorless models, with the new Olympus PEN E-PL3 appearing highest at no.6.
In other countries however, it's harder to determine the best sellers as detailed reports are not so easily available. However, using sites such as Amazon is a good indicator of the overall market trend.
It may seem surprising that the list does not include a CSC, but considering that the two major players, Canon and Nikon, are yet to enter the market, it could be that American and European consumers are waiting for these new releases.
Shopping habits
It could also be that the limited range of lenses available for compact system cameras is having an impact on shopping habits. When third party manufacturers such as Sigma, who announced it was working on some micro four thirds lenses earlier in the year, decide to make its products available, the concept of a mirrorless model may seem more attractive.
On the Amazon UK site, the current best selling camera is the Panasonic Lumix FS35, a three year old budget compact model, followed by the Fujifilm Finepix S2950 bridge camera. The first DSLR to appear in the list is Nikon's entry level D3000.
With the majority of the cameras in Amazon UK's top 20 falling into the "budget" end of the spectrum, this could perhaps suggest more about the buying habits of Amazon customers, with more "serious" photographers perhaps choosing to spend their cash in more established photographic outlets.
A quick peek at dedicated photography stockist Warehouse Express however also shows that CSCs are not within its top 10 best sellers either, with the Nikon P300 compact topping the list followed by Nikon's enthusiast DSLR, the D7000.
Interestingly, on the Amazon US site, Canon compacts dominate the top 3, with the S100 which was only announced yesterday, storming into 3rd place.
It'll be interesting to see how any announcement from Nikon or Canon will impact the sales of compact system cameras, so keep following TechRadar for more details as they emerge.
