Another salient essay from Thom Hogan about the non-growth of the mirrorless market when looked at from outside the market for interchangeable lens cameras.

“Back when I started this site three years ago, I thought that mirrorless would grow faster than it has. In one way it has: there are more products and more players stuffed into the mirrorless market then I thought it could support, even with strong growth. But right now the growth isn’t really there. Mirrorless makers that are growing are stealing share from someone else. ”

Thom is more of a level-headed gear guy than I am. I'm the guy looking for soul and a long-lasting reason to invest in a single mount. So far, I see none. Even Fujifilm's X mount, as sexy as it may appear on the outside, doesn't harbour the soul of an analogue camera. So far, it is just a pretty face.

Not that either soul (or face) is necessary for success. But the missing pieces that brought Japanese cameras into dominance in the 20th century: price/performance, reliability, and mass market dominance, aren't there on the mirrorless side. Those pieces are being picked up by the smartphone market.

Which begs the question: for whom is the current mirrorless camera designed?

Source: The Economics Problem