Sony Camera Sales in Early 2025 – Camera Gear and Image Sensors Support Growth Amid Wider Slowdown

Industry News

by Nino LeitnerMay 19^th, 2025

Sony delivered solid sales in early 2025 in its camera and sensor divisions, helping to offset declines in other consumer electronics categories. While overall sales in the ET&S segment fell, demand for high-end cameras and imaging components remained strong, pointing to continued investment in pro-focused gear.

Sony Group Corporation has released its consolidated financial results for the fourth quarter of its fiscal year 2024 (ended March 31, 2025). While the company reported a mixed performance across its business segments, the camera and imaging business held steady. Since it’s our main interest, let’s focus on Sony’s camera and lens-related results, mainly situated within the Entertainment, Technology & Services (ET&S) segment, with additional context from the Imaging & Sensing Solutions (I&SS) division: As you might know, Sony is the largest sensor manufacturer in the world, and supplies its sensors not only to many other camera manufacturers, but also some of the largest smartphone makers in the world. Let’s take a closer look at the Sony camera sales in early 2025.

Sony camera sales remain stable in early 2025

In Q4 FY2024, Sony’s still and video camera category—encompassing Alpha mirrorless cameras, cinema gear, and lenses—generated approximately $837 million in sales. This represents a 4% decline compared to Q4 FY2023 ($873 million). However, this dip comes after a particularly strong Q3 ($1.2 billion), which included holiday season demand. The year-over-year comparison is relatively mild considering the Q4 performance followed a high baseline.

For the full fiscal year, still and video camera sales reached $4.35 billion, up around 3% compared to the previous fiscal year ($4.20 billion). The modest annual growth is significant, especially given an overall increase in global interchangeable-lens camera shipments of roughly 9% during the same period. Sony’s gains were supported by strong uptake of its higher-end cameras and cine lenses, reflecting a market shift toward more professional and enthusiast-grade tools.

Consumer electronics largely decline, but high-end imaging proves resilient

Sony’s consumer electronics division, which includes TVs, audio equipment, cameras, and mobile devices, saw a noticeable drop in revenue in Q4. Total segment sales were approximately $3.07 billion for the quarter, down from $3.47 billion in Q4 FY2023. The segment posted an operating loss of $133 million in the quarter, more than double the loss recorded in the same quarter the year prior.

Within this context, the performance of Sony’s digital imaging business stands out as comparatively resilient. Camera sales fell less than those of other product categories like TVs and audio gear. For the full FY2024, Sony’s consumer electronics division remained profitable, with annual operating income of $1.25 billion, up slightly year-over-year. This was largely driven by strong first-half performance and improved product mix—namely, well-selling premium products like mirrorless cameras and cine lenses.

Sony continues to position its camera and lens business as one of its core profit-generating areas—a group of products expected to deliver stable returns. Meanwhile, the company is moving away from lower-end gear, which is increasingly uncompetitive in today’s smartphone-dominated imaging landscape. According to Sony, improvements in the product mix of its digital cameras are expected to contribute positively to earnings in the coming fiscal year.

Sony’s imaging sensor business continues to grow

Beyond its finished camera products, Sony remains a major supplier of CMOS image sensors to both internal divisions and third-party manufacturers. The Imaging & Sensing Solutions (I&SS) segment reported Q4 sales of approximately $2.68 billion, up 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Operating income remained flat at around $226 million.

For the full fiscal year, the Imaging & Sensing Solutions (I&SS) division recorded $11.80 billion in sales, an increase of 12%, and operating income of $1.79 billion, up 35% year-over-year. Growth was primarily driven by strong demand for image sensors used in smartphones and increasing efficiency in production. The company highlighted ongoing design wins for 2025 smartphone models and a stable rollout of next-generation sensor platforms.

Sony invested approximately $1.48 billion in R&D for its Imaging & Sensing Solutions (I&SS) segment in FY2024—more than any other individual division. This underscores the importance of sensor innovation to Sony’s future. These developments often find their way into Sony’s own cameras, benefiting filmmakers and content creators with improved dynamic range, low-light performance, and autofocus capabilities. While CineD doesn’t comment on rumours, it’s widely known that many other major mirrorless camera manufacturers use Sony CMOS sensors in their cameras.

Interview with the head of Sony’s Cinema Line cameras

While the video below is from IBC 2022, much of it is still relevant – I talked to Sony’s Nobutatsu Takahashi-san, who is responsible for the Sony Cinema line of cameras, and he gave us an overview of Sony’s strategy in the field.

Developments in the U.S. Market and Tariff Policy

Sony’s performance in the United States remains a key driver of its global revenue. In FY2024, the U.S. accounted for approximately $26.9 billion of Sony’s total sales, up from $24.5 billion the previous year. This increase reflects steady demand across segments, including imaging and entertainment technology.

However, Sony also highlighted uncertainty stemming from evolving U.S. tariff policies. The company noted that its FY2025 earnings forecast does not yet incorporate the full impact of reciprocal tariff adjustments announced in early April 2025, nor the partial suspension of China-related tariffs announced on May 12, 2025. These changes could significantly affect operating income if applied broadly to consumer electronics or imaging components.

For filmmakers and creatives relying on Sony gear, such shifts in trade policy may eventually influence pricing or product availability, especially for imported high-end cameras and lenses. Sony has not yet signaled specific changes, but it’s a development worth monitoring.

What’s next for Sony cameras?

Sony’s imaging results for FY2024 also arrive at a time when much of its professional camera lineup appears ripe for renewal. The FX3 and FX6—cornerstones of the Cinema Line for solo creators and small productions—are now several years old. Likewise, the a7S III, a favorite among low-light shooters and hybrid filmmakers, has not seen a successor since its release in 2020. The larger FX9 has already been officially discontinued. While these models remain popular, their aging hardware places Sony at a critical juncture. A refreshed lineup would not only strengthen its competitive position but also help sustain the momentum reflected in this year’s stable sales. The current results suggest that even with these models approaching the end of their product life cycles, demand has held up, indicating strong brand loyalty and expectation for what comes next.

Sony’s consolidated revenue for FY2024 was approximately $85.2 billion, relatively flat year-over-year. However, operating income reached $9.25 billion, marking a 16% increase. This result reflects the company’s ability to offset softness in consumer electronics with strong performances in gaming, music, and image sensors.

Looking ahead, Sony expects the camera division to maintain its profitability through continued focus on high-end products. Filmmakers and professional users should expect more development in Sony’s premium lines, including the Alpha and Cinema Line series. With the Imaging & Sensing Solutions (I&SS) division well-funded and delivering solid returns, future Sony cameras are likely to benefit from the company’s internal sensor development pipeline. I’m personally excited to see what will come from Sony in terms of new cameras this year.

So, despite challenges in other consumer categories, Sony’s camera and sensor businesses are holding firm. For filmmakers, that translates to a continued flow of capable tools and innovations from one of the industry’s key players.

What’s your take on the recent camera sales numbers for Sony in early 2025, and what do you expect them to do next in the camera sector? Let us know in the comments below.