Dempa Shinbun, a Japanese newspaper that covers Japanese industry, has reported Canon's digital camera forecasts and production numbers several times during the past year. The numbers are interesting, and tie into my 2004 predictions. For the overall digital camera market (DSLR and compact digital), Canon predicts:
| Year | Worldwide Unit Sales | Percent Increase | North American Units | European Units |
| 2001 | 14m | -- | -- | -- |
| 2002 | 28m | 100% | 8.22m | 6.85m |
| 2003 | 41m | 46% | 12m | 14m |
| 2004 | 50m | 22% | -- | -- |
The new 2004 predictions are up about 10% from earlier reports, but still, note that slowdown in market growth. Getting market share is going to be more difficult. As for Canon's sales, look at these numbers:
| Year | Overall Unit Sales | Percent Growth |
| 2000 | 1m | -- |
| 2001 | 2.4m | 140% |
| 2002 | 4.5m | 88% |
| 2003 | 8.5m | 89% |
| 2004 | 12.5m | 47% |
So when I say in my predictions that gaining market share is becoming more difficult, I mean it. Canon's unit growth is growing faster than the market, so it is gaining share. Nikon's growth appears to be outpacing market growth, too, though not as fast as Canon's. And both companies have significant back order issues.