Digital SLR shipments rose 51.3% during the first nine months of this year compared with the year before, according to the latest industry figures from Japan.

Manufacturers? revenues from DSLRs shot up by 30.2% from January-September, according to statistics released by Japan?s Camera and Imaging Products Association (CIPA).

Shipment of all types of digital still cameras, including compacts, increased by 27.6% over the same period, while revenue rose 17.1%.

Exports of DSLRs to Europe rose by 54.2%; to North America by 34.8% and to Asia by 95.3%.

However, production of cameras with less than 6-million-pixels fell to just 26.6% of their 2006 level.

Model pictured is for illustration purposes only