Connectivity and ‘Smart’ – Most Interesting Camera Features

Just because the camera phone – you know those handy cameras on feature phones and smartphones – has become the everyday camera for many people doesn’t mean it’s all doom and gloom for traditional cameras. In the most recent InfoTrends Digital Camera End User study we found that digital cameras are still being used to take more photos on average than a camera phone and used more often for special occasion photos. The survey also asked a “blue sky” question about interest levels in some current and possible digital camera offerings. Read more »

The 4K Wave Rolls into the NAB Trade Show

NAB takes over the Las Vegas Convention Center

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) trade show has been running for over 85 years and this year it was estimated that over 92,000 media and entertainment professionals from over 150 countries filled the halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) from April 8 to 11.  

At this year’s International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January, Ultra HD (4K) displays were the talk of the show. If 4K displays are to succeed, they will need 4K content and that is where the NAB trade show comes in.

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Jessops Back from the Dead

Earlier this year, I wrote a blog about Jessops entering administration and the impact this would have on the U.K. digital camera market. Three days after I wrote that blog, Jessops did close its doors and 1,300 staff lost their jobs.

Since then Peter Jones, one of the dragons on BBC’s Dragons’ Den program, has emerged as a buyer of the business. Mr. Jones has invested £4mln in Jessops and will by the end of this month have reopened 30 of the 187 stores that were closed in January, re-employing many former Jessops staff in the process. Mr. Jones becomes the Chairman and Chief Executive and has vowed to be closely involved with the business as it is turned around, setting a target of £80 million in sales and 15% share of the U.K. DSLR market in their first year of business. Read more »

Canon EOS SL1 camera bolsters the argument of a converging DILC market

The new Canon EOS SL1 camera is a welcome addition to the DSLR market. Its small size and light weight help it to stand apart from other DSLRs in the market and put it in a very competitive position again compact interchangeable lens cameras (CILCs).

Touted as the world’s smallest and lightest DSLR that uses an APS-C size sensor, the EOS SL1 hits back at the argument that DSLRs are too big, bulky, and heavy. Now, photographers who want a lighter, smaller camera body that is compatible with Canon’s full line of existing EF lenses have a clear choice. (While the Canon EOS M compact interchangeable lens camera is smaller and lighter, it requires a lens adapter in order to use the EF lenses.)

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The Nikon DSLR Conundrum

Besides conducting research on the photography market for our clients, many of the analysts in the InfoTrends’ Consumer & Professional Imaging group are serious hobbyists and even semi-professional photographers outside of work. In my spare time, I do a lot of writing and photography for a few different car magazines; with most of my photography work a mix of still and action shots, including coverage of motorsport events.

For the last seven years, I’ve been shooting with a Nikon D200 and have wanted to upgrade for the last two years. The D200 has been a workhorse and is still a reliable camera, but is starting to show its age. The command dial has become increasingly difficult to turn over the last year; the rubber front grip piece has been glued back to the body twice in the last year, and the clips that hold batteries in place in the optional battery grip are both broken off (though they work when the door is closed). The D200’s 10.2MP resolution is still adequate for the magazines I shoot for and even some ad work, but there have been occasions in the last year where I’ve lost work because the resolution wasn’t sufficient for larger format applications.

So it’s time to demote the D200 to backup camera, but deciding what [Nikon] model to upgrade to has been a bit of a conundrum. What I really want is a professional-level DX-format camera with an all-metal body, higher resolution (somewhere between 18-24MP), and a faster continuous shooting speed. A replacement for the aging D300s would be perfect, but Nikon’s recent focus on the higher end of the market has revolved around full-frame FX-format cameras and not DX.  That leaves me with a choice between the D800 and the D600, as the D4 and D3x are well out of my price range.

Nikon D800

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Jessops Administration – A Sign of Tough Times in U.K. Retail

Yesterday, Jessops and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) announced that Jessops is entering administration (equivalent to Chapter 7 Bankruptcy in the U.S.). Jessops has been an integral part of the U.K. camera market since it was founded by Frank Jessop in 1935. In the early 2000s Jessops went on the acquisition trail and bought up many of the U.K.’s independent camera shops. This led Jessops to become the largest chain of camera specialty retailers with more than 200 stores across the country. In 2002, ABN AMRO acquired the company and 2 years later Jessops went public on the London Stock Exchange.  In 2007, just ahead of the Global Financial Crisis, Jessops faced financial trouble and entered into a period of restructuring and negotiations with its creditors. In 2009, Jessops Plc was liquidated and Jessops Ltd was created. Read more »

All I want for Christmas….

Although there are some BIG ticket items on people’s wish lists this holiday season, the Wii U, X box 360, tablets, and flat screen TVs. One of the most popular gifts on consumer’s wish list as well as items purchased for others is a digital camera.

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Photo Plus 2012 – The “Go To” Event for the East Coast

The annual PDN PhotoPlus Conference & Expo (PPE) was held October 24-27, 2012 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City. Since, several of the leading companies in the photo industry have U.S. headquarters in the New York metropolitan area, the PhotoPlus Expo is a great “home show” for many industry insiders. PPE draws a healthy contingent from the surrounding metropolitan region and has become a “go to” event. The show drew nearly 24,000 attendees and 250+ exhibitors filled the exhibit hall floor.

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144 Digital Cameras and Counting

As part of the InfoTrends’ Digital Photography Trends service, we keep a close eye on new camera introductions. 2012 has already seen a good number of new cameras, 144 to be exact, and the year is only three-quarters through. Before the bustle of Q4/holiday announcements come out, we thought it would be a good time to give a little review of what is happening in the market so far.

Q1-Q3 Highlights

• CILCs (compact interchangeable lens cameras) – All major camera manufacturers (Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax & Olympus) have introduced new compact interchangeable lens cameras (CILCs).
• Smart cameras – Nikon and Samsung introduced “smart cameras” – Nikon with their Coolpix S800c and Samsung with the Galaxy cameras, both running the Android operating system coupled with built-in Wi-Fi. This marks the first real effort to create and deliver cameras that act like our smartphones. Will these be the “must have” cameras? Nikon and Samsung sure hope so.
• Larger image sensors – One way that digital camera manufacturers are  differentiating themselves from their smartphone competition is with larger image sensors. Sony, Canon and Fujifilm have all introduced compact cameras with larger image sensors. SLRs are also getting image sensor improvements, with both Canon and Nikon introducing new models featuring a larger, full-size image sensor at price points that are well under those of previous full-frame SLR’s. These camera vendors are hoping that these new and improved sensors will resonate with consumers, and they should be a popular choice for enthusiast photographers that want higher resolution and better low-light capability at a lower price. If these types of cameras sell well, it won’t be long until other vendors introduce similar cameras to compete.

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Photokina Ups and Downs

Photokina 2012 closed its doors on Sunday 23 September. According to Photokina, around 185,000 visitors attended the show this year; an increase of about 2% on the visitors’ number of 2010. This demonstrates that the digital imaging industry continues to pull in the crowds. However, it is a slowdown in number of visitors compared to 2010 when there was a 7% increase over the 2008 show. Photokina follows hot on the heels of IFA, a consumer electronics and home appliances trade show in Berlin, and it is possible that some visitors chose to attend just one of these two shows. Read more »