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Digital SLRs and the High-end Camera Market
The camera business is booming. The high end in particular is growing rapidly, as digital SLRs have come down from thousands to hundreds of dollars, and nearly doubled in unit sales.
But as image capture comes to camera-phones other devices - what will remain the defining characteristics of a standalone camera?
If a phone captures adequate pictures - when would anyone carry around a larger single-function camera? What would motivate a consumer to buy one?
The standalone camera must evolve if it is to survive as a product category. A camera that one purchases will have to offer better image quality than a camera-phone can provide - and more than just higher resolution and a longer telephoto. The capabilities that today drive consumers to purchase higher-priced cameras will, in the near future, be the features that all standard standalone cameras must provide in order to have an appeal that is distinct from camera-phones.
To determine just what these desire capabilities are, Future Image examined the digital SLR and the higher-end enthusiast camera market.
The capabilities that today drive consumers to purchase higher-priced cameras will, in the near future, be the features that all standard standalone cameras must provide in order to have an appeal that is distinct from camera-phones. To determine just what these desire capabilities are, Future Image examined the digital SLR and the higher-end enthusiast camera market.
We surveyed users to see what technologies, usages, and preferences will shape the mass market cameras to come - to predict what features now on the high end will come down to the mainstream.
We discuss in detail every aspect of the SLR and enthusiast camera business with executives at the top digital camera companies. We present their views in our "roundtable" format to compare and contrast their answers.
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