Industry Overview
The camera industry is one of the few industries that have a low concentration (meaning not a great deal of manufacturers) and a highly forceful competition.
It is also an industry that has adapted well to new technology, blending SLR and digital technology for some of the greatest photography ever created.
Industry Trends
The digital age has blossomed over the course of the past two decades. Almost everything is digitized. Single Lens Reflex cameras were always the tool of professional photographers, but as digital cameras became more sophisticated, with the lenses and capabilities of a SLR but with the technological advances of digital photo taking, more pros began utilizing the Digital SLR camera.
There are now point-and-shoot, point-and-shoot SLR, High Def, and other technically advanced cameras on the market. The ease of use for the average picture taker that allows him/her to take professional looking photos of family, friends, new babies and scenery, quickly makes the digital camera a ‘must have.’ Camera stores from New Orleans to San Antonio found the demand growing faster than they could keep the cameras and accessories in stock. Users of digital cameras today are equally split between men and women but the trend is growing for more women using the digital camera.
Brand Most Desired
Consumers today understand the digital camera and all the accessories that they can buy to help them become semi-professional picture takers. Most companies that build hi-tech equipment have gone into the camera business, like HP and Casio. Still, the most desired digital SLR cameras are those by the companies who know cameras best: Nikon, Sony, Canon, Kodak, Olympus. The pros still gravitate to Nikon while Sony and Kodak offer a wide range of add-ons besides the lenses.