GeneralSlick smartphone snappers affecting sales of cameras: NPD survey

Slick smartphone snappers affecting sales of cameras: NPD survey

NPD Survey

With the advent of smartphones, the camera market seems to be taking a backseat, if the results of the latest NPD Group survey are anything to go by. As per the statistics revealed by the recently conducted study, smartphone users are increasingly employing the embedded cameras for capturing videos and snapping photos and abandoning real cameras in the process.

The NPD Group conducted the Imaging Confluence Study from November 11 to November 21 this year, wherein people above the age of 13 and belonging to the company’s Proprietary Online Registered Panel were questioned. This research discovered that the percentage of pictures taken with a smartphone went up from 17 percent in 2010 to 27 percent in 2011. On the other hand, the percentage of photos snapped by cameras dropped from 52 percent to 44 percent.

“There is no doubt that the smartphone is becoming ‘good enough’ much of the time; but thanks to mobile phones, more pictures are being taken than ever before. Consumers who use their mobile phones to take pictures and video were more likely to do so instead of their camera when capturing spontaneous moments, but for important events, single purpose cameras or camcorders are still largely the device of choice,” commented Liz Cutting, executive director and senior imaging analyst at NPD.

The company’s Retail Tracking Service noted that the point-and-shoot camera market experienced a decline this year as it went down to 17 percent in units and 18 percent in dollars for the first eleven months of this year. While flash camcorders were down 8 percent in units and 10 percent in dollars, pocket camcorders declined 13 percent in units and 27 percent in dollars.

Other findings of the NPD survey were that the sales of detachable lens cameras increased by 12 percent in units and 11 percent in dollars this year, with an average price of around $863. The decline in camera usage could be attributed to the advancement in image technology of smartphone snappers which produce pictures with competent clarity and detail.

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