Kodak Digital Camera Printer Article

So much more than a flash in the pan, interest developing in digital cameras, as more and more mankind decide to give it a missile.

Consequently, the aperture of opportunity for retailers is widening. It may outwit taken a few years to get to its feet, but digital imaging has eventually taken off in a big way. According to some manufacturers, the market is now free of obstacles and ploughing its way towards being a roaring success.

It's a testament to what the industry can achieve with the conscientious combination of exciting products, and a commendation to the abilities of the UK trade when it comes to explaining and selling those products. Why else would the uptake of digital cameras in the UK be so far in excess of the rest of Europe?

The market is picking up speed, too, as an increasing number of multitude look to buy into digital imaging, while those who embrace previously thrown in with digital photography go for their second purchase.

So, with massive customer acceptance on its side, and a raft of sell-up accessories handy, what does the market that has everything, do next?

Jenny Hodge, communications officer at FujiFilm offers her thoughts. "We will see united attempts to derive digital photographs as instinctive as film images, and as your eye saw them when you took the picture. Fujifilm is focusing its energies on this ambition with its sincere Photo Technology, which gives singular great feeling--for taking photos in low dainty situations--thanks to the most advanced image processor ever seen in a digital camera."

Manufacturers such as FujiFilm are also addressing the issue of battery life, with, its new FinePix F10 fly claiming a 500-shot vitality in one charge.

moreover speculating on the future of digital cameras is Hiro Motoki, product manager for cameras and camcorders at Panasonic, who comments: "Panasonic believes that it will renew to see more value-added features entering the market. slot markets, such as cogent state, will moreover grow, primarily with the growing fame of Panasonic's Pro High Speed Series 1 GB and 512MB SD recognition cards, which proffer the customer high-speed testimony transfer--perfect for large files such as effigy testimony. Panasonic believes that digital photography will linger to grow in its popularity.

"An additional factor in the success within the market has been the rise in the ownership of home PCs, which has allowed consumers to come more aware of the capabilities of digital cameras. The PC provides a means to edit, transfer and store images with ease of use and a drove of options. too, the Internet serves as a sensible channel for transferring digital images, providing consumers with the ability to share them with family and friends on e-mail."

Home printing is starting to take off in a big way, according to a spokesman for Kodak digital imaging.

"Consumers very much still fathom the convenience and flexibility that home printing offers. While retail printing systems let become much more widely available, home printing still accounts for around 50 per cent of all digital prints made by consumers. One of the key benefits of home printing is that consumers can print their images as and when they choose, and with Kodak Easyshare Printer Docks they can get the speed, quality and ease of use that retail printing offers, in their own home."

Meanwhile, value Robinson, marketing foreman for digital imaging at statute, takes a moment to praise the enterprise for turning digital cameras into the triumph they have come.

"We've just been doing some research, and in the UK we have the highest level of awareness of digital cameras, as of all the major markets in Europe, so it's very much a success story. The interchangeable is likewise true for home printing, and while there's still a major deal of potential there, it's very much a strong market for the UK."

Mr Robinson goes on to consider what it is that has prompted this in the UK.

"It's got something to do with the customer and the acceptance of the technology and with the amount of undertaking and effort that's defunct into promoting the technologies from the assembly. A lot of campaigning and time and achievement has finished in. Similarly, the retailers and the dealers themselves encompass had a very bold part to play in terms of making sure there's a lot of interest and a lot of promotions. That coalition has absolutely been the key as to why it's a great success."

As to what features family are looking for in their cameras, FujiFilm's Ms Hodge offers her ideas.

"It is difficult to generalise about ordinary features because there are so many different consumer requirements, from consumers to enthusiasts and professional photographers. However, convenience and ease of use hang a key issue for all consumers. This includes features such as large LCD screens to capture and review images, improved battery life, one-step access to key menu options, and easy, uncluttered and uncomplicated menus."

While digital cameras are set for a marvelous summer, other sectors of the imaging market have been less fortunate in what they've achieved. While some products--such as JVC's mini hard drive Everio--have provided innovation in the sector, camcorders are still having a hard time decision an audition.

Carolyn Duffy, product manager for camcorders at Sony, ponders the lack of movement in the persuasive pictures market.

"It's not that lusty, to be ethical. Looking at the caliber of the market, it's decreasing, principally in the MiniDV sector. In volume, it's increasing slightly, but not at a rate to protect the value very high."

A couple of years back, Sony released their range of DVD cameras, with the assemblage announcing that it felt this format would drive more society into the camcorder market. Further down the furrow, Ms Duffy comments on how this more familiar format has changed things.

"It has had an effect. Certainly for us it is keeping some caliber in the market, openly as a point of diversity and because it is easy to use. It is approaching about 13 per cent format share. What it's not done is convey new community into the market. We're decision that it's just people swapping from tape to DVD.

"What we port't finished so far is a big mass market campaign, so we're no too unquestionable of how aware community are of how easy it is to use. mankind still think filming is confusing and difficult and they shy away from it. So we are going to be doing a more mass market campaign to invite family to the format and into camcorders. That starts in May."

For a while now, the camcorder and digital camera markets have been circling each fresh warily, as the products begin to take on each other's functions. Digital cameras can perform motion capture; camcorders can take still pictures.

Gavin Lumsdon, Sharp UK Vision product marketing manager, speculates as to the effect such products are going to enjoy on the market. "I think we may see some increase in the penetration level of the camcorder division as mongrel digital camera and camcorder all-in-one units undertake to prepare the features and specifications for the greatness market. value, might and affordable prices will gather the units much more accessible and possible for the mass customer.

"Once the camcorder has integrated successfully into the still picture market, penetration levels will increase further. What we are seeing at the weight is that the customer is playful carrying just a digital still camera in their pocket that will dart motion Jpeg or Mpeg4 short movies rather than a large camcorder."

As it stands, photography in the 21st century belongs to the digital camera. Versatile, dressy and increasingly well-known, digital cameras look set to continue their success for a good while. What's more, if home printing continues to wax at its current breathtaking rate, it'll mean that digital cameras have brought with them a whole new ripening product sector for you to get your teeth into. The market's surging forward, and as such it's certainly dignity focusing on.

what the buyers say

Two thousand and four was another good year for digital cameras with tribe both upgrading and buying for the first time. The most rife brands for us are Sony, Canon and Olympus, but we moreover do well with Casio and Pentax. The most noted cameras were compact, 4 megapixel models that retailed for about 249 [pounds sterling] (we saw price deflation of around 20 per cent). This inclination will sustain into this year with 5 megapixel, large 2in screens becoming key. As digital SLR prices come down however, they too will be very well-known this year.

"With regard to home printing, the end of last year and so far this year has been very strong, in particular off the back of the Epson PictureMate publicity, We do very well with HP models (ranging in price from 99 [pounds sterling] to 179 [pounds sterling]). There undo been some very good 'when bought with deals' from Sony, HP and Nikon, which have also driven sales in this territory. We are seeing evolution of around 200 per cent on photo printers as they are very easy to use and, most importantly they give the consumer instant results without the need to power up a PC. All digital cameras are now Pictbridge too, which means that consumers do not sustain to worry about compatibility.

"customarily, as with all consumer electronics, prices of digital cameras are coming down and manufacturers are fighting a 'price for pixel war'. I understand that the average price for us this year will drop again to 199 [pounds sterling] later in the year, but for that, you will get a 5 megapixel model. exorbitant-street prices are forced down because certain retailers will try to emulate with web sites. Our 'Never Knowingly Undersold' procedure ensures that we are in turn as dog-eat-dog."

what's new

Panasonic's 2005 range of digital still cameras feature Panasonic's Mega Optical likeness Stabliser (OIS)--a key feature assuring stability of the magnified impression and resolving the enigma of blurring when the zoomed in without the cooperation of a tripod. The Mega OIS moreover helps eradicate the effect of relief-shake on an otherwise perfect take, and eliminates the blurring caused by unintentional movement at the time of capture. Further features, such as the 14 megabytes of built-in-memoir featured in Panasonic's DMC-LS1 add to the appeal of these models. The built-in-memory enables users to take pictures even when there is no SD card--so every bit is captured.

FujiFilm has recently announced several new cameras for 2005. It is introducing two brand new models that will appeal to the style-premeditated--the FinePix F10 Zoom and the FinePix Z1 hum. The FinePix F10 Zoom features Fujifilm's new Real Photo Technology. It boasts incredibly expensive feeling, which machinery you can produce more congenital-looking images pictures in low downy conditions, without the need to use a flash.

The FinePix Z1 Zoom is a super-slim compact digital camera with seamless casing barely bigger than a credit card. It has megapixels and a 3x optical zoom that has a different refractive, non-extending design. likewise new are two complaisant-to-use, entrant-level models, the FinePix A345 (pictured above) and A350 Zoom. They offer and megapixel conclusion are aimed at the first-time or avenue-level client.

Following the success of its first foray into digital video imaging with the Xacti C1, Sanyo is introducing the Xacti C4--providing steady, alpine decision digital still and video imaging.

The Xacti C4 digital movie camera takes megapixel still images with a optical zoom lens. Combined with the 10x digital zoom, shooting range is enhanced by up to 60x fly. An interpolation sift allows the user to convert the CCD's effective megapixels to the recorded equivalent of megapixels and this filter ensures clear printouts--even of accurate images.

The C4 also incorporates a digital idol stabiliser, which improves the accuracy of recorded images.

market analysis

Analysing the potential of the digital camera market, declaration marketing officer Mark Robinson comments: "For the forseeable future, we've got good robust evolution--at minimal 20 per cent for the next year and that's just digital cameras. The growth figures for home printing are even more impressive. limited format home printers for 2004 grew by practically 500 per cent. It was a dominant increase and this year we see it more than doubling."

The value of this market is currently 827 million [pounds sterling], but growth in this weight is a great deal lower than mass blessing to the extreme price erosion that is occurring within the area. Over the past year the average price of a digital camera has fallen 18 per cent to 178 [pounds sterling]. This fall is even sharper when you consider that, over the same space, we have seen the introduction of higher resolution cameras with enhanced technical specifications. The price of a three to four megapixel camera has actually declined over 40 per cent for the consistent duration.