Who Is The Number One Digital Camera Maker?
It was only a matter of time, but I for one didn’t realise it has already happened.
Camera phones outsold digital still cameras by almost 4 to 1, reaching just 68 million units globally in 2004. Sales grew 40 percent annually, from 49 million units in 2003.
Om Malik points to Strategy Analytics press release that carries the details.
An interesting statistic, that isn’t available, but should be, is how many camera phones are used as the owners primary camera. I’d say the percentage is very low. It would require camera phones with 3 Megapixels or more for that number to become substantial. I use my Nokia 7610’s camera, with its Megapixel resolution, on the rare occasions when I want to snap a picture but don’t have my Canon S45 handy. I’m also planning an eager purchase of a Canon EOS when funds permit. There is nothing like the ability to adjust depth of-of-field provided by an SLR, but then I enjoy taking high quality photos, and the majority of users just want to capture the moment.
That makes Nokia the number one digital camera maker in the world. It’s 18% market share of the camera phone market, or 46.26 million units, will certainly eclipse the 68 million total digital still cameras sold very shortly. Not only will Kodak, Canon and Fuji “find growth harder to achieve in 2006″, but public change rooms, beaches and college parties will never be the same.