Emerging markets enjoy digital camera boom

Eastern Europe is up 19%, MEA rose 20% and Asia-Pacific also enjoyed an increase of 20%, with growth driven principally from China and India. Expectations for the end of year results were high and could see this growth rate rise further still. In contrast, total digital camera sales were sluggish in the United States, down -2% over 2009 according to The NPD Group's US Retail Tracking Service, possibly still feeling the after-effects of the financial crisis.

Elsewhere in the imaging markets, multi-media cameras (MMCs) which are often used to share in online communities (such as YouTube, Facebook etc.) are demonstrating exceptionally high volume growth, driven by Western Europe in particular, where they account for more than 70% of camcorders with a changeable card incorporated.

Video demand rises

There is increasing overall demand for picture capturing devices including video capabilities. Nearly every newly sold compact camera has video incorporated and around half of changeable lens cameras sold have video options with a strong tendency toward HD functionalities. In the changeable lens market, the full HD share is more than one third and in Asia this is in excess of 40%, more than double over a year.

The latest innovations in the digital market are driving the consumer to replace and renew their products. Specific connectivities and GPS-functionalities are some of the more interesting topics and picture manipulation as an add-on now available to use. 3D is also a key focus of the imaging market, but this will need some time to mature into mass volume. Fortunately these feature enhancements translate to higher average prices, with the consumer currently willing to pay for additional benefits from their imaging products.