Other Inks Like This
Grant's RantThe Last Ten Inks
Utata Ink IndexAll Inks : Archives
More Ink (Archives)Search Ink
Got Ink?
The Daily Ink is the voice of Utata. Yes, your voice, our voices ... all the voices. We'd be tickled pink if our members helped us define that voice. And this, Utatans, would be your chance to do that.
Suggest An InkUtata's Fair Use Policy
Utata.org may occasionally excerpt content or use small reproductions of protected images for the purposes of comment, criticism, or education. This use falls under the FAIR USE guidelines in accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107. We evaluate all fair-use situations on a case-by-case basis.
For more information on Fair UseSubscribe To Utata Ink
Flash to Ash
Daily Ink
Stored in: Photography News
Posted On: August 14 2006
By: Bryan Partington
Photo © Janet Leadbeater
Time Europe brings us a terrific article on the current state of the consumer digital camera market, with a somewhat less than rosy outlook for the future.
It's full up with statistics, so you might want to whip out the old slide rule while reading the beast.
With the summer photo-snapping season in full swing, market-research firm IDC is predicting that consumers in Japan and Western Europe will buy fewer digital cameras this year than they did last year (in fact, the numbers already declined in Japan in 2005). Around the world, they'll purchase only 10% more cameras than a year ago — 103.2 million versus 93.8 million. That's nothing, considering that in 2005 sales jumped by 27%, in 2004 by 51% and in 2003 by 73%. "We're reaching a saturation point," says Chris Chute, an analyst with IDC in Framingham, Massachusetts. "Some of the weak vendors below 8% market share will have to reconsider their place.
It is interesting to note how flickr's tremendous growth is very closely correlated to this boom in digital camera sales, it's health tied to to many larger cultural and economic forces.
The question is: if people stop buying, will they stop shooting? Sharing?
I doubt it.
Though i do often wonder if we're in a Golden Age, and what things may come should it lose its luster.
Otherwise, in Photography News:
Utata Ink is a daily publication edited by Bryan Partington (striatic). Photos used on utata.org are stored on flickr.com and obtained via the flickr API unless otherwise noted. To make a contribution to Ink, please visit Ink Me.
