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Digital Camera Rocket in Canada
Based on data released by the Canadian Imaging Trade Association (CITA), Canada’s switchover from filmbased picture-taking to digital picture-taking is close to being complete.
What we have seen is digital camera prices declining while their capabilities and performance have increased, delivering picture quality that is all but indistinguishable from a photographic print.
What was slow to launch but now picking up speed is having prints made from these digital pictures, not just storing them on a computer.
Increasingly, digital camera users are returning to stores to have photo-quality prints made from their electronic images, or are using retailers’ do-it-yourself kiosks or online print-making services. Regardless of the method used, the results are the same: the number of prints made at retail from electronic images is increasing.
Cameras
CITA is forecasting a slight growth in digital camera sales in 2006, but an overall unit sales decline for all cameras of 2 percent, simply because of the further erosion in film camera demand.
Consumer Film
Because of improvements in film design, films with higher speeds – ISO 400 and 800 – continue to be the films of choice for consumers. They deliver greater versatility, being able to shoot under a variety of conditions while delivering excellent quality results. As predicted, ISO 400- and 800-speed films accounted for approximately 64 percent of sales in 2005 compared to 63 percent in 2004 and 58 percent in 2003. The expectation is that this growth will level out and hold at 2005 levels.
Single-Use Cameras
Single-use cameras are inexpensive, available everywhere, take good quality pictures, and are a handy substitute when you have forgotten or don’t want to risk your main camera. They take good quality pictures, remarkable for a product that is completely recyclable when the entire camera is returned for photofinishing.
A continued decline is projected in 2006 with total single-use camera sales expected to be 5.2 million units, down slightly less than 11 percent.
Professional Film
The rate of decline is expected to begin to level out in 2006 with professional colour reversal film unit sales forecast to decline 40 percent and professional colour negative film unit sales forecast to decline 43 percent.
Colour Roll Paper
In 2006 the rate of decline is expected to moderate as consumers print more digitally-captured images. Colour paper is therefore forecast to decline about 17 percent overall to 30,000,000 square meters – 6 inch or narrower will decline 17 percent and 8 inch or larger will decline less than 20 percent.
Binoculars and Spotting Scopes
For the third year in a row, full size binoculars – 10X and higher – enjoyed double digit growth. In 2005, unit sales of this category increased by 64 percent compared to 2004, continuing the consumer trend towards full size binoculars with more powerful magnification.
Spotting scope sales in 2005 were again relatively stable at approximately 11,500 units, representing a slight decrease of 2 percent compared to the previous year.
What we have seen is digital camera prices declining while their capabilities and performance have increased, delivering picture quality that is all but indistinguishable from a photographic print.
What was slow to launch but now picking up speed is having prints made from these digital pictures, not just storing them on a computer.
Increasingly, digital camera users are returning to stores to have photo-quality prints made from their electronic images, or are using retailers’ do-it-yourself kiosks or online print-making services. Regardless of the method used, the results are the same: the number of prints made at retail from electronic images is increasing.
Cameras
CITA is forecasting a slight growth in digital camera sales in 2006, but an overall unit sales decline for all cameras of 2 percent, simply because of the further erosion in film camera demand.
Consumer Film
Because of improvements in film design, films with higher speeds – ISO 400 and 800 – continue to be the films of choice for consumers. They deliver greater versatility, being able to shoot under a variety of conditions while delivering excellent quality results. As predicted, ISO 400- and 800-speed films accounted for approximately 64 percent of sales in 2005 compared to 63 percent in 2004 and 58 percent in 2003. The expectation is that this growth will level out and hold at 2005 levels.
Single-Use Cameras
Single-use cameras are inexpensive, available everywhere, take good quality pictures, and are a handy substitute when you have forgotten or don’t want to risk your main camera. They take good quality pictures, remarkable for a product that is completely recyclable when the entire camera is returned for photofinishing.
A continued decline is projected in 2006 with total single-use camera sales expected to be 5.2 million units, down slightly less than 11 percent.
Professional Film
The rate of decline is expected to begin to level out in 2006 with professional colour reversal film unit sales forecast to decline 40 percent and professional colour negative film unit sales forecast to decline 43 percent.
Colour Roll Paper
In 2006 the rate of decline is expected to moderate as consumers print more digitally-captured images. Colour paper is therefore forecast to decline about 17 percent overall to 30,000,000 square meters – 6 inch or narrower will decline 17 percent and 8 inch or larger will decline less than 20 percent.
Binoculars and Spotting Scopes
For the third year in a row, full size binoculars – 10X and higher – enjoyed double digit growth. In 2005, unit sales of this category increased by 64 percent compared to 2004, continuing the consumer trend towards full size binoculars with more powerful magnification.
Spotting scope sales in 2005 were again relatively stable at approximately 11,500 units, representing a slight decrease of 2 percent compared to the previous year.
