From: "Winsor Crosby" <wincros@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> 'Tis the season. Full page daily ads from Samy's Camera in the Los
> Angeles Times. Even big ones from Ritz. All digital cameras - no
> film.
It's truly amazing. To look at the ads, you'd think that digital is all
that camera makers are selling. I suspect that it has more to do with the
manufacurers and retailers co-oping ad expenditures to create a "hot"
Christmas product and gain some market share. It has always been my
impression that when the industry sells 20+ million single-use cameras and
upwards of another 40-60 million rolls of film a year, it knows it can get
an equal amount of $$ out of the film market the next year. (Oddly enough,
the major film producers keep spending money on IMPROVING film!)
Advertising is all about the next big thing. I seem to recall (perhaps
incorrectly) that the industry will sell 2-3 million digital cams this year.
One difference in the marketing picture is that electronics companies
(c*sio, p*nasonic, h-p, s*ny, sh*rp: long addicted to slash-'n-burn
marketing) are now making and attempting to sell digital cameras.
Photgraphy stuff has come out of the photo shops and discount stores and is
being sold in electronics and office supply stores - different marketing.
More traditional photo manufacturers (Nikon and Oly) have no choice, it
seems.
> Lots of 4 megapixel cameras in
> the $500-700 range. 5 or 6 megapixels for about $2000-4000. Does
> anyone doubt that a 7 or 8 megapixel camera will be available in the
> lower price range next year?
It still amazes me though, the absolute "disposable" nature of even "pro"
gear. Has anyone looked at the prices of a 2-year old D-1 lately? On
eBoy, the bids are hovering around 1200-1400. Minimum bids of 1500 are
going unmet and BINs at $1995 seem way out of the market, especially as
people try to unload new $1500 D100s.
Makes me want to rush right out ... and sit on my hands (with an OM in each
one, thank yew.)
Jamie
Fort Myers, FL
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