Gitex: Still cameras lose out as demand for camera-equipped smartphones soars

Dubai: With the rise of camera-equipped smartphones, demand for still cameras has dropped. Instead, consumers are heavily buying smart cameras, bridge cameras and DSLRS, according to officials from big players Jumbo Electronics, Jacky’s and Emax during Gitex Shopper 2013. Neelesh Bhatnagar, CEO at Emax told Gulf News that sales for still cameras have dropped more than 50 per cent in the first quarter of this year from 2012. He added that the market share for DSLR cameras is up.

Smartphone cameras have the same basic functions as still cameras: you can zoom, take a picture and do some basic editing. So, for this reason, consumers are gravitating toward some of the non-DSLR digital cameras that have more features, and are bought for a lesser price than DSLR cameras.

Although smart phone cameras are heavily used, still cameras continue to have a market, says Rakesh Khanna, head of Sony at Jumbo Electronics.

“There are things that smart phone cameras cannot do. With still cameras, you can control the ISO, lighting conditions, the lens — smart phone cameras cannot handle these functions,” Khanna said.

Additionally, he says that still cameras are “still there”, but they have ‘evolved’ from their conventional design and specifications. Bridge cameras, which look like DSLR’s, have demonstrated strong growth in the local market, Khanna said. Sony bridge cameras have been growing a 100 per cent over the last year, he added.

Meanwhile, Ashish Panjabi, chief operating officer at Jacky’s said that still cameras in “ the mid-range market are vanishing.” What’s gaining interest from consumers right now are smart cameras, he said. “The local market for smart cameras is growing.” Smart cameras, similar to smartphones, have wifi capabilities which allow you to upload your pictures to your social networking profiles.

Panjabi added that local demand for bridge cameras is growing as well, although these have a smaller market share here than in the US and Japan.

Retailers are showcasing a range of smart cameras and bridge cameras at Shopper. Jumbo is selling the NEX range of bridge cameras from Sony, while Jacky’s selling smart cameras from Fujifilm.

— Sarah Algethami is a trainee at Gulf News.