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Multifunctional photo-centric devices represent the highest growth area in the US photo printer market, according to a study released this week by InfoTrends, a marketing research firm located in Weymouth, Mass.

For the vast majority of consumers, the study said, multifunctional printers represent an attractive value and that value is fueling the devices' popularity.

"Most consumers like to have a copier or scanner at home," the report observed, "and the fact that an MFP can perform these functions and produce great photo prints when needed ensures the device will be around for a long time."

The study also noted, "Replacement buyers will continue to fuel growth in this area, as even those that currently own single-function printers will likely opt for MFPs when the time comes to purchase a new device."

Entry-level digital single-lens reflex cameras will become fancy point-and-shoot snappers with interchangeable lenses in 2008, according to a report released this week by a market research company.

The report from InfoTrends, of Weymouth, Mass., noted that while DSLRs are feature packed, camera makers are striving to incorporate the simplicity of compact cameras into their models. "The DSLRs of tomorrow are expected to more closely mimic some of the functionality of point-and-shoot cameras," said the report titled North American Consumer Digital Camera Forecast: 2008-2013.

As more DSLRs incorporate "live view"--the ability to shoot pictures directly from the camera's LCD--point-and-pop staples such as red-eye removal and face detection will make their way into the products, the InfoTrends researchers predicted. "This may also be the year that video capture becomes possible in cameras with interchangeable lenses," they added.

"These features appeal to new DSLR segments like parents with young children and consumers who enjoy taking quality photographs but aren't particularly interested in the technology," the report said. "In essence, entry-level DSLRs will become fancy point-and-shoot cameras with interchangeable lenses during 2008."

According to InfoTrends, DSLR cameras are the brightest spot in the digital camera market. In 2007, it observed, the DSLR market grew by 40% compared to 24% for the point-and-shoot market.

"Consumers who are upgrading to DSLRs are no longer just hobbyists, but also include families with young children who are looking for cameras with no shutter lag," contends Mette Eriksen, director of InfoTrends' digital photography trends service. "2008 and 2009 will be critical years for the players in the DSLR market who are looking to hook the first-time DSLR buyers to their system of lenses."

Bricks and mortar camera stores saw their online sales climb 4% in 2007 compared to the previous year, according to Kristy Clairmont, a marketing research analyst with PMA, formerly the Photo Marketing Association. A reported 19% of digital cameras purchased from camera stores were bought through the camera stores' Web sites in 2007, compared to 15% in 2006, Clairmont wrote today at PMA Newsline International, the news site for the association, which is based in Jackson, Mich. Other online camera sellers experienced more modest year-over-year sales increases, according to PMA. Online camera sales for discount and warehouse club Web sites advanced from 6.1% to 7.2%, and electronics and video store Web shops watched sales rise from 10.1% to 10.4%.

Amateur Photographer reported today that a high-ranking Samsung exec told one of its writers that the company is "actively pursuing development of a full-frame CMOS sensor intended for use in a professional camera." According to AP technical writer Barney Britton, "photographers can look forward to a professional full-frame DSLR with a Pentax lens mount at some point in the future" from Samsung. When the magazine tried to get further confirmation of the development from company brass, they demurred on further comment. Pentax and Samsung have worked closely on digital SLRs in the past and the South Korean company's latest DSLR, the 14.6 megapixel GX-20 (photo above) released in January, is closely modeled on the Pentax K20, according to one commentator. The GX-20 has an APC-sized sensor.

Although 70 percent of Canadians take photos with digital cameras, most still are sticking with prints to preserve their most precious memories. That's the findings of a survey released today by Epson Canada. That shouldn't be surprising given the sponsor of the research, but the data is nevertheless intriguing. According to the survey of more than 1000 respondents 18 years old or older conducted last month, 53 percent said they share their photos through traditional photo albums, 37 percent with picture frames and 30 percent continue to use good old-fashioned shoe boxes. Only 14 percent of the imageclickers told surveyors they don't make prints of their photos.

“The printed photo continues to be the preferred choice of Canadians who wish to store their photographic accounts of significant events and activities in their lives--and refer to them from time-to-time,” Epson Canada Marketing Manager Tamara Walsh observed in a statement. “For the same reason that most Canadians continue to read published books. The power of the printed word and the power of the photographic image continue to resonate with us because they bring a level of enjoyment not experienced with other media."

Just how precious are photos to Canadians? Fifty-eight percent of the respondents said that during a fire, they would retrieve their family photo album over a personal computer, expensive jewelery, designer clothing or sports equipment.

©2008 by John P. Mello Jr.

Market pundit Ross Rubin, of the NPD Group, made some interesting observations today in an opinion piece over at the ABC News Web site. While digital camera sales growth during the holiday season was lower than the previous year, he notes, digital picture frames were flying off retailers' shelves. Nevertheless, the typically astute Rubin had a word of caution for frame makers.

"According to NPD's Weekly Tracking Service, digital picture frame sales increased nearly five times this past holiday season over the 2006 holiday season," he writes. "The products have been popular items in department stores as well as home specialty stores such as Bed, Bath and Beyond and Linens N Things, where they appear in the photo frame section."

"But," he adds, "the jury is still out on whether consumers will use them for displaying a permanent photo collection the way picture frames have been used historically."

Professional photographers are discovering the Web. What took them so long?

A study released last week by InfoTrends, of Weymouth, Mass., revealed that there is increased interest by professional photographers in the Web as a vehicle for growing their businesses. E-commerce among professional photographers was in its infancy during 2007, maintained the digital imaging and document solutions market analysis firm, but apparently protogs will be making up for lost time for the rest of the decade and beyond. Its report--which focused on four major protog segments: portraits, weddings, event/sports, and schools--predicted that professional photography jobs flowing through the Web will be growing at a compound annual growth rate of nearly 25 percent through 2012.

“Online photo services in particular have the ability to remove many marketing, workflow, and print production burdens, enabling photographers to focus their efforts on taking photos,” Mette Eriksen, a director at InfoTrends, said in a statement. “In addition, the development of sophisticated software and more intuitive user interfaces could help drive consumers’ interest in working with photographers to edit images and create lasting mementos and keepsakes beyond prints.”

The clock began ticking today for photographers who salivate over technological elan. Amazon Prime has announced it's taking pre-orders for Sigma Corporation's 14-megapixel super compact digital camera based on Foveon X3 technology. While some of the unit's features are less than impressive--no optical zoom, top ISO of 800--its cutting edge sensor that can detect three colors at a pixel compared to one in a typical DSC is creating a buzz among shutterbugs susceptible to technolust. The snapper can be pre-ordered for $799 and is expected to be shipped March 25, according to Amazon.

Digital picture frames will continue to be hot items through 2012, according to a report released recently by InfoTrends, a digital imaging market research firm in Weymouth, Mass. In the report, “Digital Photo Frames: Freeing Digital Photos from Electronic Shoeboxes," the company projected that revenues from picture frames will increase at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 12 percent through 2012. During the same period, frame shipments will be jumping at a CAGR of 25 percent. Digital frames are particularly attractive to 18-to-29-year-olds (see pie chart above), the report says, who are most likely to own more than one of the devices. While frame sales will sizzle in the next five years, they could get even hotter if multifunction products--products that combine a DVD player with image storage, for instance--catch on with consumers.

Frame makers, though, should tread carefully when building functions into frames that add to their complexity, cautions John Morog, U.S. national training manager for Netherlands-based Philips. "For me, it makes perfect sense," he says. "I'm a bit of a freak and a geek for this kind of stuff. But for a mom, a grandma, an aunt or someone like that, I think you need to be sensitive to their needs."

He explains that his mom periodicaly mails him the memory card from her picture frame. He fills it up with the latest pics of her grandchildren, sends it back to her and she reloads the new pictures from the card into her frame. The system works, he continues. "But to say, 'Mom, I'm going to set up an FTP site and you're going to download photos to a wireless media network,' that's not going to work."

Everyone is looking for an edge these days and if you're looking for one when buying a new digital camera, an outfit called Deal Locker says it can accommodate you--especially if you're shopping at Amazon.com. The service famous for "guaranteed to work" coupon codes has launched a new offering it's promoting as the Secret Amazon Discount Finder. I have to admit that I've been shopping at Amazon since its inception and, although aware of the discounting taking place there, I wasn't cognizant of these "secret" discounts. Nevertheless, the tool works and is worth using in a search for the best price for camera on the Internet.