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Picture This: Digital Camera Sales to Soar

Sales of conventional cameras will drop as more people share photos online.

By Jack McCarthy, IDG News   

According to a study released this week by Infotrends Research Group, sales of digital cameras will exceed those of conventional, film-based (reloadable) cameras in the year 2002 in North America.

Digital camera unit sales will grow from 6.7 million this year to 20 million units in 2002, and to 42 million units in 2005, the study says. In contrast, film-based unit camera sales will total 18.7 million this year, 19 million units in 2002, and 18 million units in 2005, says the study, drawing on industry statistics.

However, the study did not include disposable camera sales, which average about 100 million units sold a year.

But the growing popularity of digital cameras is undeniable, says Michelle Lampmann, an author of the report.

"We are moving to an era of personal visual communication," Lampmann says. "People like the gratification of sharing photos over the Internet with friends and family."

Revenue from digital camera sales will reach $1.9 billion this year, compared with $1.7 billion in revenue from conventional camera sales, the study says. The cost of reloadable cameras average less than $100, while digital cameras average about $280, Lampmann says.

However, sub-$200 digital cameras are growing in popularity and are expected to exceed sales of 2.2 million units this year, according to the study, which drew on research from the Photo Marketers Association and Eastman Kodak.

The study, titled "2000 Low End Digital Camera Forecast North America," can be obtained from InfoTrends Research Group (see link at right).