Digital Cameras Remain Primary Picture Taking Device Aug 15, 2005

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Camera phones are not likely to replace digital cameras and camcorders as consumers' primary picture taking device, according to a study recently released by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), which found that some 91 percent of digital camera owners consider their digital camera to be their main photography device.

CEA's Digital Imaging Study: Sharing and Storing Pictures and Video, also revealed that consumers are unaware of the need to archive their digital photos and video -- an issue of increasing importance as the penetration rate for digital cameras nears 50 percent with those camera owners snapping billions of pictures each year.

Consumers report they expect to share photos and video electronically from their digital camera or camcorder, through computers, e-mail, and wireless phones. About two-thirds print their photos and half of them burn images onto a CD to share with others. A small but significant number of consumers share their digital photos by printing.

"Consumers tell us electronic sharing of digital imaging content is the way of the future," Steve Koenig, senior manager of industry analysis at CEA, said. "To make this happen, consumers really need more Internet bandwidth for e-mail, more processing power for computers, greater media storage capacity and more robust wireless phone data networks."

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