10 megapixels or bust

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+ » DSLR market dominated by '10MP' -

Thursday 3rd May 2007
Chris Cheesman

Britain's digital SLR market is dominated by 10-million-pixel models,
which hold close to a 70% share in both sales volume and value,
according to figures released by GfK.
However, as we reported on Monday, the value of the overall digital
imaging market in Britain dropped by 8% in the first three months of
2007, compared to the same quarter last year. This is despite the
number of digital cameras sold rising by 3%.
The average price of a digital SLR has fallen by more than £100 to
£466 over the past year.
'It is difficult to see any real recovery in the value of the market,'
warns GfK in its latest market newsletter. 'There remains some
buoyancy in the DSLR sector but with DSLR representing only 6% of the
market there is not enough value here to rescue the overall market
value decline.'
In the first three months of this year consumers snapped up 88, 631
DSLRs, compared to 64, 216 units for the same period the year before.
But falling prices meant the value of DSLR sales climbed
proportionately less: from £36.4m in the first three months of 2006 to
£41.3m in the first quarter of 2007.
Meanwhile, figures for March reveal that compact cameras in the 7-8M
category have replaced 6-7MP compacts in terms of the biggest market
share.
GfK added: 'A volume share of 38% in 7-8MP over the 29% for 6-7MP
indicates that this is a significant and potentially permanent step up
to a larger pixel count.'
According to GfK, there has been a 'steady increase' in 8-9MP market
share.