Favourite tech picture of the day – 11th of April 2008

Iron Mania (Source: Gizmodo)

7 reasons DSLR cameras are so important for camera manufacturers

In a recent post about global camera sales in 2007, DSLR cameras were mentioned as a special and very important category. If you have noticed, the DSLRs sold in 2007 were about 7.5 million, roughly 6% of overall camera sales which exceeded 120 million.

So since the volume of DSLR cameras is so low overall, why is it so important? And why do all camera manufacturers try to get in this segment? Do not forget that recently Sony went as far as buying the Minolta camera division, mainly for the DSLR system that the later had already developed and sold in the market. So here is some main reasons I come up with:

1. DSLR cameras have large sensors, use high quality lens and in general are high precision masterpieces that offer the best in camera performance and engineering. Therefore excelling in DSLR design and manufacture is important.
2. As a consequence of #1, DSLR design and manufacture attracts the best engineers, designers and technicians available in the job market. Having a great workforce is super important for the future of any company.
3. DSLR cameras are the cameras used by professionals in high profile work, from studio to battleground journalism. These guys know a lot about cameras and can provide invaluable feedback about what to improve or what features to add. Furthermore, professional use is a great promotional tool for any brand.