[interested_observer]

• Canon is Apparently Pulling Out of the Low End Compact Camera Game - The Phoblographer

[jogiba]

B&H sells the 20mp Sony A3000 mirrorless with 18-55mm OSS kit zoom for $294 and it has both an EVF and LCD so there not much room for compact point and shoot cameras between that and the smartphones.
Sony Alpha A3000 Digital Camera with 18-55mm Lens ILCE3000K/B

[Adam]

B&H sells the 20mp Sony A3000 mirrorless with 18-55mm OSS kit zoom for $294 and it has both an EVF and LCD so there not much room for compact point and shoot cameras between that and the smartphones.
Sony Alpha A3000 Digital Camera with 18-55mm Lens ILCE3000K/B

Pentax seem to have abandoned that market segment as well and I'm sure others will too. Of course a few offerings will have to remain, but smartphones really have taken over.

[dansamy]

Pentax seem to have abandoned that market segment as well and I'm sure others will too. Of course a few offerings will have to remain, but smartphones really have taken over.

Nearly everyone has one. And as smartphones increasingly take over, the compact, pocket camera market will shrink to near extinction. I really only see a market for various interchangeable lens cameras once smartphone cameras get to a point where they equal the IQ of a slim pocket camera.

[shaX 07]

I honestly can't see the compact/pocket camera market going away anytime soon. Smartphone camera, while not awful, are still pretty terrible in the world of photography. If you're taking pictures of statues they're fine, but anything in motion and you may as well forget it because it's a nightmare. My Samsung Galaxy S3 has such a hard time focusing sometimes it's just painful. Low light? May as well just shut it off and save yourself the aggravation.

I think compact cameras will be around for a good while. Hell i'm looking to pick one up myself because my K-5ii is just too damn big to bring to a lot of places especially when i'm chasing a 2 year old around.

[Eyewanders]

No more Elphs? What will we do?

[jogiba]

I honestly can't see the compact/pocket camera market going away anytime soon. Smartphone camera, while not awful, are still pretty terrible in the world of photography. If you're taking pictures of statues they're fine, but anything in motion and you may as well forget it because it's a nightmare. My Samsung Galaxy S3 has such a hard time focusing sometimes it's just painful. Low light? May as well just shut it off and save yourself the aggravation.

I think compact cameras will be around for a good while. Hell i'm looking to pick one up myself because my K-5ii is just too damn big to bring to a lot of places especially when i'm chasing a 2 year old around.

I agree, there are pocket size 20x superzoom cameras with 24 - 480mm in 35mm equiv zoom and 1080p60 video that is not available on any smartphone selling for under $200.
Amazon.com: Panasonic Lumix ZS20 14.1 MP High Sensitivity MOS Digital Camera with 20x Optical Zoom (Black): Electronics

[Imageman]

I disagree strongly, compact cameras will largely die out, one day they will be here the next they wont, and soon.


Who buys compact cameras, happy snappers do and a very few photographers. Happy snappers have smartphones now who needs a compact.


Business is about making money, and as sales are eroded by smartphones, the profits dwindle until very rapidly the market sector is unsustainable for the manufacturer.


This sector is supported by volume sales and low profit and when volume falls small profits turns to big losses and youd better get out of the market fast, or find a new marketing strategy, or go into receivership.


I predict that one after the other the major manufacturers will pull out of this market, this is just the start.
Canon Nikon Olympus will be the first and the rest will follow.


I also predict that a small volume manufacturer who don't have large legacy facilities and consequent high costs to cover can weather the storm and retain a niche presence in this sector.


I further predict that early cessation of production will allow a structured closure of production and a transformation of the business as we see with canon.


Any significant delays in an attempt to ride it out and continue to have a presence will inevitably result in significant losses and the dismemberment of the business.

[jogiba]

I disagree strongly, compact cameras will largely die out, one day they will be here the next they wont, and soon.

What do you consider a compact camera ? Is the Panasonic GM1 a compact camera in your eyes ?

[normhead]

Personally, I don't care... I know someone will make up some convoluted reason why I should, but IMHO it's just one of those things there's no payoff in paying attention to.

Anyone take any pictures today?

[Imageman]

Who cares what camera is considered a compact, its about what is sustainable as a product and how many you can sell, not what anyone in here likes.


Try reading what I wrote again.


Compact cameras are directly competing with smartphones.


Pretty soon we will see 16megapixel smartphones with interchangeable lenses, how many compacts will sell then.


When smartphones hit 24megapixels the entry level DSLR market will begin to be threatened


Uncle Wilbur will buy the 24megapixel Samsung smartphone with 3 lenses instead of the canon entry DSLR with one lens

[jogiba]

The bottom line is I don't care what others are buying and I don't purchase cameras by sales rank, I purchase cameras with the specs that I want.

[Emacs]

If you're taking pictures of statues they're fine, but anything in motion and you may as well forget it because it's a nightmare.

I doubt compact camera can do any better.

[Imageman]

Of course you buy what others are buying and of course you purchase by sales rank, indirectly for sure but you do, so theres no point denying it.


Ive worked in manufacturing. The products on sale for customers to buy are only produced because that's what is wanted by customers and they are only kept in production because that's what is being bought. And that drives the sales rank up.


One vehicle made by the automotive company I worked for only sold 6 units. = 6


The manufacturer lost immense amounts of money. A vehicle costs more than 50 million dollars to tool up for production, and takes 7 years from design to first unit off the line.


You might have wanted to buy one of these but the manufacturer pulled the plug.


You can only buy what the manufacturer can sell to others and make a profit. So you always buy what others buy.

[shaX 07]

I doubt compact camera can do any better.

I picked up a Nikon Coolpix P330 and it is light years better than the camera in the Galaxy S3. It may not be as capable as an SLR but it it takes some pretty damn good pictures and can handle far more motion than the S3.