Canon is spearheading unprecedented growth in the digital imaging sector with predictions that unit sales of its digital cameras will outstrip that of its analogue cameras as early as 2003.
In preparation for this surge in growth, Canon plans to manufacture 4 million digital cameras worldwide this financial year, an increase of 70% on the number produced the previous year. In terms of value Canon currently holds a market-leading 18% of the European high-end digital camera (2 mega pixel and above) market segment.
However, far from this trend signalling the demise of the film and analogue camera markets, Canon Europe believes the burgeoning digital imaging market will co-exist alongside these traditional markets for several years to come.
Canon maintains a strong and profitable position in the analogue camera market with 39% market share in SLR and 14% in the compact markets.
Alessandro Stanzani, Head of European Marketing, Canon Consumer Imaging, said recent innovations in digital imaging technology were encouraging many more consumers to turn their hand to photography for the first time:
"Consumers are attracted to the new breed of digital cameras because they are simpler to use, inspire creativity and imagination and the results are instantaneous and have multiple applications," Stanzani said. "Canon studies show that people will take more than five times as many photographs with digital cameras as they will with film-based cameras. However, they may only print a quarter of the digital photographs taken.
"In addition, the proliferation of the worldwide web means people will then use the Internet to send their digital images to many more people around the globe, multiplying the total number of images shared several fold.
Another driving force behind the digital revolution is the quality of today`s home photo printers, which enable consumers to print their own photos to camera shop or darkroom quality.
"In the 70`s and 80`s people created home darkrooms in their bathrooms or sheds in a bid to develop and manipulate the creativity of their photography, but today they can achieve the same effect and quality by connecting the digital camera to a PC or even simpler, directly to a small home photo printer."
In the last year photo printing and direct printing has seen explosive growth - direct printing alone grew by 125% in 2001.
Canon Europe is one of the few organisations which truly understands the digital process, from capture to print, and probably the only electronics company to own significant technologies across the areas of digital cameras, lenses and photo printing. This is a key strategic advantage for Canon over its competitors and ensures that the company is well positioned to maintain its dominant position in the booming digital imaging market.
"Canon has always been a driver and pioneer of new technologies in digital imaging, and we have no intention of slowing our pace in this very important and competitive sector. Our commitment to continuing research and development and inspiring creativity in our customers will ensure our name remains synonymous with quality and excellence in imaging for many years to come. This is reflected in the fact that we register a higher number of patents in Europe, year on year, than any other company." Stanzani concluded.
Canon`s objective is to hold the number one market share worldwide in every consumer product category by 2005. This includes digital camera, Bubble Jet, direct printing, scanner, video, and multifunction devices.
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