Mark Davidson

While there are many good points in this column it makes the error that the decline of camera sales stems from poor decisions among the camera makers.   The undeniable fact is that a gigantic new market for cameras was created by the digital revolution. This market is populated by a staggering number of people who have zero interest in what enthusiasts think, say or do. As such, they are motivated by ease of use and availability. Thus the smart phone trumps even the cleverest of P&S cameras.  IQ is irrelevant to most of the market as even VGA was good enough to view on their phone. As for video, we are talking about an even small market. My Dad astonished his friends in the 60's by actually splicing his own Super 8 and creating imaginative short films that we enjoyed enormously. The idea that the hobbyists of today are any different is delusional.   The biggest danger is that the loss of resources for R&D due to migration of sales to phones. While we moan that that camera maker X declines to add some new whiz-bang feature or upgrade to their products, THEY are finding it harder and harder to pay for the sparkly things we are asking for.