First Vinyl, Then VHS... Now Film?

Just as the digital technology of Compact Discs replaced vinyl LPs and cassettes, and then DVDs replaced VHS tapes, digital cameras are quickly obliterating film cameras as the popular standard in photography.

Over the weekend, CIPA (Camera and Imaging Products Association), a Japanese organization that tracks shipments of digital cameras, has revised their earlier projections of the number of different types of cameras that will be shipped through 2008.

Although demand for digital SLRs are still strong, the numbers for these cameras were revised slightly downward from earlier projections. Sales for digital SLR cameras is expected to be around 5.5 million in 2008.

More surprisingly, the estimates for digital cameras with built-in lenses was raised significantly, while estimates for film camera sales took a nosedive. CIPA now expects the sales of this category of digital camera to exceed 72 million in 2008. Their projection for 35mm and other film cameras was lowered to approximately 98,000 units for all of 2008.

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Tags: Digital Cameras, CIPA, Film Cameras