Stumbled onto this article by Thom Hogan via 1001 Noisy Cameras.
Thom, apparently a former Executive Editor with Backpacker Magazine, has a website filled with writings, photography, gadget reviews, and a bit of “all things Nikon”. And, in that clutter, is a fairly insightful review of Photokina 2008 combined with some of his thoughts on the state of photography today – from a hardware perspective.
Just to entice you to make the click – Thom sums up a few forces driving the photography market as:
- “The compact camera market has collapsed.”
- “The dollar / yen relationship isn’t clear.”
- “The economy is iffy everywhere.”
- “Household penetration is high.”
And then he continues that camera makers have essentially three choices:
- “Weather the storm.”
- “Go Darwinian on the weakest competition.”
- “Find another port.”
And all of this before he gives his Photokina wrap up. Worth the click.
That said, some of his above points could likely be superimposed on just about any market that relies on “fun budget” monies – but I do like his ability to blend the economy / market scenarios with Photokina product introductions. Check it out – let me know what you think.
