In this age of smartphones, are digital cameras still an in-demand commodity?
Apparently they still are. When I began my annual cameras survey in November, I was expecting to see a sharp falloff once again in the variety of models for sale, driven in part by changing technology, but also by the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic nearing the two-year anniversary mark.
However, as I write, I already have more than 200 camera models and packages listed on my survey website, and more remain to be added.
Usually a giant stack of Black Friday/Cyber Monday flyers lands on my doorstep around the end of November, but this year, whether it was due to a newsprint shortage or consumer apathy with all the hype, there were just six, rather thin, flyers.
That was enough to remind me to get working on the survey. Once again, here is a pointer to our annual survey of digital cameras for sale in the Vancouver area, something we’ve been doing in this space since 2002, and, in a slightly simpler form, going all the way back to 1996 when a sub-megapixel camera went for around $1,000.
Once again I was surprised at just how many models of cameras remain from the previous year’s list – certainly well over eighty per cent. Some new models appear to be little more than tweaks and rebrandings of last year’s models.
As was the case a year ago, prices appear to be up, in some cases substantially so. Purchasers need to be careful, as some stores again appear to be listing discontinued models as being current.
High-end smartphone camera functionality, such as the Samsung Note and Ultra lines, the latest Apple iPhone models, and Google’s Pixel units, is generally regarded as outstanding and is surely eating into potential sales of standalone cameras. That trend has only increased in recent years.
Those who develop an interest in photography through their experience with today’s sophisticated smartphones are tending to migrate to advanced digital cameras, bypassing the point-and-shoot models that previously dominated the market.
For those considering such a leap, check out our dedicated single-page website, vandigicams.ca. Updates are made each day through Jan. 6. Links are also provided to the surveys from previous years to enable price comparisons.
Cameras on the site are primarily those advertised on retailer websites, in print advertising in Vancouver’s major daily papers, and in flyers accompanying community papers.
Prices on the site, rounded to the nearest $5, are the lowest found in the November-December survey period, which often occurs mid-November. If you decide to buy a unit on the list, you may be able to convince the salesperson to roll the price back to the earlier sale price.
Individual cameras and camera packages are allocated a single line on the vandigicams.ca site. Each listing is hyperlinked to the corresponding manufacturer’s website for that camera’s full specifications. Along with the camera sensor megapixel rating, there is an optical zoom value, an overview of around half a dozen features, and “street” pricing from up to three local retailers.
Dominating this year’s survey once again is the 24-megapixel sensor class, representing a little over 40 per cent of cameras, followed by the slightly lower resolution 20-megapixel units (around a quarter). These two classes account for two-thirds of all the cameras in the survey. The once dominant “16” class has dropped to fourth place. The remaining 20 per cent or so of the survey is fragmented across classes spanning from 12 megapixels all the way up to an impressive 100+.
As in the past, the survey identifies several cameras as best buys, the optimum combination of features and price within a given class. When considering buying a camera, do check out the manufacturer’s website (they are all listed at the bottom of the survey site) to be sure that the model remains current.
Want an inexpensive point-and-shoot digital camera? A Panasonic TS30, with a 2.7” screen, waterproof and shockproof, is just $180. A starter DSLR camera such as Canon’s T7 with a basic kit lens can be picked up for around $550. At the other extreme you’ll find a 102-megapixel unit from Fuji, a holdover from last year, for around $13,000, and a 50-megapixel Hasselblad for $20,000.
Looking for a rugged camera? The Olympus TG line (shockproof, freezeproof, waterproof, dustproof, and crushproof) remains popular. Olympus has its TG-6 and Nikon has its W300 model. Fuji, Panasonic, and Ricoh also offer ruggedized units. Prices range from $180 up to $1,000, the latter for a unit designed for use in construction environments.
As for a solid general-purpose camera, how about something like the Nikon P950 with an incredible 83x zoom lens. Priced in the $1,000 range, this unit takes fine outdoor shots and perfectly acceptable indoor ones as well, something often lacking in lower cost units. Its successor, the P1000, is the first unit to pass a hundred times zoom, offering an amazing 125x, at around $1,300.
Some other manufacturers still offer high-zoom models in their lineups. Examples include Panasonic’s FZ80 (60x, $400), and Canon’s SX70 (50x, $800).
Want a DSLR package with two lenses, say a basic three times zoom and a telephoto? Canon and Nikon used to have several such packages around the $600 mark, but these have mostly disappeared for 2021. This year you might consider the Canon T7 package with 18-55- and 75-300-mm lenses priced at $720.
It is worth noting that MILC (mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras) units have now surpassed DSLRs in popularity. Canon’s EOS M and R lines are good examples, as is Sony’s Alpha lineup.
There are even indications that new DSLRs may no longer appear. Canon and Nikon, the big two in the camera business, have come late to the MILC party, first dominated by Fuji, and to a lesser extent by Olympus and Sony.
MILC units represent more than 55 per cent of the listings in this year’s survey (up from 40). DSLR units by contrast represent just 20 per cent. The remaining quarter is mostly of the point-and-shoot variety.
Do check out this year’s survey list at vandigicams.ca. You’ll find cameras at every price point, from a few hundred dollars all the way up to those multi-thousand-dollar units from Fuji and Hasselblad. In between you’ll find cameras equipped with Wi-Fi, GPS, and OLED touch screens, and numerous other features.
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