Year of Selfies – Are Smartphones Taking Over Prestigious Camera Industry?

If you’re using social media, you are now probably seeing a feed full of selfies. It is inevitable with how easy taking photos of yourself today is! And the main tool that made it all oh-so-convenient? No other than the smartphone.

 The advent of smartphones has brought self-portraits to new heights. Anyone who has a camera phone can snap a photo wherever, whenever. Furthermore, you would only need an internet connection to share your pictures to the world.

With the massive popularity of these phones, are compact cameras, DSLR units, and the likes taking the back seat?

Comparison of Sales

We could base the so-called domination of smartphones over the camera industry on the latter’s continuing decline in sales.

For instance, DSLR shipments declined in recent years (8.2 percent in 2012 and 2013, 22.3 percent in 2014). Compact cameras have also experienced a decline.

Amid all these, smartphones continue to enjoy higher sales. In fact, 98.4% of consumer cameras produced and sold in 2016 were built into smartphones. In comparison, compacts only make up 0.8% of the total sales. The Camera & Imaging Products Association or CIPA data also shows DSLR taking 0.5% of the sales and mirrorless cameras 0.2%.

Of course, the massive production of camera phones is a direct answer to the number of consumers willing to buy them. Based on sales, we could say that the smartphone is truly in-demand.

Use for Selfies

The word “selfie” was coined in the early 2000s, thanks to the surge of self-portraits captured by smartphones. Cameras began as something built into the back of the phone, hence, the proliferation of mirror selfies.

 As self-taken pictures dominate online postings, smartphone manufacturers have also produced units with front cameras. The promise of a more decent selfie and the convenience of taking it further boosted sales.

Compared to a traditional camera, it is more practical and more convenient to capture your own face using a smartphone.

Instant Gratification

Another thing that made camera phones a hit to consumers is the instant gratification. After shooting, you could browse the pictures, choosing what to keep and deleting others. You don’t need to plug it into your laptop to see the results like what you usually do with a DSLR.

Furthermore, you may share selected photos online instantly (as long as you’re connected to the internet). DSLR manufacturers, in contrast, are just beginning to tap into smart technologies to achieve the same convenience.

Affordability

Smartphones are integral to users who love taking selfies. To compensate for its necessity in the modern age, manufacturers sell most camera phones at affordable prices.

For instance, there are 13mp camera phones that are sold under $1,000 as listed by Smart Techie. Also, smartphones with higher megapixels and more camera features continue to dominate the market because of their cheap prices.

Some of the best in the US include the Blu R1 Plus, Moto G5, Moto G4, iPhone 5s, ZTE Max XL, Honor 5X, Sony Xperia XA Ultra, Moto G4 Plus, Nextbit Robin, HTC One A9, Asus Zenfone 2, and Microsoft Lumia 650. All these phones won’t cost more than $500.You can check out some best selfie smartphones to buy with hefty discount here on amazon.com or amazon.in

Smartphones or DSLRs?

The latest upgrade from iPhone (a camera phone that has a telephoto lens and a standard wide angle lens) has fueled debates on whether the DSLR is still of any value. Consumers might then ask, what should I buy?

Apparently, there is no fool-proof answer to that. What you want to buy depends entirely on what you want to do with your camera.

Say you are more into posting selfies and food photos on Instagram. You don’t need a high-end camera for that. A decent smartphone is enough to produce satisfying results.

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But if you’re aiming to become a pro and dreaming of producing large prints, you’d have to invest in high-end cameras. Convenient as it may, no smartphone or iPhone can produce quality photos like DSLRs. Photos from a handset might look striking online, but they would be unimpressive if produced for frames and exhibits.

Smartphones Taking Over The Camera Industry?

The smartphone would continue to dominate the consumer market. But does that mean that DSLRs would eventually fall into oblivion?

 Fortunately, DSLRs would be here to stay. Only, these cameras would be part of the niche market. Thus, their sales would probably go lower. Still, as long as there are professional photographers, the bulky units would endure.

As for the consumer who rides on the wave of the selfie revolution, the smartphone is a perfect choice!