InfoTrends: Changing photographer types indicate future camera trends

Ed Lee over at InfoTrends posted an interesting blog post about how consumers are changing how they identify themselves, in terms of photographic skill and in terms of lifestage (presence of children, etc.). Lee writes:

Since the introduction of smartphones, we have seen significant shifts in the mix of photographer types among camera owners. Between 2010 and 2017, there was a dramatic decline in the percentage of camera owners who consider themselves casual photographers. InfoTrends believes that these casual photographers have migrated from using a digital camera to a smartphone. Likewise, people who rarely take photos have likely switched over to smartphones, and perhaps have even retired their digital cameras. In 2013, mobile phones surpassed digital cameras as the camera used most often and the gap continues to widen each year.

The percentage of memory keepers, hobbyists, and advanced hobbyists has grown from 53% of photographer types in 2010 to 72% in 2017. These consumers generally have a strong interest in photography and want high quality photos. InfoTrends expects that memory keepers, hobbyists, and advanced hobbyists will continue to account for the bulk of camera owners. While nearly everyone will also own a smartphone, they will still turn to their cameras for most of their photos.

To learn more about our ongoing research of the consumer and professional photography markets, contact Keypoint Intelligence – InfoTrends. Read the entire blog post here.