Worldwide Revenue From Digital Still Cameras to Reach US$43.5 Billion by 2015, Says In-Stat

SCOTTSDALE, AZ -- (Marketwire) -- 04/06/11 -- The global digital still camera (DSC) market began to recover in 2010 after a significant downturn in 2009 caused by worldwide economic conditions and the increased strength of the Japanese Yen. DSC unit sales are expected to rise faster between 2011 and 2012, and then continue a steady growth rate over the forecast period, fueling worldwide revenue to approximately $43.5 billion by 2015, says In-Stat (www.in-stat.com).

"The DSC market will continue to evolve over the next five years. Semiconductor vendors have a renewed opportunity to address these new demands by supplying solutions to DSC manufacturers looking to differentiate from the competition on the following features: sensitivity, image quality, and video functions," says Stephanie Ethier, Senior Analyst. "Compact DSC revenue will remain relatively flat over the forecast period; however, the technology will continue to improve due to the additions of back-side illumination (BSI) sensors that increase small optical format CMOS sensitivity, some all-glass lenses, auxiliaries like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS, and the beginning of stereoscopic and stereoscopic-like imaging."

Recent research findings include:

• During the period forecasted, revenue growth in interchangeable lens digital still cameras surpasses that of compact fixed lens cameras as sensor pixel sizes become less important than image quality
• Semiconductor vendors will continue to take advantage of opportunities in sensors, image processors, inertial (MEMS) components and microcontrollers.
• By 2015, interchangeable lens DSLR and various implementations of mirrorless cameras will account for 40% of worldwide DSC revenues.
• Compact camera ASPs are expected to see minor reductions as the decreasing cost of most electronics and camera bodies is offset by introductions of area-larger sensors and higher quality lenses.

New In-Stat research, Digital Still Cameras: Devices, Features, Lenses, Sensors, and Semiconductors (#IN1104918ID), provides an analysis of the worldwide market for digital still cameras and an overview of the technology that drives it. The report covers digital still cameras by separating them into three categories: (1)compact DSC cameras, (2)digital single lens reflex cameras, and (3) mirrorless cameras.

• The report covers sensors for all three categories and discusses the influence on quality afforded by sensor optical formats and technology: CCD and CMOS.
• Semiconductor Bills of Materials (BOM) are presented for the three categories of cameras and the semiconductor BOM of the matching interchangeable lenses with separate breakouts.
• The report provides six regional breakouts: the Americas region includes the countries in North and South America; EMEA includes both Eastern and Western Europe; Asia includes India, and the Middle East/Africa region includes Turkey, Israel, and all of Africa
• Companies that made contributions to this report include: Amberella, Aptina, Canon, Olympus, OmniVision Technologies, Sony, STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments, Toshiba Semiconductor Company, and Zoran.