Digital camera catches up

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, February 02, 2004

Digital camera catches up

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Although digital cameras have flashed their way to a boom in sales in Shanghai last year, it is still early to estimate the digital gadgets will beat traditional film cameras due to the latter's better picture quality and special effects, analysts said.

"It's widely accepted that ordinary digital cameras cannot compete with its traditional rivals, which are pursued by professional photographers and shutterbugs," said a professional photographer surnamed Liu.

The 79-year-old Guanlong Photographic Equipment Company, the largest specialized store in Shanghai, said it still sells more traditional cameras than the digital ones.

But the company didn't reveal sales figures.

Chen zhongyin, the manager of Guanlong, however, admitted that the growing popularity of the digital cameras has posed threat to the traditional ones.

"Our sales of traditional film cameras have declined in recent years," Chen said.

Analysts attributed the growing sales of digital camera to its fashionable designs and extra functions, including playing music and recording videos.

A camera counter in Shanghai Hualian Department Store said its sales of digital cameras rose every month since the beginning of 2003.

"We sell seven digital ones out of every 10 cameras now," said Ding Yi with Shanghai Hualian Wang Zhen Information Co Ltd.

"The sales revenue of digital cameras accounts for about 80 percent of our total."

The positive market responses echo Eastman Kodak Company's recent decision to close its film camera plant in north America.

Kodak sold 1 million traditional cameras last year.

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