JEDDAH, 21 June 2006 — Despite competition among professional and mobile phone cameras, demand for digital cameras is on the increase, according to a major company distributing Japanese digital cameras here.
“The Kingdom’s demand for digital cameras is around 80,000 units,” Abbar’s Casio Division Manager Mohamed Ali Basorrah said at the media launch of Casio’s new 10.1 megapixel zoom digital camera series yesterday. The demand marks a 10 percent increase in 2005 over the previous year.
Asked about the impact of mobile phone cameras on the digital segment of the camera market, Basorrah said: “As yet, there is no adverse impact, but we don’t know about the future. After all, mobile phones are also continuously coming up with advanced devices.”
He said all five digital cameras launched in the series now were a “big success” when they were first launched in Casio’s home market in Japan.
“These cameras are manufactured in Japan, although Casio’s manufacturing facilities now exist in China as well.”
Describing EX-Z1000 and four other models as the latest addition to Casio’s stylish series of Exilim zoom digital cameras, Mohamed Balahwal, digital camera manager at Abbar’s Casio division, said in his presentation that the new camera captured images of remarkable quality for its very compact size.
Its new wide-format super bright LCD display gives users the power to enjoy instant, high-impact images of their shots.
“It packs a powerful punch in a sleek, compact package,” Balahwal said.
“It’s small enough to be held in the palm of the hand, captures super high-resolution images that reproduce crystal-clear even in very large sizes — perfect for printing or on screen viewing.”
This model is the first in a series to incorporate a large 2.8 inch, wide and bright LCD display.