DSLR industry expands with growing demand for superior quality photos

The digital single lens reflection (DSLR) industry has made unprecedented gains in the recent past, witnessing nearly five-fold growth since 2009, says Takashi Yoshida, Nikon's managing director for the Middle East.
"One of the key drivers of this growth is the increasing popularity of DSLRs among today's youth, who appreciate superior quality photos," Yoshida said in an article entitled "The rise of social photography in the Middle East.”
With larger image sensors that allow for larger pixel sizes, and a wider range of light sensitivity option, DSLRs have the unique ability to capture high-quality photos with much less grain that point-and-shoot digital cameras.
He stated that all of this is being achieved while the cameras are simultaneously becoming more and more compact in size, but still remaining affordable.
"As 18-25 year old camera enthusiasts increasingly look to bypass point-to-point and shoot cameras in favor of professional cameras, the DSLR's favorable price point allows them to do so without leaving a dent in their wallets," he said.
He added that Nikon has come to understand that "perhaps the most important factor attracting today's youth involves the camera's ability to not just click pictures but also to allow photographers to easily share them."
According to him, photo sharing around the world has highlighted the popularity of the phenomenon among the youth and that a study of the of the Pew Internet and American Life Project last year found that 69 percent of 18-29 year old camera enthusiasts posted original photos and videos online, with photos making up more than 60 percent of the posts compared to video.
He said social photography was being picked up particularly well by a growing number of teenagers who now cite behemoth Instagram as the most important social networking website.
"On a global level, over 40 million photos are uploaded to this platform each day. If a picture is worth a thousand words, one can only imagine how many stories are being told every day. This coupled with the high youth population in Saudi Arabia and other Middle East countries indicates a huge potential for social photography in this region," he added.
Indeed social media networks have taken roots in Saudi Arabia and other Middle East countries, he said, adding that their growth is a reflection of the changing trends in how people share information, including photos."In fact, the increasingly visual nature of social media has given rise to a global phenomenon called social photography - the intersection of technology, photography and social networking. Essentially, see it, shoot it, share it!” he said.
For companies to keep thriving in this environment, he said, they need to continue to develop innovative products that cater to these changing consumer needs.
"For example, Nikon's entry level DSLR — the D5300 — has built in Wi-Fi and GPS, which enable photographers to share pictures directly," he said. Nikon has also developed a wireless adapter for its other DSLR cameras such as D3200, D5200, D7100 and D610.
This adapter is small enough to fit into a USB port, can be paired with the Nikon WMU free mobile app available for Android and iOS, allowing users to use their phones to take pictures with their DSLRs and then immediately share them with friends and family.
"By syncing cameras with the now-ubiquitous smart phones youth can now share their photos easily on social media, while also exploring a wide variety of creative photography options, from different angles to taking selfies using tripod," Yoshida said.
He added: “This part of the world may be moving at a slightly slower pace, but it is evident that as social media continues to find its place in the Middle East, and photo-centered social networks begin to gain popularity here, it is just a matter of time before social photography comes into its own. The time is now for imaging companies to find creative ways to keep the click alive," he said.