Has the camera had its day?

When it comes to photography, you don’t need to be a pro to notice that there have been some serious developments in the technology world.

Just look at the latest iPhone release. Here at Parrot Print, we’re taking a look at how smartphones have developed, how photography brands are changing and talking to professionals to see if the camera really has had its day.

According to Digital Trends, this year has been the worst year for the camera market in more than 15 years. Sales dropped from a staggering 121.5 million to 13 million. The dramatic difference over the course of six years is rather shocking.

While the camera market is declining, the smartphone market is on the rise. During the first quarter of the year, global brands such as Apple and Samsung laid claim to 66 per cent of all smartphones sold in the United States.

Out of the top 10 smartphones on the market these two companies produced nine of the models in the top spots. This comes as no surprise to us, as when we compared smartphone cameras both Samsung Galaxy S7 and Apple 6S were in the top three followed by the LG 5G.

This doesn’t mean photography companies are admitting defeat. No, instead, brands are developing products in line with the modern demand. A great example is the Kodak Ektra Smartphone.

Kodak is an established name in the printing market and has been producing cameras since 1988. This year, the company launched a brand new photography-led smartphone.

The Kodak Ektra Smartphone is designed for both enthusiasts and experts with a passion for photography and fuses the best of Kodak’s rich heritage with the latest innovations in smartphone photography.

Compared to the iPhone, which has a 12-megapixel camera, the Kodak Extra has a 21-megapixel camera. So, although they’ve moved away from the design of the classic camera, they’ve still maintained the use of the latest software. This ensures you’re able to capture the best images to create canvas prints.

The pros and cons

While the average consumer may prefer a smartphone to a camera, after speaking with a professional blogger and photographer it’s clear they prefer the latter.

Laura, editor of What Laura Loves said: “Smartphones are great for capturing images on the go with minimal disruption to ‘the moment’ but nothing beats the quality and depth that comes with using a camera.”

Maria Purdy, fashion photographer for END clothing said: “You can never compare a smartphone to an actual camera. I think you can always tell the difference in the quality of photographs.

"I understand it’s convenient to use a smartphone, but if you want anything to look professional then I would always recommend a camera.”

After speaking to professionals and looking at the statistics, it’s clear the results are divided. While bloggers, photographers, artists etc prefer to use an actual camera, many consumers would rather have a smartphone for convenience.

Although the camera market is declining, we’re seeing cameras develop into new and exciting pieces of equipment. These frequently offer superior quality to smartphone cameras.

When it comes to the demise of the camera market, we’re just going to have to wait and see what developments take place over the next few years.