TOP has a poll running on video in stills cameras - what is being described around the web as an inevitable convergence of technology.
I'd imagine that the poll represents quite well the target market for DSLRs: photographers from the enthusiastic amateur up to pros all with an interest in kit & technology. I'd also imagine there are enough votes to make it representative. As of this writing the results are pretty stable.
So what do I take away from the numbers? First, more than twice as many people actively don't want video as do want it. That means there are potentially twice as mny people who would NOT buy a camera because it has video as would do so. Further, half those polled don't want video, although most of that group would just ignore it.
So while the camera companies and pundits reckon this is all inevitable, a large part of the market is saying it doesn't want it. Seems to me (as I commented over there) that there is call for 2 distinct products.
Friday, 27 March 2009
The market speaks?
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Isn't it possible that TOP's audience doesn't represent the wider photography market, but rather a subset receptive to his particular viewpoints?
ReplyDeleteAnyone can do a questionnaire on their blog, but that doesn't mean the outcomes accurately reflect a broader consensus. That's why professional market researchers go to great lengths to mitigate these kinds of variables in their methods.
I'm a frequent reader of TOP myself and enjoy his perspectives, but Mike's audience may not be the best benchmark for marketing decisions in the consumer-driven camera business.
Cheers.
In general, I'd agree but for this specific market segment I think it's pretty representative. I'd be surprised if the market researchers are doing detailed, targeted research in the upper ends of the DSLR market.
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