Yes, the world keeps changing and we “classic” system camera owners look pretty old compared to it 🙂
Amazon just released an official press release to share the top three hot sellers during the photo holiday deal season:
First place (top seller): Fujifilm INSTAX Mini Instant Film Twin Pack – White
Second place: GoPro HERO4 SILVER
Third place: AmazonBasics Head Strap Camera Mount for GoPro
And among the most sold digital (non action) camera was the 360 degree Ricoh Theta S camera.
We are the last Dinosaurs on this earth!
–
via Corporate IR
21 Responses
Remarks: (1) Exercise caution when comparing sales of consumables (e.g. Instax film) to hardware. (It’s only stretching a point slightly to regard GoPros as consumables too, given that many of them probably get written off during their “adventures”…) (2) Exercise caution when using Amazon as a proxy for the overall market. I suspect Amazon skews toward early adopters and tech gadget enthusiasts, who don’t necessarily represent everyone. (Have you ever actually seen ANYONE actually USING one of those Ricoh Thetas? I haven’t!)
I’ve seen a lot of people using Instax, however.
Yes. Me too… Cool stuff.
Sorry to be dumb, but what’s Instax?
I never heard of it before.
@je@MrReeee:disqus Instax is a printer or actual camera from Fujifilm. The prints are business card size (about) and allow for intant prints. The printer connects via wifi and app on most smartphones. Its fun.
Instant film product line. #1 on the list in the story is the film
@jeffharris If you remember the old SX-70 style of Polaroids (nothing to peel), Instax is pretty much its modern-day incarnation. Instax prints are quite a bit smaller, but then so are the cameras. And, as @disqus_mUFkORzwoz:disqus points out, you can get an Instax printer that your smartphone / tablet can print to via WiFi.
I really enjoy my Instax printer and my wedding clients LOVE the prints it produces. My only gripe is that it no longer connects to my Android phone. I now have to use it with an iPad in order to print. But its still a lot of fun.
Instax cameras are huge hits in parties & weddings.
The reality of todays world of oversaturated pictures and 3 second attention spans, traditional photography really is a niche that is getting narrower and narrower.
and this is m43 news/rumour ?
Nope. Just something to click on so admin gets a cut. It is a popular item after all. I got one for my kid a couple years ago.
You know what the most exciting Olympus/Panasonic product was at CES? Not overpriced 100-400, not outrageously overpriced and overweight 300/4. It was TG-870, the best camera for snorkeling (BY FAR if not counting TG-860), and reasonably priced (especially when it gets its obligatory $50 discount soon after its sales actually start).
Not about m43, but at least about one of m43 manufacturers.
Meh… Oly really needs to bump up the dang sensor spec on the TG-series. Most people that use a camera like this for say, underwater or water sports don’t actually need a zoom lens. They need better light gathering for when you actually are underwater trying to take photos. Just slap a 28mm f2 lens and a 1-inch sensor in the thing already.
I had an Oly 1030SW and now a TG-1.
I use the zoom lens quite a bit for underwater close-ups. They’re great little cameras, especially for snorkeling. I doubt I shot more than a dozen out-of-water photos with either of them.
I’d LOVE to see a 1″ sensor in the TG-5. AND a zoom lens.
And like all Oly’s, a straightforward and intuitive interface.
“They need better light gathering for when you actually are underwater trying to take photos. ”
It is not so much deep underwater camera, it is a camera for snorkeling, beach, snow days, you do not need more light gathering, especially bright lens for that, it would just overwhelm its 1/2000s shutter.
And I use zoom lens in my TG-2 all the time. Not so much underwater (where maybe up to 50mm equivalent is usually used, although if there is an interesting fish at some distance, it is fun to try to catch it in picture despite waves), but on the beach etc.
I do not especially wish for a bigger sensor (lens for which would not fit vertically, and its price would become much higher) or brighter lens, I wish for
1) wider lens (and TG-850/860/870 has that) because effective FL becomes longer under water and because of hand held selfies,
2) and for articulating screen (because it is hard to impossible to hold the camera directly in front of you while swimming/snorkeling while water makes screen viewing angle much narrower too (and TG-870 has that).
So although TG-1/2/3/4 is technically higher end camera, with brighter lens (f/2 at wide end), when snorkeling I really wish for TG-860/870. f/2 helps in low light, but when there is no sun shining, shallow underwater world becomes dull anyway, there is nothing beautiful there to photograph (or you need a powerful light like for deeper dives, which makes bright lens irrelevant again). That makes TG-870 the best camera for snorkeling, very much not the same conditions as usual photography where big sensors and bright lenses matter.
I find the picture quality of the TG series to be very… phoneish. The bloody thing just needs to take better pictures. The rest of the feature set is solid and there are probably vacations with kids I’d be fine just taking it alone
Like all of them underwater cameras, and generally all cameras with 1/2.3″ sensors. And it is totally OK under the bright sun on a beach or in shallow water.
linkfarm
Cheap consumables that need to be constantly replaced top the list? STOP THE PRESS AND GET SAINT GELDOF ON THE LINE.
the key here is reasonable pricing.. enthusiasts pay anything and mess up the market for SLRs.