twr25 Loc: New Jersey

The camera industry is taking a huge hit from cell phones with cameras. Except for professionals, I'm wondering if the future of cameras in general is declining? My favorite camera store in NJ (Unique) has downsized and carries less in stock. Why carry a full size camera on vacation when a cell phone can take high res. Shots and movies? Anyone have any insight as to the future? Will the companies keep making super high quality lenses?

chase4 Loc: Punta Corona, California

Welcome to the UHH, a great site for sharing and learning. You might want to try the search function at the top of the page as this topic has already had a number of dicussions. chase

PhotoPhred Loc: Cheyney, Pa

Someone else brought this up a new months ago. My response is unchanged. I HATE cell phone cameras. I will stick to my bulky d7100 and bag of lenses.

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

In my humble opinion, people who are serious about image quality will stick with their DSLR or Mirrorless camera. They may use their cell phone for a quick capture.

mas24 Loc: Southern CA

Welcome to uhh. As indicated earlier, this subject has been discussed numerous times. Many agreed and disagreed that DSLR cameras or other cameras are on the way out. Not soon by cell phones. 42ND Street Photo is another over mentioned topic on this forum. Don't deal with them. Bad business.

cambriaman Loc: Central CA Coast

Cell phone cameras may be the way of the future. They are small and it seems if you get one and live where a signal is constantly available (I don't) you have it always with you. The younger generations text more than they call and speak! The quality of image has improved greatly. I am a Nikon user (D800, D300 with high quality lenses) but I will admit that one of the best images I made on my recent Yosemite NP visit was made with my iPhone (so I could post it directly to Facebook). I printed it 13 by 19 and it is framed on my living room wall with my Nikon shots from various photo adventures. If Nikon made a wifi adapter for the D800 or D300 I would have been using one of them. Most people do not need art quality images, they want to have something to show their friends and family. The selfie craze illustrates this. I think serious quality cameras will exist for a long time but how they will evolve is a mystery. There are several Hoggers on here still enjoying film photography. Who, 20 years ago would have been thinking they would be carrying around a phone, computer, a book of maps, navigation aid, reference library, photo album, music library and more in a pocket sized package? Time and technology march on!

Bob Gowens Loc: Phoenix, AZ

I just up-dated my cell phone and it has a great camera. However, the ONLY time I will use the phone camera is if I don't have my Nikon with me!

JD750 Loc: SoCal

Cell phone cameras have taken a big chunk out of the point and shoot market share. Unfortunately the point and shoot market was where many manufacturers make a profit and that profit aided paying for RnD and other NRE costs for development of higher end products. So it's a much tougher business now, a lot of competition, and new entries to the market => shrinking market share.

But the flip side is cell phone cameras have brought many people into the camera market. But for the younger people cameras are a means to an end, i.e., gaining status on social media sites. This is important to the younger crowd and the cell phone camera is a tool to achieve that. It is not about photography as as an art for them, so most of them will not be DSLR owners in the future. But a few will be.

So crystal ball is cloudy as to the future of higher end cameras, so this is a guess. But my money is on mirrorless cameras becoming the dominant format for prosumer cameras, because they are simpler and cheaper to manufacture; smaller lighter, and cheaper sells better than bigger heavier and expensive.

There will continue to beDSLRs cameras, the existing base of DSLR lenses will help keep current owners in the market. But gradually the costs will increase and newer entrants will buy the newer format cameras and build lenses around them. But as I said the crystal ball is foggy.

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

DXO does reviews on cellphone cameras. There are other camera review sites that review the cellphone cameras also. That should give everyone a hint as to what the future will bring. There will always be a need for a regular style camera, but the demand is going to become considerably less.

BebuLamar

I can't predict the future but I do know the future of the camera industry depends on its customers. So if people stop buying DSLR then it's certainly on the way out, however I wouldn't know what the people will and will not buy.

As for the question of why carry the full size camera while cell phone can take high res? My answer is that I wouldn't know how to use the cell phone to take pictures and I don't want to learn. DSLR's are so easy to use so I use them.

Leitz Loc: Solms

As with any product, manufacturers will offer what their customers demand. I think it's a topic scarcely worthy of discussion.

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

Nobody can predict the future, but all things change, The vast overwhelming number of smart phone picture takers (notice I didn't say photographers) don't know the difference between an f-stop or a stop sign. But good photographers can make good cell phone shots. That said, I haven't the slightest notion what the future will bring.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

JD750 Loc: SoCal

DLSRs are easier to use than cell phone cameras? What planet are you living on?

Cell Phone: (1) Press camera icon. (2) Point. (3) Take picture.

DSLR: (1) Turn Camera ON, (2) CHECK: WB,ISO, Aperture, Shutter ,Metering Focus settings & image stabilization, Shooting Format (Raw/JPG - quality, size), Shutter Mode (Single, continuous, 10s timer,…. etc), Bracketing ON/OFF Battery Level, No Shots remaining on card.
(3) point (4) take picture

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

All I know is that the death of the SLR has been greatly exaggerated since the Instamatic came out!!
The only thing I know for sure is that the Instamatic is truely DEAD!!
SS