With the DSLR market in a current frenzy of technological advancement, retailers and consumers are left wondering, what could possibly be next. Picture Business & Mobile Lifestyle recently had the opportunity to sit down with Eliott Peck, Vice President and General Manager, Consumer Imaging Group Sales at Canon, to discuss the company’s current strategy in this market and their vision for the future.
PB&ML: While we know there are multiple reasons Canon continues to be a leader in the DSLR category, what are the keys to their success within it?
EP: From the very beginning, Canon has been devoted to building the best cameras available. Throughout the years, as imaging technology evolved, Canon has continued to advance as the industry leader. This dedication to technological innovation was evident as far back as the 1950s when we introduced the IVSb 35mm rangefinder camera with flash synchronization. From there we moved to the 1970s with the industry-changing AE-1, then to the 1980s with the first EOS SLR, to the 1990s with the first Digital EOS SLR and finally to the present with the revolutionary EOS 5D Mark II, the first DSLR camera with Full 1080p HD video. In every era, Canon has offered consumers a strong and varied choice of high-quality cameras, lenses and accessories.
Canon’s robust R&D program never stops and our engineers are always looking at new features to make imaging easier for the consumer while maintaining and improving the Canon quality standard. As technologies such as still capture and HD video continue to merge, all these breakthroughs and Canon’s heritage with both still and motion imaging will serve to keep the company and its products at the technological forefront of the industry.
Many consumer electronic products are not carried around in public, but those that are need to satisfy function as well as personal brand perception. Historically with photography there has always been a pride of ownership and emotional attachment to camera equipment partly due to the public exposure when using photography equipment. We know our branding, at times, can be just as important as our technology and part of our success comes from satisfying the emotional aspect of photography as well as the technological. Photography is also a very ambitious endeavor and people want to be better photographers and take better pictures. Photographer ambition is another key aspect that needs to be satisfied.
Canon has been successful at satisfying all three of those areas – technology, emotional attachment, and the desire to improve your photographic skills. With the pros it is mostly about the technology; with the advanced amateurs it is about ambition to be a better photographer and with the entry-level consumer it’s about branding and ambition. These three markets each have their needs and Canon’s success comes from addressing them all.
PB&ML: As the "entry-level" DSLR market continues to explode, lots of point-and-shooters are making the move to this category. How will Canon reach out to retailers to help their customers really become better photographers and take better pictures?
EP: Canon is constantly looking to provide our customers with educational resources to broaden their knowledge of photography. Our Canon Digital Learning Center is an ever-expanding resource for all photography enthusiasts to visit and learn more about photography. An online calendar of events lets photography enthusiasts take advantage of Canon Live Learning seminars, EOS Discovery Days and other photography events around the country.
The key to providing education today is for information to be available instantly, at any time, 24/7. Canon’s message is more than just technology, because the camera features are just one part of the equation. Consumers want to know how to do more. We put a tremendous amount of effort into supporting and educating the end-user before the sale, during the sale and after the sale, to help the consumer be a better photographer. The happier they are with photography, the more pictures they take and the more they get involved with photography, which translates into increased sales of accessories, lenses, etc. to go along with their cameras.
PB&ML: What features will likely drive the new entry-level models in the DSLR category?
EP: With each new generation of cameras, we are still seeing our entry-level DSLR models achieve even higher megapixel resolution and outstanding image quality, but new features such as HD video capture and the expansion of this capability will be a driving force for new DSLR sales. In addition to HD video capture, new intuitive automatic settings such as our Creative Auto (CA) camera mode help novices explore the world of SLR photography while still taking great shots, making the camera a far less intimidating device.
Consumers have just begun to explore the video creation capabilities now available to them through the new EOS Rebel T1i. Never before have we seen an SLR camera capable of Full HD movie capture with interchangeable lenses at such an affordable price point. As features such as autofocus and audio capture expand and improve, we will see a market embracing a whole new creative medium to capture HD video in professional-level quality.
Another factor that will help drive DSLR sales is the availability and convenience of camera accessories. A customer who takes the time and investment to procure straps, lenses, flash units and tripod supports will continue to grow with photography and be a returning customer for additional accessories as well as SLR upgrades as time goes on.
PB&ML: It stands to reason that as more consumers begin taking better pictures with all these "easy-to-use" DSLRs that are coming to market they will begin printing more images. How much does this play a part of the Canon strategy in this market moving forward?
EP: In very simple words, there is nothing like a printed photograph. And with digital photography we see many more images being taken today. Digital cameras are easy to use, they’re everyplace, and the convenience of digital photography is the ease of digital storage and the freedom of digital post-processing. But the beauty of photography is still the same. It’s displaying that great shot on your mantle; it’s hanging it on the wall to share with everyone. It is still true that the best way to preserve your images and preserve your cherished memories is to print your picture. There is nothing more satisfying with family photography than putting pictures into a photo album and being able to save it and share it for generations to come.
Canon has always had a strong presence in the printing market since the launch of the company’s first copier in 1965, and our strategy remains the same—to provide those creative photographers with tools like our PIXMA printers and wide range of Canon-branded photo media to help bring their photographs to life. Above that, our PIXMA Pro line of printers offers even larger printing at professional quality for a fraction of the cost of a large wide-format printer and allows serious photographers the creative expression of an even larger line of available print media. Printing is how we turn images into photographs and it is a strong message for our entire industry to convey.
We see the market moving toward a greater desire to print photographs, and Canon will look to provide the highest-quality printers, inks and papers, as well as educational resources and creative tools to see those great images come to life.
PB&ML: With more consumers owning DSLRs and taking these higher-res pictures, image file sizes just keep getting bigger. Can you comment on the growing problem that is image storage for consumers and how the industry might begin addressing this?
EP: Digital image storage is being addressed by the many hard drive and online archive companies that exist today; however, Canon is addressing this as we always have, by encouraging photographers to archive their images in printed form. Hardcopy photographs still remain one of the most stable and easily archived image file formats. Photobooks remain the fun, archive solution for storing your most precious memories. If that digital file goes missing, our scanning technology transfers that hardcopy back into a high-res digital file.
PB&ML: From the Canon perspective, if I’m attempting to move my point-and-shoot customers up to a DSLR, what might be your "elevator pitch" be to get them to take the plunge?
EP: The fundamental question you ask someone when they’re buying a camera is, "What do you want to do with photography?" A response of "I really want to take action pictures of my kids playing soccer," is very different from someone saying "I just want something I can pull out of my pocket at a wedding or a party." Ultimately the first answer to this question typically leads to a DSLR camera.
So it really starts with, "What do you want to do with photography?" and then you help them put together the right package. Is it entry level? Is it advanced? Does it have features they are interested in? Do they want video capture? Lightweight and compact? There are very different questions depending on their level of knowledge – professional, advanced amateur or entry-level.
Typically, first-time SLR buyers want to know what’s simple to use, and as they improve their skills, ask the question "can I take it off the green mode" and "will it grow with me as I improve?" Lastly, "what accessories can I add on to it?", and the retailer takes it from there.
PB&ML: As the DSLR appears to be shrinking in size (rather dramatically), what are the limitations with regard to the technology manufacturers can cram in these small bodies?
EP: Technology can always make products smaller, but there is a point of diminishing returns and how small do you really want an SLR to be? Too small and some people feel uncomfortable and the camera feels fragile, too big, and people feel it’s too bulky and too heavy. I think right now, we’ve found the "goldilocks size" of "just right" for DSLRs.
The features manufacturers pack into these bodies depends heavily on what the market wants. What will the market want in two years or five years? Sometimes the manufacturers come up with new technologies and unique features, and sometimes it is the end-user that finds unique ways to use our products that alter the course of the technology. Take the 5D Mark II for example; we had a lot of very positive feedback from the field saying, "this is great but what about manual control" and very often the end-user experience and their feedback will cause a company to go back to the drawing board and enhance a product. The short answer, if it’s what the market wants and a manufacturer is listening; they will build it in there and make it work.
PB&ML: Lastly, as video capability begins to make its mark in this category, are we seeing the beginning of the true "hybrid" camera that actually does both high-quality stills and video?
EP: This is not the replacement of the camcorder; this is a new way of capturing video. End-users and their new applications are re-defining the usability of our products. Canon now has two DSLR cameras that offer outstanding video quality; yet neither is seen as a replacement product for camcorders in the marketplace. Each model has its own unique qualities, yet remains, first and foremost, a still image camera. The fact is Canon has DSLRs that take great HD video, and we have VIXIA HD camcorders that capture outstanding 8 megapixel still images, so consumers can choose the product that works best for their individual needs. Currently the market exists for both product lines, but as consumer electronic technologies merge, and smartphones and integrated home entertainment systems continue to evolve, it’s an exciting time for all of us in the imaging industry to see where the market will take us.
