Cameras Are Back in 2024

@edcphotog

The only trend that I am sure of is the trend of compact cameras.

I believe this is fueled by at least two things.

The creator economy.
Our photographic culture.

The creator economy. The creator economy will fuel new camera form factors that focus on ease of use for taking product photos, lifestyle videos, etc.

Our photographic culture. We enjoy video images. This is proven through Instagram, reels, TikTok, influencers, etc. a certain percentage of people are not satisfied with smartphone cameras, especially when they see influencers exploring the worlds of cameras from the past.

I'm not sure if many people understand that Android initially started off as a camera, not a phone. They pivoted to the larger and hot cell phone market. So Android bacame a phone with a camera.

Then Samsung invented the smart camera in 2011 or so. They even called it a "Smart Camera" in their marketing. But they abandoned the idea (because people complained it didn't have a phomne?).

Fast forward to 2024 and we have Xiaomi 14 Ultra. It's a Smart Camera, with a phone.

CNET has an article that ties the Xiaomi 14 Ultra to the Panasonic CM1 (2014). "At the time it was the pinnacle of smartphone photography, packing a 1-inch type sensor that dwarfed the tiny sensors of other phones at the time. It had a lens made by Leica and it took images that no other camera phone could begin to compete with. It was essentially a compact camera that happened to also be a phone."

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