(Weymouth, MA) March 30, 2011 . . . A new study from InfoTrends indicates that China will be one of the leading countries for digital cameras in the next five years. As the developed regions of the world experience a maturing of the digital camera and photo printing markets, new opportunities will come from emerging markets such as China. China still has a huge first time buyer market to tap into, although many of these consumers represent very low income households. Affordable, easy to use cameras will appeal to these households. Repeat buyers in China are likely more affluent, so the latest cameras with the newest features will appeal to this crowd.

Consumers in China that have made the leap into digital photography are quite active, taking 2.5 times more digital camera photos than U.S. consumers and nearly 3 times as many camera phone photos. Due to the large number of photos that are captured, there is a significant opportunity in photo printing in China. Since Chinese consumers still rely primarily on retail photofinishing, retailers there should continue to develop easy in-store solutions that allow people to print digital photos, regardless of whether they own a personal computer or not.

InfoTrends Director Ed Lee states, “The Chinese digital photography market is still in an early development stage and offers many opportunities to digital imaging vendors and retailers. Imaging vendors need to tailor their strategies and plans for the up-and-coming emerging markets so they can establish a strong position in each market.”

InfoTrends has gained insight into the Chinese digital imaging market through a recent survey covering photo capture, sharing, printing, editing, and purchase activity of consumers in this region. Part of a larger multi-client study, surveys were also conducted in Brazil, Mexico, and India.

Study objectives included:

• Identifying and profiling current users of digital still cameras and mobile phones/smartphones.

• Examining digital photo activities in terms of still photo capture, video capture, sharing, and editing behaviors, as well as the use of software and services.

• Analyzing current and future product preferences as well as purchasing behaviors.

• Evaluating photo printing behaviors and variations by print location as well as the popularity of personalized photo merchandise.

The study, entitled Digital Imaging: Emerging Opportunities in China, is available for purchase. Multiple reports on additional regions may be purchased together for discounted pricing. For more information contact Matt O’Keefe at +1 781 616 2115 or e-mail [email protected].

InfoTrends, a Questex company, is the leading worldwide market research and strategic consulting firm for the digital imaging and document solutions industry. We provide research, analysis, forecasts, and advice to help clients understand market trends, identify opportunities, and develop strategies to grow their businesses. Additional information about InfoTrends is available on the Web at www.infotrends.com.

Copyright 2011 InfoTrends. All rights reserved. Reproduction or reuse of InfoTrends materials is strictly prohibited without prior written consent.

For media inquiries contact Robyn Wuori at +1 781 616 2103 or [email protected].