Shipments (000)	Percentage Growth
2004	73,662.0	--
2005*	88,077.9	19.6%
2006*	92,726.9	5.3%
2007*	91,623.8	-1.2%
2008*	87,477.2	-4.5%
2009*	81,636.7	-6.7%

* estimated
Source: IDC, Sept. 2005

Shutter Sputter

Sales of digital cameras are expected to spike this year and then slide -- from nearly 20% growth this year to an actual drop in 2007. The reason: While consumers love being digital shutterbugs, they will increasingly take their snaps with camera phones and other electronic devices. That trend, combined with increasing saturation of the market, will result in declining sales of standalone point-and-shoot digital cameras by the end of the decade.

Also see:

Slide Show: Digital Camera Closeups

Posted: 9/28/05