Phone cameras both opportunity and challenge: Canon chief

Singapore

KENSAKU Konishi, president and chief executive of Canon Singapore, feels that the dramatic quality improvement seen in smartphone cameras is both a boon as well as a challenge for the world's largest camera maker.

On the one hand, the dramatic quality improvement of the cameras in smartphones has become a major challenge to worldwide camera sales, particularly in the entry-level compact camera segment which is shrinking, he notes. "However, on the bright side, smartphone cameras have gotten more people than ever before taking pictures and developing an interest in photography. Many of these people are willing to upgrade to a higher-specs cameras to get more control over their photography."