Canon confident digital cameras are here to stay

• Smartphones and digital cameras can coexist as they take very different photos
• The higher functions of digital cameras will continue to attract people

DESPITE the shrinking market for digital compact cameras, Canon Marketing Malaysia president and chief executive officer Andrew Koh believes that cameras and smartphones can coexist.

“I think with the prevalence of smartphones, more people are creating images. That is a good thing for us because Canon is not just selling cameras but we are an imaging and photography business,” he said during a media briefing in conjunction with celebrations for Canon’s 30th anniversary in Malaysia.

Koh believes that as people take more photos they would gradually realise that there is a compromise in quality when it comes to shooting photos on a smartphone.

In a manner of speaking, the smartphone acts as the gateway into the world of photography. He adds that there is a possibility that smartphone users will eventually want to upgrade to dedicated cameras that take better photos.

Over the past decade, the prevalence of smartphones has caused the camera market to shrink. However, Canon believes that the higher functions offered by its digital cameras are what attracts customers as they have seen a growth in sales of digital cameras over the last year.

Canon Inc chairman and chief executive officer Fujio Mitarai, who was in Kuala Lumpur for the 30th anniversary said that the EOS Digital Single-Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras produced by Canon are used in astrophotography, the craft of shooting planets and stars in the night sky, and are able to capture images of the planet Saturn right down to its rings.

“Our digital cameras offer capabilities no smartphone is able to produce. We are playing in completely different areas from smartphones,” Mitarai said.

Celebration time

Canon Marketing Malaysia has come a long way since its entry in the country in 1987, growing from a staff force of 52 to over 600 employees today and has more than 3,000 direct channel partners.

The company recently launched a new head office at UOA Business Park in Glenmarie, Shah Alam.

To kick start the year-long celebrations Canon presented a product showcase in Mid Valley Megamall where it looked back at the significant milestones achieved by the company as well as showcased its latest products.

The product showcase featured the latest technology from Canon’s product lineup ranging from the Pixma Ink Efficient Printer range, Maxify business inkjet printer to Canon’s EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR camera and latest mirrorless flagship model, the EOS M5.

“The celebration of is an exciting time for our company as it is a significant milestone. We are glad to have been given the opportunity to serve Malaysia and hope to continue delighting every Malaysian with our products and services,” said Koh.

He added that Canon plans to hold many other events throughout the year as well as corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities.

“We strongly believe in the concept of ‘Kyosei’, whereby we want to give back to society and coexisting with our stakeholders,” Koh said.

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