Photo: Old Shoe Woman / Flickr

Digital cameras brought photography to the people. Mobile phones brought photography to the masses, but only recently did the quality of a mobile phones camera become comparable to that on a dedicated digital camera. On the eve of Apple’s next major product reveal, we explore what the future of the consumer digital camera is.

The stand-alone digital camera will not die… completely

The first thing to note is that the stand-alone digital camera is not completely done for. Far from it, in fact, particularly with DSLR cameras steadily decreasing in price. But entry-level point and shoot digital cameras will either go the way of the dodo or become dirt, dirt, dirt cheap. This is a very good thing for consumers, but concerning for manufacturers.

The smartphone – tomorrow’s everything device

The mobile phone disrupted the fixed line telecommunications business. The smartphone is damaging the business of virtually every pocket-size consumer electronic gadget in the world. Handheld console? Check. GPS device? Check? Timepiece? Uhm, Check. The digital camera. Without a doubt, check. Since the phenomenal HTC Desire shipped with its 5 megapixel camera, and with the iPhone following suit, the gap between a basic point-and-shoot digital camera and what you can get on your smartphone has diminished rapidly. Now, with its 12 megapixel Nokia N8, the Finnish mobile giant wants to, well, finish the job.

The perennial disruptor: the iPod?

Photo: woolennium / Flickr

At Apple’s special music event tonight many expect Steve Jobs to unveil an updated iPod Touch with a front-facing and rear-facing camera, much like the iPod 4 has. Though Apple’s intention for the device is to forward its own personal FaceTime agenda, it could have huge ramifications for point-and-shoot digital cameras, and other consumer devices like Cisco’s Flip Cam.

The iPod is no stranger to disrupting markets, being significantly responsible for upending the music business, but does it have one more swansong in it by gutting the camera business and Cisco’ brilliant Flip Cam range, too?

All in all, with the advancements in mobile computing touching every corner of consumer electronics, the point-and-shoot digital camera cannot escape unscathed. How bad the market erosion will be is yet to be seen, though.