One of my pet peeves at this time of year is listening to retailers bellyache about how the holiday shopping season won't be as good as last year's. Well, if the digital imaging industry has anything to say about it, the holiday season should be a smashing one.



In a report released yesterday by the NPD group, of Port Washington, N.Y. repeat digital camera buyers are creating a resurgence in the U.S. digital camera and imaging market. Here are some of the analytical group's findings.

• During the first half of 2007, digital camera sales increased 20 percent over 2006 in units and 9.5 percent in dollars.
• Consumers purchasing their second or greater camera represented 54 percent of all persons buying digital cameras for themselves, up from 46 percent last year.
• Point-and-shoot digital cameras declined more in average price from the first half of 2006 to 2007 than they did during the same time period from 2005 to 2006, with a 13 percent price drop to $207.
• DSLRs dropped $125 in price to an average of $970 in the first half of 2007.
• Memory cards for use in digital cameras were up 46 percent in units from the first half of 2006.
• Zoom lenses were up 57 percent in units from the first half of 2006 with an average price of $504 even as 76 percent of DSLRs being sold in the first half of 2007 came with at least one lens.
• Camera cases were up 16 percent in units.
• Digital picture frames, as a category, has grown over 1000 percent from 2006, and has demonstrated great popularity during peak gifting seasons.

"With a combination of lower prices and better features, and the extension of image display through digital picture frames and printing output, digital imaging is poised for profit in more creative ways," NPD Senior Imaging Analyst Liz Cutting said in a statement. "Both repeat buyers and those buying for others should drive another bright digital imaging holiday season in 2007."