Westlake Village, Calif. – Consumers are more willing to dump their current camera brand when shopping for an upgrade, according to a recent survey by J.D. Power and Associates.
The firm’s 2006 Digital Camera Satisfaction report, based on a survey of 5,800 customers who bought a camera from January to July, also found customer satisfaction sagging in the lower end of the market while strengthening for the top. Overall customer satisfaction has declined slightly from 816 points in 2005 to 805 points (on a 1,000-point scale) this year.
According to J.D. Powers, 26 percent of surveyed digital camera buyers said they would stick with their current camera brand in the future, down from 35 percent in 2005.
The study also measured customer satisfaction among buyers of digital cameras in four price segments: $199 or less, $200-$399, $400-$599 and $600 or more.
Satisfaction dropped the most (27 index points) in the $199 or less category, flattened in the $200-$399 and $400-$599 segments and rose 12 points in the highest end category.
According to the study, Nikon topped the satisfaction list in the $199 or less segment, followed by Sony. Kodak topped the $200-$399 segment, which accounts for the bulk of digital camera sales, for the third year in a row. Sony, again, placed second.
In the $400-$599 segment, Canon took top honors, followed by Sony while Olympus earned highest marks in the $600-plus price band, followed by Nikon.
The survey found that women are most likely to purchase a camera from the $199 or less segment, while men gravitate to the $200-$399 segment. Men also snap one and one-third times as many pictures per month than women, the study found.
