Digital Cameras

Digital Cameras

Claire Knapp

MKT-620 Consumer Behavior

June 28, 2015

Dr. Gary White

Southern New Hampshire University

Digital Cameras

Digital single-lens reflex cameras, commonly known as DSLR cameras are a popular consumer product. Professional photographers rely on DSLR cameras as part of their tools of the trade. There are several different options available for the professional or the hobbyist photographer that are in the professional or “prosumer” grade range that offer more features and benefits than the consumer grade cameras. The scope of my project is to research, evaluate, and present a current market snapshot of the high-end DSLR market.

Evaluation of the DSLR market will be achieved by utilizing a number of research methods. Primary information will be gained by utilizing surveys to determine which attributes are more important to consumers, and determine if any current market offerings meet the consumer expectation. Surveys will allow an insight in to the target demographic consideration process and help to understand which attributes are the primary considerations for the end user. Reviews and community website postings can also be considered, however they may not offer the same insight as an anonymous survey.

Consumer purchase decisions are not always basic, black-and-white choices. Consumers often make decisions based on emotion, preference, or pricing point. Part of the consumer decision-making process is looking at different attributes of a product and comparing them to other products in the same category. Determinant attributes are the factors and attributes used to choose the preferred product over the rest of the products being considered (Fripp, 2013). The determinant attributes for a DSLR are image quality – the megapixel rating of the sensor or other information relating to picture quality; full frame versus crop sensor – which determines how large of an image can be printed and is a separate consideration from megapixels; ISO noise – the sensitivity of the sensor to light and how much distortion is in the image; and how fast the camera can take pictures, or how many shutter actuations the camera can achieve per second.

There are several different brands that sell high-end DSLR cameras. The brands for consideration in this project are Canon, Nikon, and Sony. Each brand is well established within the DSLR market and each offers several product options to evaluate.

The goal of the research is to validate if the determinant attributes considered are a match to the attributes that the consumer uses to make a final purchase decision. The consumer definition of the need and the attributes required to fulfill that need may be different from the attributes that are considered when developing and marketing new cameras in the DSLR product line. By identifying and understanding the determinant attributes that the consumer identifies as purchase decision drivers, a marketing position can be developed to address these attributes.

Survey

The product selected – digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras have several determinant attributes that drive the purchasing decision. While there are several attributes that may ultimately play a part in the consumer decision making process, the specific attributes that are being considered for this survey are as follows:

• Image quality, determined by megapixels on the CCD sensor in the camera body
• CCD sensor type
• ISO noise
• Shutter actuations per second
• Brand preference

The goal of this research is to understand which factors are more important to the professional or pro-am level photographer when making a decision regarding which camera body to purchase. Considering that a camera body in the semi-professional to professional are priced starting at $1100 on the low end, without a lens, this is a rather significant expense for a photographer and is not an impulse purchase decision (All Things Photography, 2015). The use of quantitative survey questions is preferred – this will provide an answer to the question of “what factors are more important to purchasers of DSLR cameras?” (McKee, 2013). The use of a qualitative question regarding brand preference between Canon, Nikon, and Sony should also be included to capture the consumer’s subjective analysis of cameras that offer similar features and specifications.

The survey outline is as follows:

• OBJECTIVE: Determine which, of selected factors, are driving factors in the decision between similar models of DSLR cameras, along with brand preference between the leading 3 manufacturers.
• GOAL: Target consumers of semi-professional/professional DSLR cameras and determine the leading factors in selecting a new camera body.
• TIMELINE: Surveys should be offered via social media, photography blogs, and other Internet outlets for a period of 30 days to obtain the largest, most diverse, sample possible. Reaching out to professional and semi-professional photographers via the Internet will allow a greater research pool.

 Survey questions need to be carefully constructed in order to obtain an accurate view of how purchasers make their final decision on which model and brand to invest in. The primary driver of this survey is to obtain measurable data that does not rely on customer emotions or gut feelings. The question regarding brand preference is included as a barometer of sorts to identify potential brand bias from customers. It is therefore important to utilize brand-neutral questions and rely on technical specifications in the survey questions.

This survey should be considered the first step in a comprehensive research plan, as this is not an all inclusive attitude survey. Depending upon the type of respondents, results may be skewed toward a specific brand or a specific attribute that is not an accurate reflection of the target demographic as a whole.

The survey should attempt to determine if purchasers are relying on the lexicographic rule, the elimination-by-aspects rule, or the conjunctive rule. The lexicographic rule means that the purchaser makes their decision based on the most important determinant factor. If two brands are equal, the purchaser then moves on to the second most important factor. This is similar to the elimination-by-aspects rule however the purchaser has a specific factor that they have in mind or a “must-have” feature or specification (Solomon, 2015).