Skip to main content

Is Google’s latest patent another nail in the point-and-shoot camera coffin?

broken-camera
Image used with permission by copyright holder

On January 29, Google was awarded patent 8,363,157 by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. While it probably won’t have any impact on your personal life, this patent could be very troublesome to makers of point-and-shoot cameras in the upcoming years. The patent describes a system that allows a camera phone to fire using a ring of multiple LED lights around a lens, which could enable cell phone cameras to become even more sophisticated than they already are.

You might be asking, why a patent awarded to Google should worry camera makers? In 2011, 27 percent of all photos taken were shot with camera phones, significantly higher than in 2010. According to DxO mark, today’s cell phone cameras are already more sophisticated than the point-and-shoot cameras of five years ago. That fact, combined with the rising install base of cell phones, can only mean the number of photos people take with their cell phone will continue to rise.

Cell phones are a logical replacement for point-and-shoots because they are small and users are always carrying them. Camera makers like Canon and Olympus have already seen a decline in their sales of point-and-shoot cameras. According to NPD, Black Friday sales of point-and-shoot cameras were down 36 percent from 2011. So far, the saving grace for some manufacturers has been the increasing sales of their DSLR lines. As DSLRs become cheaper and easier to use, more and more users are gobbling them up (not to mention the increasing popularity of mirrorless interchangeable lens systems). 

For manufacturers without a DLSR in their lineup, there is cause for concern.  Outside of niche segments like outdoors and waterproof, there may be limited appeal. Point-and-shoots have small sensors that produce marginal photos. Why spend an extra $100 on a camera when your cell phone can give you the same output? Manufacturers have tried adding features like touchscreens and innumerable photo modes (does anyone even use them?) to point-and-shoots, but it hasn’t stemmed the blood flow. The only features that keep smartphones at bay are the ones that count, such as better sensors and long optical zooms.

Why would a user opt to purchase a point-and-shoot when the camera they always have on them can take decent enough snapshots? In the world of street photography, many street shooters have already started using the iPhone 5 as their full-time camera.

Of course, this leads us to again ask the question, is there still a market for point and shoot cameras?  Will this Google patent help dig the grave deeper if it leads to more sophisticated camera phones? Or can traditional camera makers fight back with enticing models that give us a reason to carry two devices?

Editors' Recommendations

Richard Grech
As a father of young triplets, Richard Grech has his hands full. But, as a photography enthusiast and one of Digital Trends'…
Key researcher behind the Pixel’s camera left Google in March
pixel 4 xl accented button

The person behind the Google Pixel’s impressive cameras reportedly left the company in March -- an enormous blow to the technology giant's mobile efforts. 

Marc Levoy worked at Google since 2014 as a distinguished engineer, and departed in March after Pixel general manager Mario Querio also left, according to The Information. 

Read more
DJI patent describes a remote-controlled rover with a camera attached
dji patent describes a remote controlled rover with camera attached car

DJI is known for its popular drones — the Mavic 2 Pro and Zoom among them — but could the company be prepping the launch of a ground-based, camera-equipped remote-controlled rover in 2020?

A patent filed in China by the Shenzhen-based company suggests it may be considering such a device.

Read more
iPhone 11 Pro vs. Google Pixel 4 in a portrait mode camera shootout
iphone 11 pro pixel 4 mate 30 galaxy fold portrait shootout ryoko

Samsung Galaxy Fold portrait mode Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Is portrait mode on your camera really any good? What happens when you take a smartphone to a model photoshoot, for example, and try it out under pro-lighting and with someone who knows how to pose? That’s exactly what I found out on a recent trip to Japan, where I had the chance to take portrait shots of model and idol Ryoko Sakimura, with four different phones.

Read more