Digital technology is evolving and product prices are declining at such stunning clips that hardly any new industry developments evoke surprise.
In another technological development, which may reshape the future of the photo industry, some film and camera companies are putting on the market this month "mega-pixel" digital still cameras, which were priced at more than 1 million yen only a few years ago but are debuting on the consumer market for less than 100,000 yen.
The arrival of the latest wave of new digital cameras, with greatly improved image quality, raises serious questions regarding the extent to which the analog camera and film market will be replaced, and whether the analog photo system can survive.