Has digital camera growth peaked?

Digital camera sales keep growing but a new report from IDC claims the growth is slowing down.

According to research firm IDC, 9.7 million digital cameras were sold in the United States in the first half of 2005, a healthy 20 percent more than were sold during the same period last year. But according to IDC senior analyst Christopher Chute, the segment's growth in 2005 pales in comparison to the 50 percent growth during the first half of 2004.

However, some critics claim IDC should have taken cell phones with digital cameras into account, as sales of those are still expanding quickly.

In the U.S. Kodak is the number one with a 22.1 percent marketshare, followed by Canon with 20.6 percent and Sony with 18.3 percent.

More details at CNET