In recent years, cellphone cameras have come on par, if not better, than many entry level SLRs. What does this mean for the older guys in the game? Companies like Nikon, who is known as one of the kings of photography, find themselves fighting a losing battle to the light and portable, yet superior camera technology in these smartphones as seen in this article.

Through a quick SWOT analysis, Nikon, who relies on camera sales for 78% of their revenue, shows an obvious weakness in the fact that their target is a very narrow market segment. Point-and-shoots are no longer sensible (smartphone camera capabilities are surpassing), and today’s fast-paced world, many would prefer to carry a smartphone with multiple functions. Along with the new “professional photography” accessories that Sony offers for their phone, there’s even less reason to purchase an SLR. However, a good way to approach this problem, I believe, would be an industry-wide differentiation strategy. There is no question that for professional photographers, SLRs must still be used, but which brand? There has not been many technological breakthroughs in the SLR industry in the past decade, and if Nikon were to develop a research program to set them apart from other brands, this would definitely give them the edge over another company like Canon, who are distracted with many other focuses. Successfully implementing this into a 5-year program would definitely allow Nikon to get on their feet, and return to its rightful place on its throne.