According to the 2009 PMA U.S. Camera/Camcorder Digital Imaging Survey, more than half (53 percent) of U.S. households own at least one camera phone. In 2007, 46 percent of households owned at least one camera phone and in 2006, 37 percent of households were camera phone owners. Ten percent of U.S. households own three or more camera phones. There are a variety of reasons why people choose to use the camera phone rather than another camera for picture taking, according to PMA Marketing Research.

  The most common reason, cited by 57 percent of camera phone owners, for using the camera function was that they did not have a digital/film camera at the time. Camera phones are the perfect solution for those spur of the moment picture opportunities. More than one-third of camera phone owners take pictures with the camera phone so they can have the picture with them at all times. Thirty percent of camera phone owners just wanted to try the camera function for fun. Other reasons for using the camera phone rather than another camera is the desire to send or upload the photo quickly, the occasion was not important enough to bring a regular camera, do not have a digital camera and the camera phone is the main digital camera.

  When using the camera phone to take, share or store photos, 67 percent of users felt that the camera phone performed as expected. Fifteen percent of camera phone users felt the camera performed below or far below their expectations, but 18 percent claimed the camera phone performed at a level above their expectations or far beyond their expectations.

For comments and questions please visit the Marketing Research blog PMA Foresight.

-- By Kristy Clairmont

PMA Marketing Research Analyst