Australian Camera Magazine Imaging Awards 2024 winners announced

Australian Camera Magazine Imaging Awards 2024
(Image credit: Future)

As we’ve noted over the last couple of years when presenting our annual awards, the camera industry took a real beating during the Covid-19 pandemic and the various knock-on effects. It was already dealing with some big challenges even before the world went into lockdown and most of the major economies suffered as a result. The global shortage of semiconductors had a big effect on camera production through 2021 and ’22, putting significant pressure on manufacturers’ balance sheets as new models were delayed and existing ones in short supply. Sales inevitably declined and the resulting rationalization of resources saw a greater emphasis on higher-end, higher-value models. 

Apart from the greater revenues earned from these products, they’re also the flag-bearers of a brand and play a critical role in maintaining both awareness and reputation. Of course, the ever more photo-capable smartphone had already decimated the lower end of the camera market, but the comparatively long absence of any new budget-priced cameras of any real note – especially in the mirrorless ILC sector – has possibly only served to exacerbate this situation. The smartphone manufacturers now heavily promote the photo and video capabilities of their products, and are using all the latest imaging technologies to enhance these capabilities. A similarly priced, but now aging mirrorless camera hasn’t been likely to cut the mustard, even if we all know that it’s still a superior device for photography and video-making. Even for the committed camera user, it’s been slim-pickings recently for anybody on a tighter budget with nothing available at under AU$1000 that isn’t at least a few years old. Additionally, the rationalization of model line-ups as seen mostly the lower-priced camera bodies axed with no replacements. 

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