Doom-and-gloom reports about traditional camera sales are almost an expected thing anymore, but one bright spot in the camera market is that for instant cameras.
Whether due to nostalgia or their really cool capabilities and relatively affordable prices, instant cameras like the Instax line from Fuji have enjoyed a robust market while others have lagged and fallen by the wayside.
Now it seems that Canon could be entering that market to challenge Fuji’s dominance if rumors end up being true.
Camera and optical industry rumor blog Nokishita reports that several SKUs were filed under the Canon banner that indicate the manufacturer is thinking about bringing an instant camera line to market.
According to Digital Camera World, this would make sense given the instant-camera market’s healthy sales. The website states that Fuji alone sells some 900.000 units a month of its Instax line of cameras.
The new product will be called IVY and has the following SKUs associated with it so far:
3879C001: IVY 2in1 instant camera (Gold)
3879C002: IVY 2in1 instant camera (White)
3879C003: IVY 2in1 instant camera (Blue)
3879C004: IVY 2in1 instant camera (Red)
3884C001: IVY instant camera (Green)
3884C002: IVY instant camera (Yellow)
3884C003: IVY instant camera (Blue)
3884C004: IVY instant camera (Red)
The name indicates that Canon will merge its printer line with an instant camera product and use the former’s branding as the model line name. IVY will use Zink printing like many of its competitors and should be similar in execution to the Kodak Smile instant cameras.
Exact specs for the camera are unknown as of press but it is expected to be, again, comparable to its competitors. What do you think about Canon's alleged plans to offer an instant camera? Do you have any experience with IVY printers? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
