Camera & Imaging Products Association(CIPA) is an organization in Japan made up of members engaged in the production or distribution of silver halide cameras, digital cameras, and related devices, instruments and software. A recent data released last week shows that the DSLR production and high megapixel counts are on the rise.

In the first half of 2007, manufacturers shipped out 42.4 million digital still cameras; a 27 percent increase from the same period last year. The increase is valued at 899.5 billion yen ($7.54 billion USD); an 18 percent increase.

Nearly 3.38 million of the cameras shipped from January to June 2007 were digital SLRs, an increase of 75 percent from the first half of 2006. Compact cameras with built-in lenses, however, grew only 24 percent year-over-year, accounting for 39.06 million units.

The report shows digital cameras shipped during the first half of this year have higher megapixel counts compared to last year. Cameras with image sensors of less than 6 megapixels dropped significantly, falling 72 percent, as manufacturers continue bumping up megapixel counts. Cameras with 6- to 8-megapixel counts rose in production by 62 percent, while cameras with 8 megapixels or higher more than doubled, at a 156 percent increase.

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