Product Description
Our product focus will be with Canon’s EOS DSLR Camera line which is manufactured by Canon Inc., a Japanese imaging and optics manufacturer based in Tokyo, Japan. ”Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR)” cameras are designed to take high quality digital photographs using a single lens for view-finding and capturing an image. This is done by reflecting the light that travels through the lens with a mirror and a prism and projecting it through the viewfinder. The image projected through the viewfinder at the back of the camera is more or less what is captured by the camera’s image sensor. This provides the photographer with accuracy in terms of capturing the eye sees. This is in contrast to point-and-shoot cameras which uses different lenses for view-finding and image-capturing. (Harris, Tom. N.D.)
EOS or “Electro-Optical System” is Canon’s brand name for its autofocus enabled SLR’s—this includes both digital and film system cameras. However, this paper will solely discuss the digital SLR line.
Canon EOS DSLR’s also feature an interchangeable lens system which provides flexibility to achieve desired effects and performance. The EF (Electro-Focus) lens mount is the standard for Canon’s EOS product range with different types of lenses compatible with any of the EOS cameras. This enables the photographer to customize the camera depending on what is being photographed (wildlife, portraits, sports and other subject matter), conditions (such as lighting and distance), or budget.
EOS DSLR’s are further divided into three categories, each aimed at different market segments: entry-level, enthusiast and professional (EOS Digital SLR Cameras, N.D.; Canon Holds No. 1 Share, 2013).

Camera Category | Segment Description | Product Model Nomenclature | Common Features | Price Point | Entry-Level | New users , casual photographers | Rebel, Kiss, Three digit (EOS 650D) and four digit (EOS 1100D) model numbers | Relatively affordable, lightweight, small, cheaper build quality, fewer features | $750-$1000 | Enthusiast | Advanced amateurs | Elan, 7-Series (EOS 7D), Two digit (EOS 60D) model numbers | Better build quality than entry-level, medium sized, more features | $1300-$2100 | Professional | Professional photographers | One digit model numbers (EOS 6D, 5D, 1D) | Expensive, premium build quality, large size, full featured | $2900-$9300 |
Table 1: EOS product line comparison (Product Finder, N.D.; Difference Explained, 2013)

Market Segmentation
Canon uses a differentiated marketing strategy based on both demographic and psychographic segmentation for its EOS brand. (Torres, N.T., 2011). The segments are however a unique customer base of photography enthusiasts that demand better picture quality than point-and-shoot cameras. Their knowledge and experience about photography can range from adequate to highly sophisticated. As mentioned, Canon has three main target market segments: * Consumer/Entry-Level captures several demographic and psychographic groups into this one category. One of these would be the university student or fresh-grad groups. In terms of demographics, they are aged 18-28 years old, they usually belong to middle class households and are usually still dependent on their parents for financial support. These individuals spend their time socializing (online or physically) and are motivated by self-expression. Another main end-user group would be married couples or single parents with one or more children. They aged 28-45 years old, have a stable source of income and are engaged in many family oriented activities. They are generally more concerned with price and value in regards to their consumption.

Canon’s entry-level product line fits the bill since these end-users want an affordable lightweight camera with a basic feature set but still a vast improvement from point-and-shoot cameras. This is necessary since they need an easy to use camera to take high quality pictures in order to record genuine moments and milestones. However, the most important aspect of this line is probably its price positioning; this is because it provides the main end-users with the desired savings and good value for the product. Furthermore, this provides individuals who are into creative pursuits with an opportunity to purchase a tool to showcase their talent at a budget price.

* Advanced Amateurs based on demographics, they are 21-34 years old, relatively high disposable income, professional, university graduates, politically/socially conscious. In terms of psychographics, these people are highly competitive, technology oriented, devoted to personal projects, frequent high-traffic venues and spends conspicuously. (B_annis, 2013)

Although they do not rely on photography as a source of income, they want a camera that is more durable and has more features. They consider photography as hobby and as a source of enjoyment. They are also concerned with developing their photography skills and gaining status to satisfy both their esteem and self-actualisation needs. They want high quality photographs, durability and reliability, and variety of features.

These individuals prefer the enthusiast line of cameras. Although these models aren’t built with all premium materials they are still fairly durable and reliable. They provide sufficient performance and an ample feature set. These cameras are relatively expensive but they also provide the end-user with a level of prestige due to the perceived price-quality relationship and because the quality of the photographs it produces are only attained through the use of these cameras. Furthermore, this provides individuals with a platform to learn more advanced photography techniques due to feature set and manual controls.

* Professionals are individuals who take photographs as a means of livelihood. They may be working freelance or for an employer. They are commonly employed in ad agencies, newspapers, photography studios. They also work in a number of genres such as portraits, nature, events and weddings. (Schonauer, David, 2013).

Professionals choose the flagship (professional) category because they want the most number of features and they want to take the highest quality photos possible in terms of accuracy and pixel density. Cameras in this category are very expensive but are a necessary investment due to its full feature set, build quality and performance. These cameras are extremely reliable and would offer peace of mind that the product will last for a long time and will not unexpectedly break down. These cameras feature rapid image processing and autofocus systems for capturing high-speed/high-movement events such as sports and wildlife. They also provide a high degree of performance for capturing photos in less than desirable conditions. This gives the photographer an advantage when it comes to capturing unique events and subjects and produce photos which are at par with professional standards.

Market Segment | Demographics | Psychographics | Profile Example | Entry-Level | Ages 18-45
Moderate household income
University students or professionals | Family and/or socially orientedMotivated by self-expression (makers and experiencers)Interested in artTrendsetter | Hipster college student that uses a Flickr account. | Enthusiast | 21-34
Makes $50k +
Unmarried
Professional
Has a degree
Politically / Socially Conscious | Yuppie
Competitive
Technology oriented
Fast paced work week
Leisurely weekends
Personal projects
Frequents high traffic venues such as bars/clubs and gyms | Up and coming young professional. Aspiring amateur photographer. | Professional | 25-54MaleModerate disposable income | Travels a lotConsumes a lot of mainstream media | Paparazzi, Journalist, Wedding photographer |

Works Cited

Harris, Tom. How Cameras Work. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.howstuffworks.com/camera5.htm
EOS Digital SLR Cameras. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.canon.co.nz/Personal/Products/Cameras-and-Accessories/EOS-Digital-SLR-Cameras
Canon holds No. 1 share of global interchangeable-lens digital camera market for 10 years running. (2013, April 22). Retrieved May 21, 2013 http://www.canon.com/news/2013/apr22e.html
Product Finder. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.canon.com.sg/personal/productfinder?productfinder=personal-eos&languageCode=EN
Differences Explained: Canon EOS 550D, Rebel T2i and Kiss X4. (2010, November 26). Retrieved May 21, 2013 http://www.digitalrev.com/article/differences-explained-canon-eos-550d/NzIxNg_A_A
Torres, N. T. (2011, May 3). Wk13: Segmenting and Targeting Markets. Retrieved from http://canoninc100.blogspot.co.nz/2011/05/wk13-segmenting-and-targeting-markets.html
B_annis. (2013). Canon 60D Marketing Plan [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved May 22, 2012 http://issuu.com/b_annis/docs/canon_presentation
Schonauer, David (2013, April 1). The State of the Art: Demographics and Trends in Professional Photography. Retrieved May 22, 2012 http://www.ai-ap.com/publications/article/5952/the-state-of-the-art-demographics-and-trends-in.html