Aside from mobile phones, digital cameras and home printers are the most common technological devices in American households.

Over 1,000 consumers polled named Canon as the best manufacturer of digital cameras. Kodak, Sony, and Nikon and Olympus round out the top five.

24% of Internet users polled chose Canon as best manufacturer out of a list of fifteen brands. The results come from a larger, technology-based study conducted in the spring by Ipsos Insight and signify Canon’s stronghold as the leading brand in the U.S. for digital cameras. 17% saw Kodak as the top brand.

Canon’s endorsement is highest among those who are younger, college-educated, and with high annual incomes. Conversely, Kodak receives strongest support from older, less-educated consumers.

While Rochester, N.Y. based Kodak has lost some ground in sales in recent years, these results show Kodak has strong support for its cameras in the U.S. holding a halo-effect on its brand. “Kodak was the top manufacturer for digital cameras in the U.S. in 2005, but has now fallen to third place in terms of market share for 2006,” states Leslie Rich, Vice President with Ipsos Insight’s Media, Entertainment, and Technology practice. “Our study results show that consumer perception of the Kodak brand has been more positive than the brand’s actual market share figures would reflect.”

More than two-thirds (70%) of U.S. Internet users reported owning a digital camera and nearly the same amount (61%) reported owning a home printer capable of printing photos.

Interestingly, strongest ownership of digital cameras occurs among young Internet users, while strongest ownership of home printers occurs for the more mature Internet users. “This suggests that while the younger digital camera owners with children in their household are using their cameras to capture family pictures, the grandparents have printers for the pictures they’re receiving via PC,” Rich said. “Aside from mobile phones, these two products – digital cameras and home printers – are the most common technological devices in households right now."

Consumers also indicated an overwhelming desire for cheaper ink cartridges when provided a list of features and functionalities they would be most interested in. HP and other manufacturers face stiff competition in the ink cartridge business from non-traditional players like Walgreen’s and even local grocery stores. “HP has long owned the ink cartridge business at a very profitable level, but consumers have caught on,” Rich states. “With the amount of printing the amateur digital photographer is doing, ink cartridge costs are quickly coming under fire. Local ink refilling services and generic cartridges are plentiful for consumers - the HPs in the business should be very worried. While these new cartridge refilling options are criticized by the brand-name producers as being lower in quality, consumers are likely to sacrifice some quality in response to the perceived price-gouging by the industry leaders.” Rich also points out that “to Kodak’s credit, they appear to be the only brand-name in the printer industry touting their low-cost cartridges for their all-in-one printer in a current online marketing campaign.”

Higher quality digital photos and all-in-one devices (scan, fax, print) were moderate desires. Manufacturers of printers and digital cameras should focus on improving many of these items if they are not already.