Funky-colored compact cameras have been around for quite some time. But when it comes to higher-end digital SLRs, the design choices are typically much more conservative, with matte black as the go-to option. Some camera manufacturers have dabbled in detailing their DSLR models with atypical colors, but low popularity keeps the DSLR dark and unassuming. That could change depending on the sales success of the new red version of the Nikon D3100 sold exclusively through Best Buy. The deep candy apple red is a popular color for electronics these days and has been included with Nikon compact cameras in the past.
But whether or not the market for DSLRs will warm up to a red-colored camera is something Nikon
can’t be too sure about. While compact cameras risk becoming obsolete due to increasingly sophisticated Smartphones, DSLRs are designed for working photographers. Prime DSLRs are not cheap, but the quality of the image and the range of settings makes them well worth it for individuals who make their living off the photographs they produce.
Whether you’re a wedding photographer or a freelancer for nature periodicals, it’s not likely you’ll want a brightly colored candy apple red DSLR as your tool of choice. For wedding photographers, the color could give the false impression that you’re using a device that appeals to teenagers and therefore isn’t suit for professional photography. For those who wish to photograph wild animals, the red color of the camera could give their position away easier and ruin otherwise carefully timed shots.
Maybe there is a market for a red DSLR, but at $650, not including the $140 backup plan, it’s doubtful anyone who just wants to point-and-shoot is going to drop that amount of cash on a camera. It will depend on how well it’s received by those who take their photography, and therefore their cameras, very seriously.