According to the findings of a recent survey conducted by NPD Group, smartphones are fast emerging as a preferred choice for clicking pictures and shooting videos; with over one quarter - 27 percent, to be precise - of the photos and videos in the US now being shot using smartphones.

That the popularity of the use of smartphones for photo and video shots is on the increase by US individuals is evident from the fact that the percentage of people who use smartphones for shooting has witnessed a notable increase from 17 percent in 2010 to 27 percent this year; thereby marking a 44 percent year-on-year increase.

As a result of the increasing preference for smartphones for capturing pictures and videos, the sales of point-and-shoot cameras witnessed a 17 percent plunge in volume and an 18 percent drop in revenue during the January to November 2011 period. In addition, individual sales of pocket camcorders fell 13 percent, with the revenues tumbling 10 percent.

However, sales of higher-end products continued to increase; with the sales of cameras with detachable lenses and those of point-and-shoot cameras with 10x or more optical zooms rising 12 percent and 16 percent respectively during the mentioned period.

Noting that smartphones are fast becoming "good enough much of the time" but high-end cameras still hold ground, NPD's executive director and senior imaging analyst Liz Cutting said that for capturing "spontaneous moments" mobile phone users use their devices; but, for important events, "single-purpose cameras and camcorders are still largely the device of choice."