A new national survey(1) from electronics retailer Circuit City Stores, Inc. shows nearly three- quarters (71%) of Americans who use film cameras are thinking of purchasing, or are actively shopping for, a digital camera. The same survey shows many families who already have digital cameras are considering an upgrade.

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) estimates that 57 percent of U.S. households now own at least one digital camera. Newer digital cameras are more affordable, easier to use and take better quality pictures than first-generation models. The technology advancements and dropping prices have turned digital imaging into a mainstream experience.

Why they went digital:

Survey respondents who already own digital cameras rated the importance of some of the primary features of digital imaging:

* Eighty-six percent said it's very important for them to know instantly

whether they got the picture they wanted

* Eighty percent said it's very important to be able to print only the

pictures they want

* Approximately 60 percent assigned "very important" rating to sharing

images via email, printing pictures at home and organizing and storing

pictures electronically

Ready for an upgrade:

Forty-three percent of the survey respondents who already own a digital camera are either thinking of upgrading to a new camera, or are actively shopping for one. Asked what features they are looking for in their next digital camera:

* Sixty-five percent said they want better picture resolution (more

megapixels)

* Fourteen percent said they're looking for smaller, more stylish design

* Thirteen percent said they want faster shutter speed

* Eight percent said they're looking for a better lens

More than 2,900 people responded to the survey. Fifty-seven percent said the person who takes the most family photos in the household is mom. Dad was a distant second at 27 percent. Kids (13 %) and other family members rounded out the total.

The perfect Mother's Day gift:

Circuit City stores carry all the tools mom needs to take and share family photos, including photo printers, memory cards, photo paper, ink and a wide selection of approximately 50 digital cameras. Three-megapixel cameras start at less than $100.00.

Help for last-minute Mother's Day shoppers:

On Saturday, May 13, 2006, Circuit City Superstores nationwide will offer special demonstrations of the Kodak EasyShare digital photography and printing system from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. The EasyShare system includes a camera and printer-dock that allows users to print high quality photos without a computer, starting at $199.99. The first 100 customers who participate in the demonstration can pose for a free family photo and receive a Mother's Day greeting card to give to mom on her big day.

(1) The Circuit City "Just what I needed for Mother's Day" survey was

commissioned by Circuit City Stores, Inc. and conducted on the

Internet by Decision Analyst, Inc. of Arlington, Texas. The margin of

error is plus-or-minus 2%.

About Circuit City Stores, Inc.

Circuit City Stores, Inc. (NYSE: CC) is a leading specialty retailer of consumer electronics. The domestic segment operates through 627 Superstores and seven other locations in 158 U.S. markets. The international segment operates through more than 950 retail stores and dealer outlets in Canada. Circuit City also operates Web sites at http://www.circuitcity.com and at http://www.thesourcecc.ca.

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Source: prnewswire