As the recession takes hold of many industries and some people find that hobbies take a back-seat while money is tight, photography seems to have escaped the doom and gloom and digital camera sales are booming.

In February 2009 figures from retail analysts at GfK Marketing show sales of DSLR cameras were up 20% year-on-year. The total sold in the UK in February was 32,400, up from just 27,000 in February 2008.

Account director for Photo at GfK, Matthew Gibbs, said “Although the compact market slowed down markedly from the substantial growth we saw in January, the DSLR segment maintained a good rate of growth.”

The value of the sales made in February was £16.7 million, up 10.1% from the year before. Gibbs added that figures for March are not quite so strong but are still “good positive figures.”

Photographers continue to snap up digital SLR cameras as they like the flexibility of the interchangeable lenses, together with a relatively compact size and digital features. Growth in sales is particularly notable in emerging markets such as Eastern Europe, China and India.

The news that the value of UK sales has increased will be welcomed by the industry, which is facing a fierce pricing battle, with margins shrinking as a result.

There has never been a better time to invest in a Digital SLR camera and a photography course to help get the best from it.