The photographic industry has traditionally been very supportive of education and has donated equipment and material. However, with the development of electronic photography, new manufacturers enter the scene who have not traditionally been associated with the photographic industry. New relationships have to be established. The amount of capital involved and the life expectancy of donations has also changed. Whereas sixty thousand dollars are sufficient to equip a school with twenty or more high-end silver halide cameras including a variety of lenses that can be used for decades, the same amount might buy two electronic still camera systems of the same apparent quality that need to be replaced within a few years.
Industry has a vested interest in the quality of photographic education.
On one hand, graduates form a pool that can be tapped for future employees. Recent graduates with a good education in electronic photography theories and techniques have had no problems finding a job. Consequently, today's students are the future buyers of electronic photography products. It has been established that people tend to stay with familiar brands to minimize the training period associated with new buys. It can be deduced that the product names the students were exposed to during their education will feature prominently in their decision making process.