NAICS 423410

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the framework Federal statistical agencies use to categorize business establishments so they can collect, analyze, and publish data about the U.S. economy. Developed under the Office of Management and Budget and adopted in 1997 to replace SIC, NAICS is jointly maintained by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico to support cross-country comparability. The current statistical vintage is 2022. ¹

NAICS 423410 (Photographic Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers) is a six-digit national industry within Sector 42 (Wholesale Trade), Subsector 423 (Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods). It covers merchant wholesalers primarily engaged in the wholesale distribution of photographic equipment and photographic supplies. Federal statistical programs and the Economic Census publish industry statistics using this code. ²

• See also on G2X:
  • G2X — NAICS 423410 overview
  • G2X — NAICS 423420
  • G2X — PSC 6750

What this NAICS covers

• Wholesale distribution of still-picture cameras and professional motion-picture cameras. ³
• Photographic supplies such as unprocessed film and sensitized photographic paper. ³
• Photographic chemicals and related darkroom consumables for imaging workflows. ³
• Lenses, filters, tripods, light meters, and other photographic accessories. ³
• Studio and field photographic lighting fixtures and floodlight accessories. ³
• Developing/finishing equipment including enlargers, printers, dryers, washers, and editors. ³
• Projection, viewing, and microform imaging equipment (e.g., photomap projectors, integrated viewer/printer systems). ³

Related NAICS and PSC codes

How Federal statistics treat this industry

• Wholesale Trade sector definitions emphasize sales for resale or to industrial, commercial, institutional, or government users, typically from warehouse locations rather than retail storefronts. ⁵
• The Census Bureau disseminates Economic Census data on a 2022 NAICS basis for Sector 42; program adoption of the 2022 vintage is underway across surveys through 2027. ⁶

Frequently asked questions

• How is 423410 different from retail camera stores?

  • NAICS 423410 covers merchant wholesalers, not retailers. Wholesale establishments sell for resale or to institutional/commercial users and typically operate from warehouses without public-facing showrooms; retail camera stores fall under Retail Trade. ⁵

• Does 423410 include photocopiers or microfilm office equipment?

  • No. Wholesaling of office equipment such as photocopy and microfilm equipment is classified in 423420 Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers, per NAICS cross-references. ⁴

• Where are household-type video cameras classified?

  • Household-type consumer video cameras are classified in 423620 (consumer electronics wholesalers), not in 423410. ⁴

• What product examples fit under 423410?

  • Examples include still and motion-picture cameras, lenses, filters, tripods, lighting fixtures, unprocessed film, sensitized paper, photochemicals, and finishing equipment such as enlargers and printers. See PSC Group 67 definitions for specific product categories. ³ See also on G2X: PSC 6750, PSC 6760.

• What NAICS vintage applies to current Federal publications?

  • The 2022 NAICS vintage underpins the 2022 Economic Census and is being phased into remaining Census economic programs through the end of calendar year 2027. ⁶

Useful resources

• G2X — NAICS 423410 overview
• Census: NAICS Codes & Understanding Industry Classification Systems (structure and 2022 vintage). ¹
• Census: Frequently Asked Questions — Wholesale (definitions and scope). ⁵
• Census: 2022 Economic Census — Sector 42 (Wholesale Trade) data tables. ⁶

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau, Economic Census: NAICS Codes & Understanding Industry Classification Systems (2022 Guidance). https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/year/2022/guidance/understanding-naics.html
2. U.S. Census Bureau, LEHD Snapshot Documentation — Selected Codebook Value Labels (includes NAICS 423410 title). https://lehd.ces.census.gov/data/lehd-snapshot-doc/latest/appendices/value_labels.html
3. General Services Administration, Product and Service Codes (PSC) Manual, April 2025 — Group 67 Photographic Equipment (6710, 6720, 6750, 6760, 6770). https://login.acquisition.gov/sites/default/files/manual/PSC%20Manual%20April%202025.pdf
4. U.S. Census Bureau, NAICS Archive — 421410 Photographic Equipment and Supplies Wholesalers (cross-references for office equipment and household-type video cameras). https://www.census.gov/naics/resources/archives/sect42.html
5. U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Economic Census — Wholesale FAQs (definition of wholesale). https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/year/2022/about/faq/faq-wholesale.html
6. U.S. Census Bureau, Implementation of the 2022 NAICS (timeline and adoption across programs). https://www.census.gov/library/reference/code-lists/naics/2022/implementation-timeline.html