5 digital photo firsts
Gannett News Service
Smaller. Less expensive. More fully featured. Those are some of the buzzwords that describe the bounty of digital cameras and digital photography accessories to make a splash at the photo industry's annual new-products show.
The Photo Marketing Association International is betting that the new gear will propel digital camera sales to more than 59 million, up from 46 million in 2003, or a 63 percent increase from 2002, says market tracker IDC. Nearly a third of Americans own a digital camera; that's expected to jump to 42 percent by the end of 2004.
"The growth we've been seeing is going to keep going crazy," says IDC analyst Chris Chute.
Here is a look at five of the most innovative cameras and accessories introduced at the PMAI convention in Las Vegas.
Movie camera
Canon's $499 S1 IS isn't the first digital camera to also shoot movies. But unlike the grainy, 30-second clips offered on many past models — some without sound — Canon's video can run as long as one hour, if you spring for the $300 1-gigabyte memory card.
"It's a terrific option for consumers who don't want to carry a lot of cameras while traveling," says Chuck Westfall, Canon USA's technical information manager. "The quality is just as good as video."
The S1 IS is capable of video at 30 frames per second. Less expensive Canon cameras offer video at 15 frames per second, in three-minute bites.
To watch the videos, you'll have to plug the camera into the TV, or transfer the footage to your computer and record it to a DVD or CD.
Memory made easy
People think in terms of how many pictures they can take, not megabytes. Right? That's the thinking at memory card maker SanDisk. Instead of the traditional 32-megabyte or 128-megabyte storage numbers on the front of memory cards, SanDisk will start shipping Shoot and Store cards that will more resemble film. A $14.99 32MB card will say it has room for 50 pictures (at low resolution), a $24.99 64MB card will be sold as a 100-picture card.
Better color
Silicon Valley company Foveon wowed PMAI crowds two years ago with examples of more realistic digital colors from its advanced X3 image-capturing sensor. Its technology was only available in a $1,500 camera for serious photo buffs. The first consumer camera with the Foveon sensor, the $399 Polaroid 4.5-megapixel x530, ships in June.
Red-eye removers
Those awful red eyes in family photos might just be a thing of the past thanks to two upcoming digital models that correct the problem in the camera. Nikon's Coolpix 5200 will cost $499 and Hewlett-Packard's Photosmart R707 will sell for $349. Both feature 5-megapixel image sensors. Nikon also will sell a $399 model, the Coolpix 4200, that has 4-megapixel resolution and red-eye removal.
"Red eye is the number one complaint from consumers," says Chute. "All subcompact cameras, film and digital, suffer from red eye. And with this technology, digital will really start to make an impact with everyone."
The closer the lens is to the flash, the more likely you'll get hit with red eye. With cameras getting smaller, red-eye woes have been on the rise.
Personal photo lab
Epson refers to its $199 PictureMate as a "personal photo lab." It's a picture maker for dummies, making only 4-by-6 prints directly from memory cards, without having to be connected to the computer. Epson spokeswoman Pam Barnett says the device is aimed at moms — whom she refers to as the home's "chief memory officer" — who don't want to crop or edit their photos. They just want to print and look at the pictures. Epson also addresses concern about the high cost of printer supplies with PictureMate ink and paper combo pack that will effectively bring the price per picture down to 29 cents a print. That's what many labs and online services now charge for digital prints.
