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Digital cameras shed some of their chains

By DAVE GUSSOW
Published February 28, 2005

ORLANDO - Got film?

The answer for many people at last week's Photo Marketing Association International trade show really didn't matter. Digital rules the photo world.

But who rules the digital camera world? Now, there's a debate. Kodak claimed the No. 1 spot for 2004 sales in a study by the IDC research firm. But Canon was No. 1 in a report from the NPD Group.

New cameras always draw the most attention at the show, but other products caught our eye as we made our way around the Orange County Convention Center. A sampling of what's here or coming in the digital photo world:

* Sleek SLR: Even though Canon has almost doubled the production for the new Digital Rebel XT ($999) over what it initially did for the first Digital Rebel two years ago, it still expects demand to outstrip supply when it goes on sale next month.

The new model has a slimmer body and 8 megapixels of resolution, compared with the original's 6.3 megapixels. "It raises the bar for performance at that price," said Chuck Westfall of Canon. "We've added in all the control functions the advanced amateur wants." The original Digital Rebel, now what Canon calls an "entry level" SLR, will be available at $799.

* Avoiding the computer I: Increasingly, cameras let people do more editing features while the picture is still in the camera, such as red-eye removal. Nikon has upgraded its software to allow fixes such as correcting lighting or exposure problems. "Our goal is to get a good print right out of the camera," said Chuck De Luca, a Nikon product manager.

* Avoiding the computer II: Olympus has added flexibility to its line that makes it possible to bypass a PC. Consumers can choose to buy a camera with a dock, printer, DVD writer and hard drive storage as separate items. The new IR-300 digital camera (5 megapixels, $349.99) is due in April, and the S-DVD-100 DVD/CD Reader/Writer ($399.99) is due in May.

* Fast Fuji: One of the complaints about digital cameras has been slow startup and shutter lag. Fuji Photo Film's FinePix F10 goes from off to ready in 1.3 seconds, has shutter lag down to one-hundredth of a second and claims 500 shots on a single battery charge. "It's for the picture you just can't miss," spokesman Andy LaGuardia said. The 6.3-megapixel camera is expected to be available in April at $499.95.

* Scrapbook in a box: Scrapbooking earned its own section in the trade show, indicating the popularity of the hobby. StoryTeller Photo Book Creator kits from Epson (www.epson.com) put everything someone needs in one box. Available in April either in 5- by 7-inch or 8- by 10-inch versions, the boxes contain software to design the pages, the hardcover for the books, photo paper and a book cover. Prices will be $19.99, $24.99 and $29.99.

* Wireless and more: At some point, the digital camera may be part of the home wireless network, beaming photos directly from cameras to computers, TVs or other display devices. Kodak and Nikon both showed off cameras that do just that, and Microsoft also made it part of its booth.

* Simple software: A company called OurPictures has developed software that is a model of simplicity for sharing and organizing photos, as well as letting people order prints at home and pick up the prints at a store.

One feature that it hopes to license to more cell phone companies lets a photo be taken with a camera phone and then automatically be sent to a home computer. The company announced a deal with Ritz Camera at the show, which will give it away free with certain purchases under the brand Ritz Pix E-Z Print & Share. A free starter version also can be downloaded from www.ourpictures.com for Windows only.

-- Dave Gussow can be reached at gussow@sptimes.com or 727 771-4328.

[Last modified February 28, 2005, 13:08:03]