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Pixel progress
By DAVE GUSSOW
Published May 30, 2005
Here's a snapshot of how the digital camera market has changed: In 1999, Nikon introduced the D1 digital SLR camera. It cost about $5,000. Today, digital SLR camera prices are racing toward $500.
The situation has changed so fast in digital cameras that some suggest the category is peaking: Megapixels (resolution) are plentiful. Zoom lenses are common. Quick to click, from faster startup times to less shutter lag, has improved. Choices from top to bottom have multiplied. Prices keep falling.
"The industry is really searching for the next innovation to maintain price points," said Christopher Chute, an analyst with the IDC research company.
What this means for consumers is great deals, Chute said.
What it may mean in just a few years is a saturated market. Consumers may have fewer choices as companies cut back on product lines. Some may eventually abandon the fierce competition that is shaving profit margins.
Two questions almost always dominate a discussion of digital cameras: What should I buy? And when?
The what is a matter of budget and the features that fit it. Digital SLR (single lens reflex) cameras have taken over the $500 to $1,000 consumer category, Chute said. People like the ability to change lenses and cameras with a lot of features.
On the other hand, camera phones may dent sales of low-end still cameras, particularly in the teen market. "Anyone under 20 sees a lot more value in (a camera phone) than someone over 20," Chute said. "It's something you don't have to buy (extra)."
The when is like almost any tech purchase of recent vintage: Buy today, something better comes out tomorrow. But, as Chute suggests, performance has improved dramatically in just a few years.
Today we offer a sampling of the choices in point-and-shoot, digital SLR and digital camcorders. Quoted prices are from PriceGrabber.com and are subject to change.
- DAVE GUSSOW, Times Personal Technology Editor
ON THE WEB:
Here are some Web sites for more information on digital photography:
BetterPhoto.com (www.betterphoto.com): Tips, articles, community discussion boards and more.
Digital Photo Review (www.dpreview.com): Comprehensive review site.
EasyCamcorders.com (www.easycamcorders.com): Beginner's guide to camcorders, ratings, reviews and tutorials.
Library of Photography (www.libraryofphotography.com): Great resource with links to even more resources.
PhotoNotes.org (photonotes.org): Articles, reviews and a dictionary.
Steve's Digicams (www.stevesdigicams.com): Comprehensive review site.
ZDNet (reviews-zdnet.com.com): Comprehensive review site.
[Last modified May 30, 2005, 09:09:19]
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