Mega Pixel Mania!
GUIDE NOTE: THE CONTENT IN THE ARTICLE BELOW HAS BEEN UPDATED AND EXPANDED - TO GO TO CURRENT INFORMATION ON DIGITAL CAMERAS, CHECK OUT ABOUT'S SITE FOR DIGITAL CAMERAS
It was just a short time ago that Digital Cameras began to creep into the marketplace as an expensive curiosity that could take a limited amount of "grainy" digital photos that could be imported directly into a computer without the aid of scanner. Resolution and storage capacity were very limited and it seemed that the future of film photography was very secure.
Although I still believe that 35mm Film quality surpasses Digital Photo quality, the latest innovations in resolution, storage, and functionality have secured Digital Photography a permanent niche in the overall imaging market. The following is an overview of some the new Digital Cameras arriving in stores this Fall.
First up, Casio, which was one of the first manufacturers to produce Digital Cameras for the consumer market, continues its product line with the QV-2000UX which features 1600x1200 resolution, 3x Zoom, and USB download capability, the QV-5500SX, with Panorama and AVI motion capability, and the QV-8000SX, with 8x Optical Zoom, USB interface, and Wired Remote Control. For an advance independent review of the QV-8000SX, Click Here.
Olympus, one of the leaders in both 35mm Point & Shoot Cameras and Digital Photography, is introducing two new Digital Cameras worthy of consideration, the D-450, which is an upgrade of the popular D-400Z, with fast multishot capability, and the C-2500L, an SLR design, with a top resolution of 1712x1368 and both Smart Media (32mb Card included) and Compact Flash compatability. However, this camera needs a USB interface but only has a slower Serial Port output.
Kodak, has also continued the fine tuning of its Digital Camera lineup with the DC-215 an 1152x864 resolution camera, which comes in a Standard version and Millennium 2000 version. The later includes an additional 4MB memory card and USB Card Reader for faster download capability. Next is DC-280, with excellent 1760x1168 resolution, 2X optical zoom, and USB interface, and finally, the DC-290, with stunning 2240x1500 top resolution, 3x optical zoom, USB interface and 20MB Compact Flash Card included.
Agfa, the European Photo Giant, has brought its low-cost CL-30 to the American market, with a very low street price of $399, this one gives you five picture resolutions, ranging from 1440x1080 down to 640x480, USB Interface for fast downloads, and Compact Flash memory expansion (up to now AGFA has been using Smart Media slots in its Digital Cameras).
Yashica, with an innovative design, presents the Samarai 2100DG. This camera looks more like a small video camcorder than a digital still camera, but the design is very functional. Also, with a top resolution of 1632x1232, 4X optical zoom lens, and included lithium-ion rechargable battery, this unit deserves a good look.
Last, but not least, is a camera that is sure to stir up the industry, the SONY DCR-PC100. Not only is this a High Resolution Digtal Still camera, but is also a MiniDV Video Camcorder.
Continuing with the same body design of its popular DCR-PC1, Sony has incorporated a High Resoution Digital Still camera into the same chassis, utilizing its compact Memory Stick storage technology. With a price of $2,200.00 this could be the answer to the needs of those that require both good still and video performance without having to carry around separate cameras for each function. Up until now, Digital Photos taken with a Digital Video Camcorder were limited to about 640x480 resolution. Now, with the Sony PC-100, you can not only shoot 500-line video but also take Digital Still photos with a megapixel resolution of 1152x864.
Just as Digital Photography is trying to slow the gap with Film, Sony may begin to close the gap between good still photos and video in the same machine.
Where will all this Mega Pixel Mania end?
Stay tuned...
UPDATE 9/14/99
Get a preview look at Fuji's latest innovative Digital Camera the MX-1700!
Steve's Digicams - Fuji MX1700 Zoom First Look
This site includes great close-ups of the Camera, an explanation of its features and a link to sample photos.
Fuji MX-1700 Review by Imaging Resource
Excellent review of this latest entry into the digital camera market by Fuji. Also includes a complete Data Sheet.
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