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Games Digital Camera Manufacturers Play
I upgrade my digital camera at least once a year. I'm currently in the market for a new one but will be sitting on the sidelines for the foreseeable future.
There certainly is a wide variety of camera models on the market but, to quote a photography forum participant, camera manufacturers have "gotten stingy with the features, and there isn't one in the bunch that does what I want."
Exactly my sentiments!
We photo enthusiasts are not looking for the perfect camera. We'd like a few advanced models to choose from that have a majority of key features readily available today: Image Stabilization, decent high ISO capability, a hot shoe, a wide to long telephoto zoom range (how about 28mm - 300mm/equivalent). Some want a twist and tilt LCD and a RAW file format too.
These requests are reasonable and doable.
I happen to be a member of the crowd that believes camera manufacturers are dragging their feet for a reason. They want us to buy the more lucrative digital Single Lens Reflex cameras and spend money on interchangeable lenses.
No thanks. We don't what to lug around a camera and a bag full of lenses.
Bits and pieces
So we continue to sit on the sidelines, tired of seeing available features arrive some on this digital camera, some on that.
Take the Canon G7.
Canon G series cameras have a loyal following. As the camera has evolved it has features users have come to expect, such as RAW file and a twist and tilt LCD. The new G7 has neither. But the less featured A640 has a articulating LCD, but Canon forgot to included a hot shoe.
The Canon A700, announced February 21, 2006, is a moderately priced digital camera with a 6X zoom. It has no Image Stabilization even though another Canon camera announced the same time, the Canon SD700, does.
So what does Canon do six months later but announce the A710-IS. And we all know what IS stands for. The A710-IS has a megapixel more than it's predecessor, some minor improvements and got a face lift. Feature wise though, it's about the same camera as the A700!
I certainly don't mean to be picking on Canon. Other manufacturerd do this too. But I've owned several Canon cameras and am most familiar with the brand.
Digital camera shipments growing
According to Lyra Research, digital camera shipments will exceed 130 million in 2010. Surely the majority of purchasers will be new digital camera users. But the research also found that large numbers of current digital camera users upgraded to new models.
As buyers of second, third and fourth digital cameras become more of a force to be reckoned with, maybe manufacturers will start listening. I wish they would do so now.
Until then, we remain on the sidelines.
Category: Random Thoughts (Archive)
