Introduction This report lists new digital camera announcements and reports in reverse chronological order. Video cams are noted on a separate page.
2004 Feb. 14: Digital camera market stats from IDC, as quoted in the Chicago Sun-Times: In all of 2003, when digital cameras outsold traditional film cameras for the first time in the United States, Sony ranked first in sales with a 22 percent market share, down from 24 percent in 2002, according to IDC, a market research firm in Framingham, Mass. Kodak moved into second place with an 18 percent share, up from 13 percent in 2002, IDC said. Canon was third with 15 percent and Olympus kept ahead of Fuji with 12 percent. Hewlett-Packard was in sixth spot with 8 percent. The Photo Marketing Association, based in Jackson, Mich., estimates that 15.7 million filmless digital cameras and 10.6 million film cameras will be sold this year.
2003 Dec. 27: MacInTouch has a Digital Cameras report with a useful buying decision tree, an in-depth description of Canon software support, and numerous camera recommendations.
Aug. 1: USB 2.0-equipped cameras are finally starting to reach the masses, with the recent drops in prices on the Sony PSC family of cameras (PSC552, PSC72, etc.) The PSC52, which lacks macro mode and a convenient way to access red-eye on/off options, sells for about C$380. Still, with the ability to store up to 22 minutes of motion video with sound, it's a unique camera, and one of the best values in the 3 Mpixel category. Meanwhile, PR Newswire announces that Casio has introduced a New 4.0 megapixel digital camera with fast power up time and release time lag. The US$299 QVR40 also includes a couple of neat compositing features we haven't seen in a camera at this price range before. Look up the "Pre Shot" and "Coupling Shot" features at the QVR40 website for details.
July 28: If really low-end digital cameras are your thing, they don't get much lower than this $11 model, due to go on sale this Fall at Disney World hotels and theme parks.
July 21: PC Magazine calls the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-U60 "a great summer camera." The waterproof unit retails for US$250 and is designed to work underwater or on terra firma.
July 20: Macworld takes a look at a wide range of cameras introduced at the recent Photo Marketing Association (PMA) show. Among the cameras reviewed:
The best of the bunch, according to the review, is the five-megapixel Canon PowerShot S50 (US$699).
May 22: "MacDirectory reviews the "Best Digital Cameras Under $500. Find it here. Elsewhere, MacHome reviews the five-megapixel Olympus C-5050 Zoom. This pro-level camera, it says, piles on the lavish features. Our vote for best camera review site of the month goes to dpreview.com, which reviews and compares the super-small Pentax Optio S and the top-rated Canon S400.
Apr. 17: "Olympus New Digital Cameras: With hundred of digital cameras flooding today's market, it's hard for a manufacturer to make its products stand out. This duo from Olympus attacks the four-megapixel market from two fronts: the smallest and the most affordable." MacDirectory "Camera-Cellphones Reviewed" New York Times [Free Registration Required] "
Sigma SD9: The Sigma SD9 looks like one heck of a camera when you consider the price, features and software. It's the best value digital SLR so far" MacUser
Apr. 9: Sony of Canada Announces New Memory Stick Platform (As we can't find the Canadian press release online, here is the PR in full): Memory Stick PRO media offers new levels of performance, improved expandability, copyright protection technology and high-level content security
TORONTO - April 9, 2003 - Sony of Canada Ltd. today announced the introduction of Memory Stick PRO, a new generation of high-performance IC recording media developed jointly with SanDisk Corporation. Incorporating both advanced technology and improved expandability, Memory Stick PRO offers new levels of performance when combined with products optimized for the media, while ensuring high-level security to protect commercial and personal content.
Since the 1998 market introduction of Memory Stick - a media which connects a whole suite of disparate products by facilitating the capture and seamless transfer of information - it has evolved from a storage media to a networking media adopted by a wide range of product categories, such as digital still cameras, PCs, PDAs, portable audio devices, car devices, televisions, printers and multimedia terminals. Memory Stick sales are expanding steadily, with cumulative worldwide shipments for the media and compatible products reaching 30 million as of October 2002.
Sony of Canada is simultaneously debuting the new Memory Stick media with Memory Select Function. Initially available in 256MB (128MBx2) capacity, this new memory card was developed to provide a higher capacity solution for users with current Memory Stick-compatible products. To enhance user friendliness, each memory unit can be used to categorize various types of data (such as using one memory unit for business data and the other for personal content) via a switch located on the back of the media. "In preparing for a wave of digital devices with a host of advanced features, Sony recognizes it is equally important to provide both an advanced flash media to complement these new devices, as well as a high-capacity option for users of existing Memory Stick products," said Hiro Futsukaichi, Marketing Manager, Digital Imaging, Sony of Canada Ltd. Memory Stick PRO: High Capacity, Security and Superior Copyright Protection Technology.
High Capacity - On a 1GB card (940MB actual available), users can enjoy and record approximately:
· Copyright Protection Technology - MagicGate copyright protection technology provides secure transfer and playback of commercial and copyrighted content, such as digital music and, in the future, video and games.
· High Speed - In addition to an improved transfer speed of up to 160 megabits per second (Mbps), Memory Stick PRO's minimum write speed of 15Mbps can be realized with optimized Memory Stick PRO format-compatible devices. The 15Mbps write speed makes it possible to design more reliable moving image recording devices capable of preventing data loss in the event of sudden power loss or accidental removal of the media during file recording.
· Real-time Recording - Memory Stick PRO technology incorporates software specifically designed to offer real-time recording of data with recording capacities specified up to 32GB. With compatible devices, users can now be assured the content on their memory cards will not be compromised when they accidentally remove the card before all of the data has been transferred or recorded.
· Data Security - Tentatively dubbed the "Access Control Function," the new protection technology will have the capability of securing content on the media, helping to prevent others from accessing the files in the event the card is stolen or lost.
· Expandability - As an advanced new generation media format, Memory Stick PRO offers future expandability allowing it to evolve to bring new, exciting applications and benefits to its users. Currently, Memory Stick PRO media is available in 1GB, 512MB and 256MB capacities.
Pricing and Availability The Memory Stick PRO flash media format will be available this month in 256MB, 512MB and 1GB capacities for $239.99 (MSRP), $529.99 (MSRP) and $999.99 (MSRP), respectively, through select Sony retail stores, select authorized Sony retailers and online at www.sonystyle.ca. Memory Stick Select at 128 MB x2 capacity will also be available this month for $219.99 (MSRP).
Apr. 2: New digital camera reviews from around the web:
Mar. 31: Slashdot commentary on an article at C|NET News article about Flash Memory’s future notes a link to How Stuff Works describing Flash memory. If you dig into the comments, you'll find additional tidbits about xD Flash Memory, the Olympus and Fuji "standard" mentioned here back in July 2002.
Mar. 27: MacDesign has posted its "2003 Digital Camera Shootout," covering 10 of their editors' favorite cameras for brief review, including three SLRs, four electronic viewfinder (EVF) models, and three viewfinder/LCD prosumer cameras. Here's a summary:
| Manufacturer/Model | Price (US$) | MP | Rating | Web Site |
| SLR Cameras | ||||
| Nikon D100 | $1,999.95 | 6.1 | 5 | www.nikonusa.com |
| Canon EOS D60 | $2,199.99 | 6.3 | 5 | www.canoneos.com |
| FujiFilm FinePix S2 Pro | $2,399.99 | 6 | 4 | www.fujifilm.com |
| Viewfinder/LCD Prosumer Cameras | ||||
| Leica DIGILUX 1 | $895 | 4 | 4.5 | www.leica-camera.com |
| Nikon Coolpix 5000 | $999 | 5 | 4 | www.nikonusa.com |
| Canon PowerShot G3 | $799 | 4 | 3.5 | www.usa.canon.com |
| Prosumer EVF Cameras | ||||
| Nikon Coolpix 5700 | $1,199.95 | 5 | 4 | www.nikonusa.com |
| FujiFilm FinePix S602 | $699.99 | 3.1 | 3.5 | www.fujifilm.com |
| Sony Cybershot DCS-F717 | $999.95 | 5 | 3.5 | www.sonystyle.com |
| Minolta DiMAGE 7i | $999 | 5 | 3 | www.minoltausa.com |
| (MP=megapixel) |
Feb. 19: Fuji surpasses 6 megapixels, notes News.com. Fuji says new Super CCD SR, ("charge-coupled device with super dynamic range technology") sensor chips capture more precise variations of light and dark. The US$599 Fujifilm FinePix F700 offers a resolution of 6.2 megapixels. The company also announced the US$499 FinePix, F410, sporting 3.1 million effective pixels.
Jan. 21: Mac Design reviews the Nikon Coolpix 4500, a digital camera with 4-megapixel resolution.
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