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Happy New Year 2003!
We hope you all had a restful and safe holidays.
In this editorial, we want to talk a bit about
the "state of the union" as far as digital
cameras are concerned. Just where are we in the
technical evolution of digital cameras? Somewhere
in the 35mm equivalent of the 1980's!
Back in the 1980's, 35mm cameras were making
great stride, but it was still a challenge for
a beginner to take perfectly exposed, correctly
focused pictures. We find ourselves at the same
point in the history of digital cameras -- except
that the rate of technological advancement is
progressing at a much accelerated pace.
So, let's have some fun and try to predict what
the Year 2003 will bring us as far as digital
cameras are concerned.
Low-Light Focus-Assist
This neat feature fires a burst of infrared light
(or green/blue light depending on the type of
AF used) at your subject to allow autofocus in
dim situations. Without it, it is almost impossible
for the camera's AF to gain a positive lock, and
blurred pictures usually result. We are increasingly
seeing this feature in low end digital cameras,
so expect to see all digital cameras worth your
consideration sport this feature. It doesn't have
it, you say? Well, we say, forget it and go for
one that does!
Higher ISOs
The most common complaints we hear from beginners
are that their indoor shots are blurred. The reason
is, of course, that without adequate lighting,
the camera will open up the aperture to its maximum
opening (thus decreasing depth-of-field)
and use a slow shutter speed (thus increasing
the chance of blurred shot due to: 1) camera shake
and 2) not using a shutter speed fast enough to
stop action).
By using a higher ISO, e.g. ISO 400, indoors,
the camera can select a smaller aperture and/or
faster shutter speed. The problem the current
crop of digital cameras face is that at higher
ISOs, noise becomes a problem: the colored pixels
that make up the digital picture becomes painfully
visible to the naked eye. Digital cameras therefore
use various noise reduction techniques to deal
with this problem, but, as can be expected, the
best ones are found in the higher-end DSLR professional
digital cameras. Expect to see better noise reduction
in compact digital cameras, and hence the availability
of higher ISOs.
Noise Reduction
As mentioned above, we can expect to see better
noise reduction in compact digital cameras. This
is important not just when using higher ISOs,
but noise is also a problem when using slow shutter
speeds, e.g. 1/30 sec. and slower.
You might have situations when you want to use
a slow shutter speed while still using a low ISO,
e.g. when taking landscape scenes where you stop
down the aperture for maximum depth-of-field and
the camera compensates with a slow shutter speed
for proper exposure. If you're into night photography,
then slow shutter speeds are de rigueur. So, better
noise reduction is a desirable feature that you
can expect to see available in the better compact
digital cameras.
Shutter Lag
The dreaded shutter lag has frustrated many a
digital camera user to tears. It might take a
good 2 full seconds from the moment you press
the sutter release button to the actual recording
of the picture by the camera. Of course, meanwhile,
little Susie has already wandered off the screen,
and the basketball is on the rebound.
When you write in to forums to complain, you
get chastised for not being smart enough to anticipate
the action and pre-focus by slightly depressing
the shutter release half-way. It's your stinking
fault that most digital cameras have unacceptable
shutter lags.
Read the last part of the above sentence again:
I said, "most digital cameras have unacceptable
shutter lags."
You were right to complain about the long
shutter lags, and camera manufacturers will listen
and improve -- or, ignore their models and favor
those who do reduce the shutter lags of their
digital cameras. Expect shutter lag to become
a problem of the past.
Better Lenses
Camera manufacturers are starting to come out
with lenses specially made for digital cameras.
Olympus with its 4/3 System, and Nikon with its
DX Nikkor System. Other camera manufacturers will
follow.
Also, we have witnessed interesting alliances
between traditional electronics company and traditional
optics manufacturers, such as Sony and Carl Zeiss,
and Panasonic and Leica. We wonder, though, if
Carl Zeiss and Leica are doing anything to port
their lenses to the specialized needs of the digital
cameras. It is not a trivial pursuit.
We believe that Olympus and Nikon will come out
with lens systems better suited to digital cameras.
Nikon's wide-angle DX Nikkor is an encouraging
beginning.
Other improvements are long zoom lenses (optical
zoom of 8x and higher) with built-in image stabilization.
Price has been an issue, but the demand is so
strong that we cannot believe that someone will
not take advantage of this demand and sell a lot
of digital cameras. This one feature would sway
many customers one way or another. Put image stabilization
back into the Olympus C730 Ultra-Zoom and see
if it does not start selling like hot cake!
Well, this has been the Photoxels editors weighing
in with their predictions for the Year 2003. Tell
us what you think is coming or
would like to see in new digital cameras.
We Still Love Sony
Last year, we poked some good-natured fun at Sony
concerning its to-be-soon-announced MemoryStick
Pro, rumored in an
article by CNET to be incompatible with its
current line of digital cameras.
Sony chose not to honor this rumor by an official
denial in the press, choosing instead to send
an "official
statement" to dpreview.com. However,
by not rebuting the allegations in the wider public
press, Sony showed poor judgment toward its fans
(among which we number) and potential customers.
In some forums, a few owners of Sony digital
cameras took offense at those of us who were upset
with Sony and castigated us as 'Sony bashers.'
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Sony is one of the most, if not the most,
innovative company in the world. This is the company
which has brought us the Walkman -- the personal
cassette player that started a revolution in miniaturization
in everything electronics. Sony digital cameras
are among the best -- and yes, our Editors voted
the Sony F717 Editor's Choice in the Advanced
Amateur category.
To those Sony owners who think that a constructive
criticism makes one a Sony basher, grow up! We
understand that you are quite happy with the 128MB
MemoryStick and couldn't care less if the MemoryStick
Pro is compatible or not. Well, we do! We respect
your opinions, respect ours. We sincerely hope
that the F717 (and other current Sony digital
cameras) will be able to take the new larger-sized
MemoryStick Pro. Bet you'd be among the very first
to buy them if they are compatible  .
In fact, there were quiet sighs of relief in
some forums when it was discovered that some non-English
Sony F717 User's Manuals made mention of a 1GB
MemoryStick Pro. True or not, Sony -- and its
fans -- have to face the music since the current
MemoryStick just can't hack it anymore. Anyway,
the combined voices of all Sony customers in well-respected
forums do influence the decision-makers at Sony.
Sony is just too smart to not listen to its customers,
so expect Sony to send some kind of 'peace signals.'
Sony knows we are clamoring for a larger-sized
MemoryStick -- that's why they are introducing
the MemoryStick Pro.
Will Sony sell less digital cameras because of
this poor handling of an issue that is important
to many of us? Probably not. Sony digital cameras
will continue to be a popular choice among many,
and we predict that the new and larger-sized MemoryStick
Pro will finally remove what amounted to be a
stumbling block for many. So Sony can even expect
to increase its market share of digital cameras
in the Year 2003. It will have to work harder
at it, though, because even a 1GB MemoryStick
Pro is just playing catch up --  Samsung,
the increasingly visible South Korean electronics
(among other things) company, quietly announced
earlier in September the first 2-gigabit Flash
memory devices which, when mounted on a single
memory card, yields a 4GB CompactFlash card. We
are just not used not seeing Sony at the head
of the parade. 'Nuff said.
This January Issue
In this issue, we have added a new section to
our Tutorial on why it is so difficult to take
good Low-Light
Indoors Pictures with the current crop of
compact digital cameras. We also explain how by
using exposure
bracketing you can ensure properly exposed
pictures.
As far as housekeeping is concerned, we have
removed some cameras
no longer in production, added Minolta
cameras to our list, added a couple of links,
and added a number of forms: with our new Feedback
form, you can now tell us what you think of a
particular article; with our
form,
you can help a beginner learn more about digital
cameras; our 
form is used to give a hint about the kind of
gift you would really love to have; and you can
contact us with our Contact
Us form.
We hope you enjoy this New Year issue!
The Editors
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