The Future of Digital Cameras - February 2007
Peer at the LCD screen to see some of the changes coming to the world of digital cameras.
What real estate professional's toolbox could ever be complete without a digital camera? Digital cameras are used by 95% of REALTORS®, according to a 2006 survey by the Center for REALTOR® Technology. They make it easy to take photos of a property, edit the photos on a computer, and print them or post them on the Web, all without the time and cost of having film developed. But digital cameras aren't just for taking pictures. They can play music, send e-mails, voice-record, store data like a flash drive and even play audio and video streams from the Internet. As the technology of digital cameras has advanced, so has that of other devices that can take photographs. You can now take pictures using your cell phone, MP3 player, or PDA.
Digital cameras face heavy competition from camera phones in particular. Although the quality and resolution of camera phone lenses needs to improve before they completely displace digital cameras, camera phones are getting closer to the higher performance quality of digital cameras. The convenience of having a phone and a camera in one single device is already making inroads. A recent survey commissioned by Nokia found that 44% of consumers already use their mobile telephone as their main camera. 67% of those questioned also said they expect their mobile phone to replace their portable music player, so even separate MP3 players could disappear before too long.
Future Features of Digital Cameras
To help foster consumer demand for their products, camera manufacturers are constantly adding new features to their gadgets. Here's an overview of what REALTORS® can expect to see from the ever-evolving world of digital cameras in the coming months:
Digital cameras are beginning to stray away from the traditional film camera appearance and are taking on innovative new looks. Kodak's V570 camera has two built-in lenses -- one a non-zooming wide-angle and the other a 3X zoom. Sony's M2 has little resemblance to a digital camera, looking more like a small video camera. Canon is developing a digital camera with a clear acrylic body, which allows you to see the inner workings of the camera.
Image stabilization is a new feature being explored in the new camera models, to help improve picture clarity.
Some new digital cameras, such as Canon's PowerShot S3, can film videos and take still photos simultaneously using separate shutter and start-stop buttons.
Wi-Fi wireless networking is being integrated into the some of the latest cameras. These can transfer pictures wirelessly to a computer or printer.
Face detection technology, a feature that should help the photographer by scanning a framed scene and focusing on human facial features, is being integrated into some of the latest digital cameras, such as the Nikon CoolPix and FujiFilm's Finepix F40d.
Even the power sources used to keep cameras ready to go are evolving. Most of today's digital cameras use lithium-ion battery cells, but the future may soon bring hydrogen fuel cells with longer-lasting power.
While digital cameras are getting smaller and lighter, the LCDs (Liquid Crystal Display) are expected to get larger. The standard 2-inch display seems outdated now with the much larger 2.5-inch and 3-inch displays being integrated into newer digital cameras. However, the bigger the screen, the greater the power drain. OLED (organic light-emitting diode) screens are being explored for future enhancements, which offer much better brightness but much lower power consumption.
Most importantly for REALTORS®, it's becoming easier to find good quality digital cameras without forking over your life savings. A 5-megapixel camera could cost anyehere from $300 to $500 only a couple of years ago. At this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, a 10-megapixel camera was among the many new gadgets introduced, available for less than $250.
- Donna McCormick
NAR's Web Wizard Report - No. 83 (February 2007)
For Further Reading
Field Guide to Digital Cameras and Photography
More megapixels, better photos: Fact or fiction?, (CNET News.com, Feb. 6, 2007)
Pixels, photos, and Moore, (International Herald Tribune, June 8, 2006)
Cell phones: The new digicam?, (MarketNews.ca, Feb. 7, 2007)
Questions or Comments?
Send an e-mail to NAR's Web Wizards.
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