4 and 5-megapixel Digital cameras

Multi-megapixel Cameras
A number of the leading digital camera vendors announced new multi-megapixel cameras at TechXNY (formerly known as PC Expo) in New York in June, 2001. Sony, Toshiba, Casio, and Olympus all introduced four-megapixel digital cameras costing less than US$1000, and Olympus showed the industry's first model to deliver more than five megapixels, with its the 5.24-megapixel Dimage 7. Slated to ship in August for US$1499, it features a 7X zoom, a 12-bit A/D converter, and a 16MB CompactFlash card.

Sony's new DSC-S85 is a 4.1-megapixel camera at a price point of US$799. The company claims the camera is suitable for producing prints at sizes of 8 x 10" or 11 x 14" sizes. Equipped with a Carl Zeiss 3X optical zoom lens, it ships with a 16MB MemoryStick and is powered by an "InfoLithium" battery that the company says can tell the user exactly how much power remains. The camera is slated to hit store shelves in Aug. 2001. CNet has details in a video report (Real Media or Windows Media).

Sony followed that announcement up on August 21 by unveiling the Sony DSC-F707, a 5 megapixel camera expected to ship in October. The company also announced superslim DSC-P5 and DSC-P3 Cyber-shot models, discussed on our 3-megapixel camera page.

Meanwhile, Nikon on Sept. 18, 2001 introduced a new five-megapixel digital camera and dropped prices on older models. The PC and Mac-compatible Coolpix 5000 features an effective 5 Megapixel CCD, 3x Optical Zoom, Nikkor lens, 1/4000 second top shutter speed and the ability to capture up to 40 seconds of QuickTime video with audio. It's due to ship in November, 2001 with a US$1099 price tag. The camera's introduction follows price drops on the CoolPix 775 (now US$399); Nikon is offering a US$100 rebate on the CoolPix 995.

There's more to a digital camera than sheer pixel count, of course. Much as the ink-jet printer market has chosen to focus on dots per inch in its marketing efforts, camera vendors realize that most consumers consider high pixel counts to be the primary factor in achieving high resolutions; however, there are other important factors. Sony says the 14-bit analog-to-digital (A/D) converter used in its DSC-S85 captures better detail in highlights and shadows. It says most other vendors are still using 8- or 10-bit D-to-A converters. A useful analogy to this claim can be found in the flatbed scanner market, where many of today's scanners boast 36-bit captures, which similarly yield better results than that achieved with a 24- or 30-bit colour scanner.

Also, the quality of the CCD and electronics are factors that help determine the final image. In fact, Sony CCDs are used in several cameras sold by other vendors, including the 4-megapixel Olympus E-10 and Toshiba PDR-M81.

There's also the ease-of-use issue. High-end cameras tend to have the manual controls that professional demand for exposure and aperture control; these features may bewilder casual photo-snappers. Most manufacturers address this issue by offering different product lines targeting specific types of users. Toshiba's 4.2-megapixel PDR-M81, for example, eschews many of the exotic features of its competitors in favour of simplicity -- and an under US$1000 price-point.

Kodak and HP also offer models favouring simplicity over features. Kodak's new DX3600, foregoes fancy features for point-and-shoot simplicity.

Casio, it seems, has taken a slightly more advanced approach with its new 4.13-megapixel QV-4000. Its "Best Shot" feature remembers settings used for previously taken shots and uses this data to set up a shot based on its resemblance to previously captured images. The camera can recall up to 50 such scenes and is said to intelligently recognize 100 different scene types. Shipping as of Sept. 2001, it, too, sells for less than US$1000.

Another factor to consider is the number of images these cameras are capable of storing. Higher resolution images, not surprisingly, require more memory and consequently, the cost of storage cards tends to be higher. A 5-megapixel camera captures about 1900 by 2600 pixels, rendering roughly 260 dpi at an 8-by-10 print size. A single uncompressed RGB image at this resolution requires 14.2 MB of storage space.

Our advice is to avoid cameras based on complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor technologies, such as the inexpensive design shown by Zoran at PC Expo. CCD-based cameras cost more, but the results are worth it. While not everyone needs a 5-megapixel camera or advanced manual exposure controls, a device that can capture images without introducing excessive "noise" will result in better images.

You'll want to consider how the camera will connect to your PC or Mac. Virtual all of today's cameras include some form of removable storage. This may be a CompactFlash card, SSFD SmartMedia card, or, in a few cases, some form of integral disk storage. There are cameras with FireWire (IEEE1394) ports, USB ports, infrared transceivers, serial cable connections or other methods of getting the data to a computer or other device for printing or editing. You should also consider whether you want the camera to be able to output a signal directly to a TV or other analog video source and, if so, whether the ability of the camera to double as a video-conferencing cam or "webcam" is important.

Finally, there is the issue of optical versus digital zoom. As is the case with video cameras and scanners, manufacturers often boast zoom ratios and other features that are little more than digital trickery. Optical resolution, determined solely by the lens mechanism (and lens quality) of the camera, should be your primary consideration in this regard. As with "traditional" cameras, high-quality optical glass, anti-glare coatings and multi-element lenses will help capture better images. As is the case with video cameras, these pragmatic concerns are ultimately more important than flashy but seldom used special-effects functions.