PMA 2008 Preview: What's incoming in cameras and more

Each year, camera enthusiasts and pros wait to see what the major camera manufacturers will introduce at the annual Photo Marketing Association trade show (PMA), which will take place this year in Las Vegas from Jan. 31 through Feb. 2. And while some companies opted to unveil some products at CES, just three weeks ago, most have chosen to stick with PMA08 to introduce not only cameras, but also lenses, printers, software, and photo accessories.

Starting Wednesday, I'll be at the show, posting the latest news about cameras and related products and services to this blog.

Although I expect a few surprises at the show, some developments and trends are already evident. Here's what I expect to see, by camera type or technology:

• Point-and-shoot cameras: These will continue to offer increased megapixels. However, with the physical size of sensors remaining the same, it's hard to believe further increases won't introduce increased visual noise to images. I also expect to see a further rise in some zoom ranges, like the one on the recently announced Olympus SP-570UZ , which comes with a whopping 20x optical zoom lens. But such powerful lenses aren't without their flaws, as we discovered in our recent test of 18x digital cameras, including the Olympus SP-560UZ. (Click on the image at right for a closer look.)
  
  With the price of memory continuing to fall, expect more cameras with more on-board memory, aping advances we've seen in hard-drive and flash-memory camcorders. I also hope to see even better graphical user interfaces (GUIs) at the show: Camera makers have made some improvements to menus by adding pictures and help screens. But I think they can go even further. (The ultimate would be to have demonstration videos that you could view on the LCD of how to use various point-and-shoot features, though I'm not sure the industry is quite up to this yet.) I don't expect many LCDs to go beyond 3.5 inches, but do expect more touch screens, like those found on some Sony Cyber-shots and Apple's iPhone.



• SLRs: The competition to woo first-time SLR buyers should continue unabated, with companies continuing to incorporate features found on point-and-shoots. We'll see more and more SLRs with live-preview functions which let you compose on the LCD. The next logical step here is to add video recording, which point-and-shoots have had for years, though I'm not sure if any SLRs will feature this technology just yet. If they do, I predict it'll be for a professional SLR first, since that market has been clamoring for video capability for a number of years now.



• Face Detection and other on-camera software: In 2007, we saw many companies touting face detection features on many point-and-shoot cameras and one SLR, Panasonic's Lumix DMC-L10. This year, we'll continue to see more advances in face detection and on-camera software (or firmware), such as Sony's smile shutter feature. For example, FotoNation, a company whose technology is incorporated into a number of cameras, has recently announced a new feature called FaceTime. When you put the camera in FaceTime mode and engage the self-timer, the camera won't begin the countdown until it "recognizes" the photographer's face, making it easier to appear in your own shots.



• Printing technologies: Some new technologies look intriguing, although it's too early to tell how influential they'll be. One is ZINK, or zero ink, technology. The claim is that this sort of printer, which is distinct from ink jet, laser, or dye sublimation, can produce color images and photos without ink, ribbons or toner. According to Zink Imaging, the company behind the technology, the key to the whole process is the paper, which is "an advanced composite material with cyan, yellow, and magenta dye crystals embedded inside and a protective polymer overcoat layer outside." When heated, the dyes are activated in the paper. Another interesting fact about this process: Polaroid is one of the companies using this process in one of their printers. Finally, a side note about printers: Will they start appearing in other devices? Recently, Smartparts introduced a new photo frame that includes an integrated printer on it.



• Hybrid cameras and those for niche markets: With Fuji producing select, high-end infrared digital cameras and now Casio (EX-F1) producing a high-end, expensive camera that might be a true hybrid (a device able to shoot both high quality still and high quality video), we may be seeing a renaissance in the advanced point-and-shoot camera, a category decimated by the incredible drops in price of SLRs in the past few years. Or will we see more companies producing specialty niche cameras, like this 160-megapixel, panoramic camera from Seitz. Anyone have a spare $45,000 to spend?



• Wireless technology. Also, another niche area that may continue to grow is wireless. For example, a company called Eye-Fi makes SD memory cards that are themselves wireless devices, perhaps stealing the camera makers' thunder.



• Computer software and Web applications: As always, a number of software companies will be showing off new products, although, as always, Adobe, with its flagship Photoshop software as well as other popular product, will have the biggest presence. But other software is worth a look. Several Photoshop plug-ins from Nik Software use a unique and elegant technology called U Point to edit and alter digital images. And although traditional client software (that runs directly on your computer) will continue to evolve, Web 2.0 apps (that you run via a web browser) might really explode this year. Browser-based photo-editing apps have been gaining momentum for the past year; there are already some interesting products out there like Picnik.

Look for more on what's happening at PMA on our Elelctonics Blog beginning later this week.

—Terry Sullivan

Comments

[welington]

i have a camera nikon coolpix and everything looks fine but i hate that.i couldn't imagine 7.2 mega-pixels,5x zoom and vibration reduction and it so bad,so slow,terrible pictures,i'm not professional,but i like pictures,i need something faster and easier,if you can help me...

[peter clarke]

what can you find out about hd slr camaras? would like to replace my canon 35 mil. I don't want to buy a digital slr and be out dated in 2 or 3 years. I've waited this long so whatever!