CES 2007 Wrap Up

[Ben Stafford]

The time that I spent at CES was quick and productive.  A quick trip, I arrived Sunday morning and left Tuesday morning.  The good part is that I was able to meet with most of the camera manufacturers.  The bad part is that, since I met with everyone, I didn’t really have time to tour the floor to see other cool stuff that was there.  I guess I’ll have to save that “gadget hunting” until PMA in March (again in Las Vegas).

(view medium image) (view large image) View of Las Vegas from observation deck of the Stratosphere, taken with a Nikon Coolpix S7c

After attending a show like this, besides the new product introductions, I like to step back and reflect on general trends that I see going on with digital cameras.  While nothing really ground-breaking was introduced during CES, I did get a taste of things to come with several briefings.

As is the always the case with things, prices are going to continue to get better.  Last year, the manufacturers were introducing high quality, entry level digital cameras that beat the $200 mark.  This year, they were shooting for $150.

The big thing in 2006 was image stabilization.  It became a huge marketing item for the manufacturers as essentially every camera now has (in generic terms) image stabilization.  The more expensive models have an image stabilization system that is either mechanical (the sensor moves to counteract blur) or optical (an element of the lens counteracts blur).  In 2007, we’re going to continue to see this method of IS “trickle down” into cheaper digital cameras.

[As a side note, there is also a need for more consumer education with regards to image stabilization since there are differences in stabilization methods (just like there’s a big difference between optical zoom and digital zoom).  The mechanical and optical methods that I’ve mentioned above handle camera shake/hand shake very well, without loss of image quality.  However, they don’t work as well with moving subjects since the shutter speed is not increased.  To counteract blur caused by a moving subject, current cameras can boost their ISO (sensitivity) to allow a faster shutter speed.  However, this ISO boost causes a loss of image quality because of the introduction of digital noise (which causes grainy images).  Other cameras collect camera shake data from a gyroscope, and apply corrections to the image during image processing to counter-act blur.]

It was also good to see that manufacturers are very aware of where they stand in regards to their competition and taking active steps to “fix” their root issues.  They could work on additional features and things to add bullet points to their marketing materials, but it really seems like they’re working hard on the real cause of the problem.  For example, a manufacturer that has been known for slightly slower (shutter lag, etc) camera performance is working very hard to get a new processor into their cameras to increase their performance.

(view large image) Kodak Easyshare V830/V1003 display - a good example of my statement about no ground-breaking tech - where Kodak introduced a new camera(s) with a nice feature set, but it was nothing new except that it comes in a bunch of colors.

As I said before, there wasn’t anything really ground-breaking as far as digital camera technology – no new digital SLRs, no new amazing features.   The cameras that were introduced stuck to slight improvements and better priced models than in previous years (with one exception – the slim, 7x optical zoom Casio Exilim EX-V7).  I fully expect that we will see some more technology improvements (and a bunch more cameras) right before or during the PMA show, which will be in early March.   I will be there for several days, so should have plenty of time to report on all that the digital imaging industry has to offer.

New cameras at CES:

• Samsung Brings Six Cameras to CES: S1050, S850, S730, S630, L700, L73
• Casio Exilim EX-V7 Digital Camera Announced - Ultra-slim with 7x Optical Zoom
• Kodak Goodies At CES - Easyshare V803, Easyshare V1003 Digital Cameras and Digital Photo Frames
• Fujifilm Finepix F40fd Digital Camera Announced
• Fujifilm IS-1 Infrared Digital Camera Announced
• Fujifilm Finepix A600 and Finepix A800 Digital Cameras Announced
• Pentax Optio E30 Digital Camera Announced

[hpalltheway]

lol, any more rumours aabout hp ben?

[NetBrakr]

hpalltheway, I dont think that HP isnt that great with camera department. When I was shopping for a new camera models from 5 manufactures, I found out that HP is second lowest.

Here is the manufactures that I choose.

1. Canon/Kodak
2. Samsung
3. HP
4. Vivitar

JC

[hpalltheway]

where did you get these results? or are theyed ranked by your opnion? and, ben and anyone, have you guys ever checked out pcworld.com. they ranked the top ten point and shoot cameras by tests etc, you may be surprised on what u may find about them. what do you think about that site about ranking there cameras? (they do tests and stuff to detemrine which camera proved best overall.

[Brian]

The HP brand has always been about offering cameras to people who are buying other HP products. The cameras don't do well on their own, especially against like models from FujiFilm, Canon, Nikon, etc. Honestly, I'm not even sure HP is a top 10 camera brand. I wouldn't be surprised if they exit the business. You're the most enthusiastic person I've ever encountered regarding their cameras. That includes the HP camera PR people, LOL.

[Ben Stafford]

I do see the rankings or "top picks" on pcworld.com and other places, like Cnet (HP, in both cases make the list). Then, there are places like Steves Digicams, which doesn't have a single HP listed in his "Best Cameras", which you can find here: http://www.steves-digicams.com/best_cameras.html

Here are some more lists from dpreview (more of a popularity ranking): http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/stats.asp

It really shows how camera reviews have a significant element of subjectiveness. Personally, I think this is why there are so many places that you can read reviews - so you can make your own call about the camera after receiving expert advice.

[hpalltheway]

hey ben, does the canon sd line have any type of design gallery like hp?
and doe sit have manual contorls (such as shutter and aperture) like the hp R927? if not, do i really need manual controls?

[Ben Stafford]

The SD line does not have aperture priority, shutter priority or modes that you can set the shutter speed or aperture manually. They do have a "manual" mode, but it's more of a program auto mode, where you can change the white balance, ISO, etc.

They also don't have a lot of the post-capture editing effects that the HP has in their "Design Gallery". You can do some fun color effects (swap colors, etc), but you can't apply the slimming effect that exists in the HP camera.

It's up to you as to whether you want/need manual controls. If you're never going to use them, then you obviously don't need them.