Comments on: High-end ideas reshape compact-camera market

It's hard to stand out in the compact-camera crowd, so manufacturers are trying bolder ideas like GPS, high-speed video, and high-end sensors.

[professionaladventurer]

Well written: Point of fact, I have a Canon 30D and a Canon G10 depending on my needs. I am a journalist. I carry the 30D for high quality shoots and my G10 when when I am on rescue calls, (I am with Alaska Mountain Rescue) or anytime I need a "pretty good" camera but want to go light and fast. I have tried Sony and Panasonic but found them to be "not quite" there yet.

[Shankland]

I was trying to focus on cameras that had something unusual to set them apart.The LX3 is a nice camera by most accounts (it won DP Review's high-end compact challenge if memory serves), but it's not not nearly as widely used as the Canon G10, which I see as the incumbent against which rivals compare themselves. The LX3 is an advanced but relatively ordinary compact camera.

[nextcube]

I have an EOS40D and when the time came for a point&shoot, I wound up with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 rather than the G10. While there is a lot to like about the G10, the extra stop on the lens and the wider wide-angle sold me on the LX3. I was surprised that the LX3 didn't get mentioned in this article...

[Shankland]

(sorry, I misplaced this response above, so repeating here)

I was trying to focus on cameras that had something unusual to set them apart.The LX3 is a nice camera by most accounts (it won DP Review's high-end compact challenge if memory serves), but it's not not nearly as widely used as the Canon G10, which I see as the incumbent against which rivals compare themselves. The LX3 is an advanced but relatively ordinary compact camera.

[kcotham]

I can see the writing on the wall, Four Thirds and Micro Four Thirds is the future. But I absolutely detest the aspect ratio of 4:3 that these cameras produce (as well as every point and shoot made). The "traditional" 3:2 ratio of 35mm cameras is closer to the golden ratio and produces more aesthetically pleasing photos. It is also closer to what the human eye sees. The 4:3 ratio is unnatural. I use a point and shoot because of it's portability, for those spur of the moment photos. It's better to have a so-so camera than none at all. But when photography is the purpose of my trip, I default to 35mm (Nikon FM3A). If I want a 3:2 ratio with a digital (all but the full sensor SLRs that are too expensive for my budget have 4:3 sensors), I have to crop the photo, basically losing a big portion of those megapixels I paid for with my hard earned dollars.

I'd rather see more affordable full size sensors in 3:2 than micro 4:3. If they can shrink down the 3:2, that would be nice too. Too many megapixels crammed on a tiny sensor is detrimental to image quality. Bigger sensors is what we need, not smaller. If you don't believe me, take a photo with a compact using a 10MP 1/2.3 inch sensor and then compare that with a photo taken with a DSLR with a 36x24 mm 10MP sensor!

[gggg sssss]

but most pictures are of people, most not with their arms out, and people are mostly taller than wider.

[Shankland]

I tried an Olympus E-3 for awhile and thought I'd loathe the 4:3 aspect ratio--I tend to like to exaggerate the vertical or horizontal aspects of a photo. But in fact I found I rather liked it. I was quite surprised. I don't expect everyone to share my taste though.

On a side note, plenty of landscape photographers have coped with the even squarer 5:4 aspect ratio without ill effects. Having a squarer image makes it easier to develop optics, because more of the image is toward the center of the image circle. Those pesky corners are the ugly part.

[skrubol]

All Canon dSLR's have 3:2 sensors, and I believe all Nikon's do as well. The Rebel XS can be had, with lens for under $500, so if a 4:3 SLR is in your budget, a 3:2 SLR can be had for only a few dollars more.

[kcotham]

@gggg sssss
That has absolutely nothing to do with anything. There are certain "rules" for aesthetics, these "rules" are based on biology and thousands of years of art. Technology is trying to impose an artificial standard.

[kcotham]

@skrubol
No, not all of Canon and Nikon's DSLR's have 3:2 sensors, only the top models do. The DSLR's with 24x36mm sensors are in the range of $3000 MSRP for just the body. Look it up if you don't believe me. The $500 range cameras have DX sensors.

[andy/cnet]

What about Sony? They are a big player with Cybershot series cameras.

[junebugbaker]

can anyone tell me what model the yellow olympus camera is on the home page for for this story???

[tande04]

Its the olympus micro 4/3rds concept.

Its been met with raves (bringing back the ol' range finder in a digital format) but still hasn't been released.

[talepictures]

You can shoot with both the panasonic G1 and the Olympus e-30 using the 3:2 ratio if you want. So I'd expect that to be the same for all future four thirds products. Especially on micro four thirds products because they use only live view so you will also see the 3:2 ratio in the viewfinder!

[iamotaku]

I currently shoot 1D Mark III bodies with the 16-35mm 2.8 and 70-200 2.8 90% of the time. What's missing in all the tiny cameras is fast glass. The first company to come out with constant 2.8 lenses will win. I hate walking into a room with massive camera gear hanging all over me. Give us something that is small, quiet with fast glass and will shoot above iso 400 without getting too chunky and every pro out here would eat it up.

[Tom Budlong]

These guys are missing a big market - field photo recording done by innumerable professionals and hobbyists. The gadget would include a quality point and shoot, GPS with UTM and datum capability (so you can go-to predetermined position), an electroic compass to record direction, and a micro keyboard for entering comments with each picture. All these are available with individual small gadgets now, and combining them into one should not be such a technical trick.

[GreenGuruForever]

I agree about Professional Field Use:
1. Flip out & rotatable viewfinders are key
2. Add in Azimuth for another type of field measurement.
3. Your could even have some distance-measurement techonology that would measure/optionally display a "pinned" target (& distance) from the Camera.
4. Stereo mike jack is key for all sorts of science reasons.
5. Why not a thermometer too?
6. More weather-proofing/damp-proofing is important, including a built-in automatic lens cover.
7. Full 1920 HDMI is great to give field reports and so on..
8. Evaluate different remote control options and features... for a range of users, professions or situations.
9. Compass Heading, Azimuth, Distances, Notes, etc should be able to be shown on the image - with various display formats available.
10. Movie Mode: 24, 25 & 30 fps Movie Modes should allow universal international adoption..