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What to expect at PMA 2008

By Reuben Lee
Jan 23, 2008

Barely a week more to go, and industry observers are already flooding the Web with PMA 08 buzz and rumors. All in anticipation of what's soon to be unveiled by the major camera makers at the Las Vegas convention. Though early birds like Panasonic and Olympus have broken out their wares ahead of the PMA crowd; Panasonic with its entry-level LS80 and Olympus with seven new shooters.

That said, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Other key vendors such as Canon, Nikon and Fujifilm have yet to whip out their goodies, and you can certainly bet on lots of new models and photography solutions to be showcased during the fair. While we're counting down to its kickoff on January 31, let us also count the ways that digicam manufacturers might (or might not) surprise us this year.

Longer zoom lens

Giving us a glimpse into a likely trend is Olympus's 20x optical zoom-capable SP-570UZ, which it claims is a world's first for a compact camera. We suspect it won't be the only vendor since Panasonic and Canon will probably introduce their megazoom models at the show. There should also be more ultracompacts sporting 5x or 7x optical zoom capabilities, though it's hard to tell how the longer zoom systems on compact cameras will affect overall image quality.

Improved image stabilization

The longer the zoom, the higher the chances of getting blurred images as a result camera shake. Thus, we can expect vendors to flourish better image stabilization systems (and possibly, more comfortable and firmer grips) that can minimize such occurrences. Many camera makers are already using at least one form of stabilization for their shooters, so we should see more of them employing dual systems, particularly in their upcoming megazoom range.

Higher resolution

Not that it's worth noting, now that the megapixel war has cooled down somewhat (primarily due to compact cameras hitting 12 megapixels, which is far more than most consumers need). We hazard that 14 will be the magic number for camera resolution this year. More importantly, with most digital cameras already recording movies in VGA or higher quality, the natural progression is for video capture to go High Definition (HD). Whether it's 720p or 1080i/p, we should see more vendors offering HD resolutions together with faster frame rates for video in their 2008 lineup.

Entry and midrange dSLRs

As dSLRs become more affordable, many people are skipping the prosumer cameras and upgrading to entry-level or even mid-range dSLRs directly, making this one of the hottest category in digital cameras today. Therefore, we'd be expecting to see more of such dSLRs announced at PMA. We'll also be looking out for more new models with Live View shooting mode, which allows users to use the LCD display as a viewfinder.

Larger storage capacities

Where there are cameras, there'll always be flash media. You can expect storage vendors like SanDisk and Lexar to display their next-generation flash memory cards for digital cameras. While we're not expecting to see a new format hitting the showfloor (don't we have enough already), higher-capacity versions of popular card formats will very likely get an airing. A 64GB SDHC or 128GB CF? We won't be surprised.

In addition to flash media, there seems to be a trend for shooters sporting larger onboard memory. A digital SLR with 16GB of built-in storage will certainly help speed things up a bit in the processing department.

Not forgetting, the gimmicks

Sony has its Smile Shutter, Olympus is touting its Simple Shot function. What next? A camera with X-ray shooting mode (think the movie xXx)? Or one with a removable/wireless screen? How about a camera with onboard solar panels for juicing up? We'll no doubt see a fair share of such doodad features in the new shooters and accessories. And while we remain skeptical as to how useful and intuitive these can be, they'll surely bring a smile to our faces.

 

 

    Talkback
kelvintong says...
This is the most exciting PMA for me...simply because I am targeting my 1st dSLR! Hopefully, at the end of the day, there will be some nice surprises in store.

Jan 29, 2008 13:40
 
 
photoskipper says...
5D seems to be an ideal full frame dSLR for semi-Pro and serious photographers but yet affortable. I have been using it for a year and give it 100% satisfaction.

Just looking for some improvement such as Ultrasonic sensor cleaning, slightly faster frame rate. I don't mind to wait for another 12 months before I can save up to upgrade the current model.

Jan 29, 2008 20:16
 
 
damiankoh says...
hey photoskipper.. i don't have the privilege of owning a 5D, but i have to agree with you that the 5D is indeed the ideal FF dSLR for serious photogs.. ultrasonic sensor cleaning would be a great feature if it's implemented in the successor model since dust on the 5D's sensor is quite a common occurance.. but to wit another 12 months? i'm not too keen on that.. gahh

Jan 29, 2008 22:27
 
 
AnakBrunei says...
I can already hear some groans of frustration from a few serious amateur friends! Looks like they'll be going the 1DMkIII way...

I on the other hand breathed a sigh of relief having just bought the 40D a few weeks ago. Like photoskipper, I wouldn't mind waiting another year or so before upgrading to the 5D's successor :)

Jan 31, 2008 19:10
 
 
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