Future imaging trends as predicted by CIPA  The president of CIPA, Tsuyoshi Kikukawa, giving his keynote speech. Photography may not have been invented by the Japanese, but it was brands like Canon and Nikon that shaped the imaging industry into what it is today. The decisions these imaging giants make can impact camera market trends and how consumers use and share images. You probably won't be able to imagine how far digital photography has come in the last 15 years, from film shooters to dual-screen digital cameras. Some of these predictions may seem outrageous, so take them with a pinch of salt but keep an open mind since you never know when reel and real will collide. 1) Handsfree camera Kikukawa mentioned that cameras in the future could be made so small and light, they could probably be incorporated into everyday items such as your good old spectacles. All the user has to do is, perhaps, wink or simply brush the side of the glasses with their fingers to take a shot. Such an idea isn't novel, as it has already been implemented in diving goggles such as the ones made by Liquid Image. 2) Ultra-small shooters Today's point-and-shoots are pretty compact and slim enough for you to slip into your jeans pocket and not even remember it was there. But Kikukawa predicts that in future, cameras may become even more petite. Imagine a snapper that's even skinnier than Sony's Cyber-shot T series cameras, and maybe half that size. That would be something radical. 3) Smell this shot Kikukawa predicts that if a camera can capture both images and scents, it might be popular with ladies. He said the current state of imaging is only visual. However, in the future, shooters may be able to record smells as well, providing olfactory stimulation. Imagine if you took a picture of flowers, you could later print these out or view them on the computer, and smell them again. 4) Solar-powered snapper Current digicams rely on either rechargeable lithium-ion cells or AA-sized batteries for power. But cameras in the future may be powered by the sun. Such an idea is entirely feasible, as the Samsung Blue Earth and other solar-charged mobile phones have shown. While leaving your camera to charge under the sun may be environmentally friendly, take note that the circuits and image sensor may be overheated, which could damage the shooter. So that's an issue the manufacturers will have to resolve. 5) Future visualizer What if your camera could read your mind and produce shots you were thinking of? Kikukawa suggests that shooters in the future could do just that. All you have to do is think up a shot and the camera would visualize it for you. But, if such snappers do make it to market, we're pretty sure it'll bring about some arguments among photographers because anyone could simply dream up a great shot and deliver it with minimum effort. In this case, we will no longer need professional photographers who have amassed years of experience and expertise in lighting setups, field and studio work. All we have to do is think it up. Tags: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Lithium-ion, Sony Corp., Imaging, Camera
|
- Talkback
-
There are currently no comments for this story.
To post comments, you need to become a member. It's FREE.
