By Jason Schneider, Reporting from PhotokinaSept. 25: The once unassailable supremacy of the big international Photokina show in Cologne, Germany has been challenged by other imaging expos, notably the PMA show in Las Vegas, but it still remains a bellwether of future trends and the focus of key product announcements. Photokina 2008 was certainly no exception, and most of the hoopla was focused on the DSLR market, though there were rafts of new point-and-shoot cameras, media storage devices, bag, tripods, lenses, printers and much else to keep the intrepid journalists covering the show footsore and typing into the night.The Great Video Rush of 2008Emerging seemingly out of left field was a mad rush to incorporate video capability into DSLRs. The Nikon D90, a worthy and commendable camera for a multitude of engaging reasons like fast 12MP capture, brilliant performance at high ISOs, and an enticing price point of under $1,000 (body only) was instantly lionized by the press for being able to shoot HD movie clips, really one of its minor attributes and without benefit of focus tracking. Okay, it was the first DSLR able to shoot movies so maybe everyone got overly excited. But then along comes Canon with the EOS 5D Mark II, a $2,700 pro/prosumer model that can shoot full-frame HD movies in higher resolution and does have basic focus tracking, and all of a sudden we’re off to the races. Even Panasonic, who had just brought forth one of the big hits of the show, the Micro Four Thirds-format Lumix G1, immediately jumped on the bandwagon announcing that a new version with HD movie capability would be coming out in the spring. Call it the latest example of technological convergence, but is sure looks like HD movie capability, along with its pretty sister Live View, will be a must-have feature in all future DSLRs. No it’s not a bad thing—it just gives consumers and enthusiasts more options, and it’s sure to please photojournalists, many of whom had to carry separate DSLRs and camcorders to shoot stills and video clips.Let’s Get SmallTwo more trends to watch are exemplified in that aforementioned Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 DSLR downsizing and offering DSLRs in a variety of delicious colors, just like point-and-shoots. Both trends had parallels back in 35mm days—remember the teensy Olympus OM-1 and the colorful Swiss Alpa SLRs available in gold with red, green or reptilian coverings? Well for the record, the G1 is not as small as the ads at Photokina (showing the camera held in between a thumb and forefinger) would have you believe—in fact it’s about the same size as the (non-Micro) standard Four Thirds format Olympus E-420 with its pancake lens. However, there were (disavowed) rumors than Samsung was developing an APS-C-sensor DSLR based on the same no-mirror, shorter back focus, hi-res EVF formula as the G1 (this, of course would require yet another lens mount), and the same approach can certainly be used to produce an ultra-compact, rangefinder style interchangeable-lens digital camera, a trial balloon floated by Olympus that generated considerable buzz. Serious amateurs and pros will not, in my opinion, be tempted by electronic viewfinder (EVF) DSLRs of any size unless their viewfinders show an even smoother, sharper real time image than the very good one in the G1. However, for the multitude broad-spectrum, entry-level DSLRs, the future is clear. Size matters, and smaller (and more colorful) is better for expanding the DSLR mass market , which also happens to includes a large percentage of female consumersBACK TO THE PHOTOKINA FLASH HOMEPAGE© 2008 Adorama |
