The Megapixel wars aren't over
Nikon launched the D3X, a monster of a camera with a 24.8 megapixel resolution. At the same time, Nikon’s Compact Digital camera range wearing the Coolpix brand began to feature devices with 12 megapixel sensors.
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So, do we really need more megapixels? Yes, says Makoto Kimura, Director, Nikon Corp. “I do not believe that DSLR’s have maxed out megapixels just yet. Just wait till later this year to see what we bring out.” However, when it comes to compact digital cameras, Kimura feels that more megapixels may not be the way forward. “While compact digital cameras are facing challenges from mobile phones, it will be the clarity and quality of the images that will distinguish them from mobile phones,” says Kimura. He does not believe that the mobile phone has dented sales of compact digital cameras. In fact, he thinks it has helped them. “In countries like India, where the penetration of digital cameras is low, mobile devices give people the taste of digital photography. Then they want the real thing, and buy a Coolpix or a similar device,” he says.
Kimura says that Nikon is fighting back against mobile phone companies. The latest Nikon cameras feature wireless printing and Global Positioning Sensors, which can record the location where a picture has been shot. They can also directly upload images from the camera onto photo sharing services on the Internet. “We are still working on our user interface, which could do with some tweaking, but that is in the future,” he says.
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— Kushan Mitra