How far has digital technology come since 1997?

[Pea-n-Me]

I picked up a digital photography book at a used book sale recently. For $.10 I couldn't pass it up.

Turns out it was written in 1999. I had to chuckle at this paragraph:

In 1997, digital cameras outsold 35mm single lens reflex cameras. Twice as many digital cameras were sold in March of '98 than were sold in January of '98. Sanyo estimates that by the year 2000, four million digital cameras will be sold. The growth curve points up and it is steep.

So far, the growth in digital cameras is more a result of the demand from real estate agents, insurance professionals, marketing departments, and the like, rather than from people like my father, who wants to take pictures of his grandkids. These professional users of digital cameras are looking at the devices in terms of speed and convenience. There is still not a high volume infrastructure to support the output of those images.

The authors' PixelPerfect 9000 camera also sold for $1000 at the beginning of 1998, and they stated back then that "the kiss of death" for digital cameras was going above the $1000 mark.

Amazing how things have evolved in just 10 years!!

 

[fitzperry]

I remember my husband's company hiring a photographer with a digital camera to take portraits at a holiday party in the early 90's. From the timing and what I recall the photographer telling us it cost, I think it was probably a Kodak DCS-100 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodak_DCS-100)--1.3 mp for $10,000+. We got an 8x10--it looked awful! What a difference a few years makes.

 

[Gdad]

Makes you wonder what will be available in 10 more years.

 

[My2Girls66]

They have come a long way. My 1st digital was a Nikon Coolpix 4500(4mp)- in 2002 for $500(on sale), it has a twist body. Took very nice photos but the shutter lag- it was sooooo sloooooow and looking at it now- the screen was so small. Until I got my D50 in 2006 I didn't care for digital. Now we have 5 digital cameras, 2 computers loaded with pictures and I still get lots of prints.

 

[jann1033]

the first 2 digital photos i saw were from expensive cameras but were so bad i thought i would never buy one. since then cameras have improved for sure . unfortunately not enough for one of the guys who took one of those first 2 photos...his photos still come out with really strange alien like hued people, even with a brand new camera

course i have spent a ton more on my digital setup then i did on my film too...

 

[kewlby]

My first digital camera was a Sony Mavica I got in the late 90's. The coolest thing about it was that your pictures are instantly saved on a floppy disc!!

 

[fitzperry]

My first digital camera was a Sony Mavica I got in the late 90's. The coolest thing about it was that your pictures are instantly saved on a floppy disc!!

My dad had one of those. It had about a ten-minute shutter lag. In fact, here's a picture taken with it. High quality! (but it's a nice subject )

 

[Groucho]

At my last job, they were still using a Mavica w/floppy drive to take photos for your id card... and probably still are! Gack!

 

[Gdad]

I remember not having one of those Sony's that took the 3 1/2" floppy at work- but having serious envy of the guy who did.