[Sheflug] Re: Digital cameras - pitfalls?

[Richard Ibbotson <richard [at] xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dave

> Slightly of Linux topic, but any know why >90% digital cameras only come
> with 3x optical zoom, I can think of the Fuji ones that have 6x and the
> Olympus one that have 10x but most seem to have 3x or below. Is it
> difficult for digital cameras to have bigger zooms?


Speaking from the point of view of studying 100 years of camera
and lens design design - I got started on this when I was sixteen
shortly after leaving school - it seems to be that the digital camera
designers have a lot to learn. Although, in some ways they've already
learned it.

There's no reason why a digital still camera shouldn't have something
like a 10x zoom.  There is a marketing advantage in not producing
them just now.  What do I mean ?  Well, what we have seen with the
35m/m SLR market over 30 years is that whilst it's true you could
have a camera with a 10x zoom right now the manufacturers have
realised that you can have a 3x zoom right now and next year you can
spend your money again to buy the new camera and the 10x zoom.

This isn't entirely off topic for this list.  If you look at the world
of computer hardware and M$ software then you are encouraged to
support similar ideas.  Although, I think some of us refer to this as
capitalism gone barmy or perhaps the supporting of some kind of greed
culture whilst the rest of the world starves ? :)

Hence the need for free or open source software.




Richard
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