REPORT FROM JAPAN

A trio of top Pop Photo editors recently returned from a tour of the photo industry in Japan. Their mission: to find out, directly from the source, what's happening in the photo industry, and how it will affect photography consumers in the coming year. In this exclusive report, they share news about upcoming products, photo buying trends, and what's being designed for the future.

Although photo company execs labeled the Japanese economy as "sluggish," discussed "fundamental difficulties such as bank debts not yet solved," and at worst talked about "deep recession," all remain enthusiastic about the future of digital imaging, while cautioning that film imaging is far from dead. Prediction: By 2005, film products will settle down as a continuing, less vital but still profitable product area.

Click on the headline to go to that part of the story, or read it all the way through, starting here.

• FUJI ACCENTS THE POSITIVE

• NIKON LOYAL TO APS DIGITAL CAMERA SENSORS

• CANON GOES 24x36 SENSOR FOR PRO SLRS, APS FOR AMATEUR

• WILL THERE BE A MINOLTA MAXXUM DIGITAL SLR?

• WHO HAS THE SMALLEST, LIGHTEST, DIGITAL SLRS? PENTAX

• OLYMPUS PLANS FOR TWO MORE

• KYOCERA CONCENTRATES ON COMPACT DIGITAL CAMERAS

• NO, FILM AIN'T DEAD

• LIGHT EMITTING DIODES FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC LIGHTING AND CAMERA PHONE FLASH?

• DOES IMAGE STABILIZING BELONG IN THE CAMERA OR LENS?

• WILL 24x36MM DIGITAL SENSOR CAMERAS REPLACE MEDIUM FORMAT?

• DEGEEKING DIGITAL CAMERAS & INSTRUCTION BOOKS

• CAMERA PHONES REIGN TRIUMPHANT-- ZOOM LENSES AND FLASH COMING NEXT

• ECONOMY IS A-OK WITH TAMRON

©2003 Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. Permission to reprint any of this material hereby granted provided full credit is given to Popular Photography & Imaging Report