REPORT FROM JAPAN

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

With predictions that camera phone sales will soon vastly outnumber sales of all other types of cameras combined, most major Japanese camera and lens manufacturers are furnishing optics OEM to the phone companies. In addition to autofocus, zoom lenses are in the offing with new-generation LEDs, which take little battery drain, probably furnishing flash power. Current state-of-the-art camera phones in Japan have two megapixel sensors, interchangeable miniature memory sticks or cards, shoot up to 50 pictures per stick or card. Fujifilm Frontier minilabs produced amazingly good 4x6 prints with and without enhancement. Prediction is camera phones will kill off 2-3 megapixel point and shoots.

NEXT STORY

Click on the headline to go to that part of the story.

• 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

• ECONOMY IS A-OK WITH TAMRON