GENEXTPRODUCTS

It’s pretty startling how much camera you can get for less than 250 beans this winter. The F50fd is a good example with 12-megapixel resolution, mechanical and digital image stabilization, a larger-than-normal LCD screen and the latest version of Face Detection (2.0 to be exact). Let’s put this is a little perspective, shall we? It was just six years ago Sony broke the $1,000 USD barrier with a 5-megapixel camera (DSC-F707). Since digital cameras age in dog years, the industry has completely changed since then and 5MP is entry level—if you can even find one. For the record, Canon still leads the megapixel parade with the 21.1MP EOS 1Ds Mark III for eight grand so 12-megapixels is really no big deal with affordable models (sub $300 USD) readily available including the Kodak V1253 and many others along with this FinePix. And you know prices of 12MP models will continue to slide when 14-megapixel point-and-shoot editions arrive in 2008.