Digital Trends

Three of the biggest trends for 2006 are digicams with more potent 6-megapixel imagers, larger 3-inch LCD screens and higher sensitivity (ISO). For those not swimming in the digital camera sea every day, 6MP imagers are the new sweet spot for most manufacturers, up from 5 last year and 4MP the in 2004. Since next year is 2007, will 7MP be new standard at that time? Who cares? We'll deal with what's currently in our hands--which are cameras with ever higher resolution. The move to even larger LCD screens is another major trend and almost all the big companies offer them such as the recently reviewed HP Photosmart R927, the Fujifilm FinePix V10, Nikon Coolpix S6, Sony DSC-N1 and others. The pluses of big screens are many giving you a larger palette to frame your shots and making it easier for you and your friends to review your images. On the other hand higher ISOs are a mixed bag. Although it lets you shoot in available light without a flash, the old bugaboo of digital noise tends to raise its ugly head. Now did Canon put all three of these pieces together creating a terrific little camera—or a pocket-sized bust? We'll try it and see...