Digital cameras are growing up. The megapixel war, where battles over market share hinged on who could deliver higher resolution pictures is so last year.
Today, even entry-level point and shoot cameras routinely offer the 7 or 8 megapixels that used to define professional equipment and consumers make their decisions based on other criteria that have more distinguishing impact on the quality of their picture taking experience.
The J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Digital Camera Usage and Satisfaction StudySM looks at camera model lines in four body-style segments: point and shoot, premium point and shoot, ultra slim and digital single lens reflex (DSLR). In each segment, we examine customer evaluations of picture quality, performance, ease of operation, and appearance and styling.
The new battlefield is shaping up as one where new features compete to create differentiation to attract customers. The study finds that owners are particularly satisfied with the new technologies available on their digital cameras " as long as they're easy to use. Geotagging, which provides an exact geographical identification to a photograph, weather proofing, MP3 playing capabilities and face-detection technology can all yield top customer satisfaction scores. Make them difficult to use, however, and consumers are quick to turn away from a camera.
Looking ahead, consumers are looking for new features that offer even more flexibility and ease-of-use, including:...
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