New cameras add on fancy features.

By Jefferson Graham

Don't expect any major price drops in cameras this year.
This year's crop of digital cameras are more full-featured and have better resolution but haven't followed the basic rule of technology (think DVD players and iPods) that makes newer models less expensive, smaller and lighter.

New digital cameras get introduced to retailers at this weekend's Photo Marketing Association International show in Orlando. "The price range hasn't shifted, but the consumer still wins, because they get more camera than ever before," says Chris Chute, an analyst at market research firm IDC.

Kodak, Canon, Sony, Nikon and Olympus all will be showing 5- or 6-megapixel models (a megapixel is a measurement of a camera's resolution) with zoom lenses for $199 or less. A year ago, those cameras would have had 4 megapixels, some with no zoom.

The coolest new cameras this year offer features not found on the entry-level models.

•Image stabilization. Tired of blurry images because you can't hold your camera still? Many top manufacturers — including Sony, Canon, Kodak, Fuji and Nikon — have models with a built-in stabilizer. And some have dramatically increased light sensitivity, so you can shoot more often without a flash in low-light situations. "The results are less blur overall, and better shooting," says Ron Gazzola of Fujifilm.

Because many compact cameras no longer have traditional viewfinders, shutterbugs must compose images on their preview screens, which can make "camera shake" even more of a problem, says Chuck Westfall of Canon: "Image stabilization is a big help for any kind of shooting."

•Bigger preview screens. Look for many 2.5-inch and 3-inch screens on the more expensive models this year. You'll pay for them, too. Nikon's $349 Coolpix S5 has a 2.5-inch screen; a 3-inch screen on the step-up S6 adds $100. Meanwhile, anyone who buys a new digital camera will get an image that can be more easily cropped. That's the upshot of the extra resolution.
In the past, consumers were told that a 3-megapixel camera was all they needed for regular-size blow-ups. But with a 6-megapixel camera, you can crop out a quarter of the picture without much loss in quality.

Camera makers also have plenty of new professional-like single-lens reflex (SLR) models, as well. Consumers love SLRs because they're great for stopping action in sports shots, using interchangeable lenses and providing the best image quality in digital.

Canon is set to replace its $1,399 EOS 20D with the $1,499 30D, notable for a slightly smaller body. Olympus adds another Evolt model to the lineup, the $1,000 E-330. It has an LCD preview screen that swivels and tilts — for those who like to hold cameras over their heads at rock concerts.

Pentax has lowered its *istDL SLR to $599, making it by far the cheapest digital SLR on the market.

Source: http://www.usatoday.com