2021 was another dramatic year for the camera industry despite logistical issues and ongoing battles with the global pandemic. We have a good idea of specific cameras to be released in 2022, but what else can we expect?
Chris Niccolls and Jordan Drake of DPReview TV sit down to discuss where brands and technology could be headed over the next 12 months and make some interesting predictions for what the future will bring. Computational photography will play a huge role, and their ideas for Micro Four Thirds cameras could prove interesting, not just for what the in-camera capabilities might bring, but for what machine learning can do with raw files once you start editing them on the computer. As AI noise reduction technology gets smarter, the potential to expose for the highlights and recover new levels of detail in the shadows is increasing, and the limitations of smaller sensors are starting to shrink as a result.
Drake and Niccolls mention the global chip shortage but don’t explore the implications of its ongoing impact. As noted by Engadget a few weeks ago, inflated prices and limited stock are expected to extend not just to 2022, but well into 2023, and the fact that it’s currently almost impossible to order a PlayStation 5 — launched in November 2020 — gives you an idea of the size of the problem. Camera manufacturers will have to make some tough decisions about which products they prioritize.
What are your predictions for the new year? Let us know in the comments below.
It will get to the point where people can just take a badly exposed image and let the software deal with it. I'd rather not make photography too easy as there's no real reward, at least I don't think so. I still remember buying a secondhand manual film camera many moons ago (before digital really took off) and realising I would have to actually learn how to use it, especially how to capture the correct exposure without a screen on the back or EVF to guide me (that technology wasn't even possible back then). Also only having one ISO at a time was a challenge too.
One time, the battery for the light meter in my fully manual Nikon FM died out in the desert. I used the film box guide to set the exposure and aperture. All the shots came back from the developer properly exposed! One of my proudest photography moments.
Although I learn with intervals because of family and work obligations I agree with Sam Sims. I wouldn't want to see everything automated and served on the plate. We would loose the joy of discovery and learning. What I would like to see is superzoom camera with the same focal length that has mine (3000mm equivalent) but with bigger sensor to provide better quality mostly at night. Even if that would request a new innovation in sensor technology. For us that we get excited by approaching really close to the subject if we receive - even a little improvement in this sector - it would be great news!
Sadly, lens weight (and probably cost) goes up with the cube of sensor size.
(I willingly sacrificed sensor size to get zoom range with my Nikon superzoom. For me, it was worth the tradeoff--swapping lenses startles wildlife, and it's just so much faster to work the zoom)
Jay I agree with you. The fact that I can reach everything I want and even see and shoot something that I didn't even know it was there surpass the compromises of the sensor. I am just writing for the ideal situation.