The Megapixel wars aren't over ; Nikon launched the D3X, a monster of a camera with a 24.8 megapixel resolution. At the same time, Nikon's Compact Digital camera range wearing the Coolpix brand began to feature devices with 12 megapixel sensors.

When the Nikon D2X Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera waslaunched in 2004 with a 12.4 megapixel sensor, the largest sensortill date, experts predicted the end of the megapixel wars. Amegapixel basically means 1,000,000 pixels which is the amount ofpixels the sensor of a digital camera can capture. A camera with asensor measuring 1024x768 pixels is a one megapixel sensor. But inlate 2008, Nikon launched the D3X, a monster of a camera with a 24.8megapixel resolution. At the same time, Nikon's Compact Digitalcamera range wearing the Coolpix brand began to feature devices with12 megapixel sensors.

So, do we really need more megapixels? Yes, says Makoto Kimura,Director, Nikon Corp. I do not believe that DSLR's have maxed outmegapixels just yet. Just wait till later this year to see what webring out. However, when it comes to compact digital cameras, Kimurafeels that more megapixels may not be the way forward. While compactdigital cameras are facing challenges from mobile phones, it will bethe clarity and quality of the images that will distinguish themfrom mobile phones, says Kimura. He does not believe that the mobilephone has dented sales of compact digital cameras. In fact, hethinks it has helped them. In countries like India, where thepenetration of digital cameras is low, mobile devices give peoplethe taste of digital photography. Then they want the real thing, andbuy a Coolpix or a similar device, he says.

Kimura says that Nikon is fighting back against mobile phonecompanies. The latest Nikon cameras feature wireless printing andGlobal Positioning Sensors, which can record the location where apicture has been shot. They can also directly upload images from thecamera onto photo sharing services on the Internet. We are stillworking on our user interface, which could do with some tweaking,but that is in the future, he says.

New in Camera

Worried that mobile phones are stepping on to their turf, cameramakers are putting more features in their devices.

Global Positioning System (GPS) modules: to record the geographiclocation of images

Wireless printing directly from the camera after editing theimage on the camera itself

Directly uploading images from the camera on to photo-sharingservices on the Internet

Kushan Mitra