To: Thomas Mercer-Hursh who wrote (32171 ) 9/24/2000 10:26:46 PM From: mauser96 Read Replies (4) | Respond to The resolution af digital still cameras is growing very rapidly. The newest ones have 3.3 megapixels. In a few years this will probably be around 10 MP or so, which should satisfy most quality needs at the consumer level. How are these images going to be stored on Compact Flash without spending a fortune? A Canon S20 (3.3 mega pixel) using a 16 MB memory card will only hold 6 shots at finest resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels, according to the factory manual. Having just bought a couple of these cards, I find that they are not cheap ( around $2.12 per MB) and far more fragile than a film canister. So it will cost about $128 to store 24 photos at 2048 x 1536. Yes, the image can be compressed, you can use lower resolution, and Compact Flash probably will decrease in price. Nevertheless, if compact flash doesn't fall in price fast, it will be cheaper for average (occasional) users to rely on film. Also this problem may open the way to use of cheaper mini hard disks as a substitute for memory cards. At 10 MP storing 24 photos at max resolution and minimum compression might take a 192 MB card, and cost about $384 per card. Ouch.
