April 11, 2005– Mini Gadgets Inc. released a 3.1-megapixel digital camera today, which they claim outputs pictures at 9.9-megapixel resolution. The DigiShot9.9S uses CCD interpolation to estimate the missing information between the recording points on the sensor. The new DigiShot retails for $199, far cheaper than any true 9.9-megapixel digital camera. However, Mini Gadgets Inc.'s product marketing fuels the megapixel war.
The company’s April 11 press release declares, “The Mega Pixel War Is Over…At Least For Now.” A 3.1-megapixel digital camera for under $200 isn’t much of an accomplishment, but M.G.I. is making the most from its marketing. Cameras with interpolated sensors are advertised at both ends. While the DigiShot advertises at its high end, Fujifilm makes several models and markets them at their lower megapixel count. For example, the FinePix E550 advertises 6.3 effective megapixels on its CCD, but has a mode that interpolates the image to 12.3 megapixels.
The DigiShot9.9S targets budget consumers looking for vast amounts of megapixels in a skinny body. The digital camera weighs a light 2.5 ounces, is only 16 mm thick, and comes in purple and silver colors. With automatic and manual modes, a 4x digital zoom, a VGA movie mode, a 1.5-inch LCD screen, and 16 MB of internal memory, M.G.I sells the camera with a one-year warranty.
“Consumers have got smarter,” said John Dufresne, vice president of M.G.I. “They want more for less.”
