The Fuji review is interesting. Since I own the F31, it seems like the other problem is trying to hold color and detail in dark areas. It's a pretty mixed conclusion, a highly recommended camera from a manufacturer who threw in the towel. They 'had' to do it. They did it basically 'right'. The progress is nominal, a number on a camera. It serves no purpose other than marketing.

So if they had thrown their research into just improving the 6MP sensor, they were doomed? The problem is partly that any digital camera will suffice for small prints, and that's what most people make. So why do people believe that 12MP will make a small print better? But once you get to the point where that small print can be made by a $50 camera, no one is going to even think about innovation.

At the other end, the trend is to 24x zooms with tiny sensors. But even here you can argue the output is better than the output from a disposable camera, of which many billions have sold. An these cameras are 'fun'.

So, soon enough, the $50 Basi-cam will be featured in the checkout area at Walmart, in a plastic sheath that requires a chain saw to open. Maybe then the stage will be set for $300 cameras that have some higher aspirations, in a similar case size. The 'compact' idea is sound. At $300, hopefully it will be delivered in an actual box.

Will Fuji aspire to remake the F31 some day, as a premium camera? There isn't much profit in a $50 camera. Surely someone will aim higher. The Garmins and the Apples of the world show that premium products with a sense of quality can do very, very well. Hmm, why not in digicams?

George Sears