It's 2020 (God help us) and you go to the camera store for a new camera

... so what will be on offer in 2020? Forget the past! Forget FILM!!!! Think of the future - we live in a technical-industrial world where (especially in Japan and the US) anything is possible. What camera/lenses will you be buying in 2020? Free your imagination.

Me? I'll be dead by then, but I can enjoy your prescience now...

I was thinking of investing in a film camera, actually, or exploring medium format.

in 2010 I think I will be buying plenty of eco-friendly paper and inks. I have enough camera equipment.

Karl Johnston wrote in post #8423791
I was thinking of investing in a film camera, actually, or exploring medium format.

in 2010 I think I will be buying plenty of eco-friendly paper and inks. I have enough camera equipment.

You're going to be here too, are you? I like the eco bit. Perhaps film will make a come-back? perhaps a new uber-technical high-spec 21st century film? Who knows (apart from Kodak)

In 2020 we jsut shoot video and pick a frame we like, at 20mp or so.

By 2020 the camera will be surgically implanted in our skulls and will take permanent images using our eyes as lenses, and our brains for processing. We'll have built-in USB ports to connect to a thumb drive or a printer...

When I tell my friends how many megapixels my camera has, they laugh and say their point and shoot has 47 more mp and is $1200 cheaper.

I expect to still be approached by some annoying git trying to sell me something I've already decided to buy (or not).

According to the Mayan calendar, Nostradamus and Edgar Casey the world ends on 12/21/2012 so I'll invest in more gear in 2013 and beyond.

Edgar Casey?

Karl Johnston wrote in post #8424188
Edgar Casey?

http://en.wikipedia.or​g/wiki/Edgar_Cayce

IS is dead, long live ISO!!

If camera manufacturers listen to us even a little, high ISO will deliver clean noise free images. IS may not be dead, but will only be used to take pictures in a dark room lit by candlelight.

Think about it. If you could have a 5 stop ISO advantage, or a 5 stop IS advantage, which would you take? The whole concept of IS is to allow the shutter to stay open longer, which can lead to (subject) motion blur. The only disadvantage I see to high ISO is image noise (and subsequent lack of sharpness). If this can be addressed in the future, IS may indeed become obsolete.

Mike Sharafinski wrote in post #8425173
IS is dead, long live ISO!!

If camera manufacturers listen to us even a little, high ISO will deliver clean noise free images. IS may not be dead, but will only be used to take pictures in a dark room lit by candlelight.

Think about it. If you could have a 5 stop ISO advantage, or a 5 stop IS advantage, which would you take? The whole concept of IS is to allow the shutter to stay open longer, which can lead to (subject) motion blur. The only disadvantage I see to high ISO is image noise (and subsequent lack of sharpness). If this can be addressed in the future, IS may indeed become obsolete.

I agree. We need much-improved sensors that can capture light much more efficiently. Then, you could shoot in quite low light at faster shutter speeds. All that IS/VR do is try to get around the existing shortcomings of the sensor. They do a pretty good job, but with a more receptive sensor you shouldn't need IS/VR.

Variable weight camera bodies. To reduce body fatigue from day-long shoots, a dial may be rotated to reduce the weight of camera body/lens. Need more weight for stability? Just turn the dial up.

Hey, it's 2020!

3D cameras that take "pictures" that you can display as a hologram. Then you'll order a cup of joes on you replicator and ...... no, thats 2100

I'll probably be in MF or LF film, unless digital MF is affordable, has as much DR/exposure latitude as film, and has finally gotten good AWB or reliable repeatable "film" style color settings that can match colors which good films automatically give you.