Update: Similar camera to the one described in this patent is just to be announced by Samsung.
According to patent applications 20090307322 Nikon is thinking about integrating an email client into a point and shoot camera:
"A digital camera comprises an image-capturing unit that captures an image of a photographic subject and acquires image data, a communication unit for sending and receiving electronic mail data including image data, a recording control unit that records the image data acquired by the image-capturing unit as photographed image data upon a recording medium, an email for sending creation unit that creates an email for sending, to which is attached an image based upon the photographed image data recorded upon the recording medium, and an email address setting unit that sets an email address as the destination of the email for sending. The email for sending creation unit creates a title or a text of the email for sending, based upon at least one of the photographed image data and the email address that has been set."
The whole menu, including the different screens layout, are described in details here:
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46 Comments
I can see some good uses for this, but for me it won’t replace the edit and then send.
Remember, most P&S cameras now have “quick” editing tools to remove red-eye etc. I’m sure people would like to be able to email images to family/friends.
That’s true. After thinking more about it, I think this idea will have its place. We are an instant gratification society. In a way this may be like texting, but with photos.
not sure why you want to receive emails/photos in your P&S DC. most ppl would have a smart phone instead. wouldn’t you hate to have to sort out junk mail in a PS camera?
The wave of the future, I suspect that in the years to come DSLRs will all have email send/receive capability. Maybe down the road, we will have a D6 with email and built in MP3 player.
that would be MP6.
people here used to say “what would he want more? watches with spout/jet of water?” when someone wanted too much.. do we? i want long focal point lens without any handshake impact
but built in tripod doesn’t seem so good
just have a look to “xphone” at youtube than you know all the future
Imagine carrying a dslr weighing a few kg as a mp3 player :p
can they put cigarette lighter in the next gen cameras …
and a car battery?
yeah so i can use my slr to jump start my car
this is a double post, sorry, don’t know if you all read all again, but
just have a look to “xphone” at youtube than you know all the future
Cool, I will buy one to be able to receive emails about the D700x or the 300mm f/4 AF-S VRII.
I don’t want to be mean, but Nikon is really going to the wrong direction, I have been using Nikon for more than 20 years and I’m now tired of waiting for lenses or cameras updates while Mr Nikon is patenting “emails” for point and-shoot-cameras.
If nothing come up for the PMA, you’ll keep your toys Mr Nikon.
the “you’ll keep your toys mr Nikon” part is always making me laugh.
why can’t we just focus on what we already have and stop whining about what we don’t? not sure that better “updated” equipment mean better pics, but hey, I guess everyone knows that because we are all adults here
but how to deliver better stuff when it’s costs money to develop it? why cannot it be mainstream pointed business with inovative compact cameras? if it delivers money for development of the best stuff for us then nikon please do it.
It looks to me like Nikon is trying not to have its P&S cameras gobbled up by smart phones with more and more photo capability. I think this is a lost cause, as was Palm trying to add phone capabilities to a PDA (personal digital assistant) 10 years ago. The smart phones will continue to win. I think that Nikon should quickly move away from what can be crammed into a phone where they have a comparative advantage: small “real cameras.” Will they never compete with Olympus and Panasonic in the 4/3 market?
I agree that P&S cameras are likely not long of this world (well I can’t see a future where they are sold in nearly the volume they are today) but Nikon prematurely leaving a profitable market just because the market will _eventually_ die is foolish.
Leaving the market would be foolish – however being a market leader and innovator would be extremely smart.
After reading Thom Hogan’s 2010 predictions, I’m convinced: In 15-20 years the standard compact camera market will be very small indeed. Smart phones will have dominated the segment by then – providing what the majority of consumers want: a compact camera adequate for posed photos of friends, family, and tourist destinations.
I imagine that within 5 years a phone company will team up with a camera/lens manufacturer (or vice-versa) and produce a smart phone with a decent lens and a normal compact camera sized sensor (1/1.8″ CCD or similar). Decent quality HD video would be integrated of course, and probably an SD card slot – although that wouldn’t necessarily be a must because of a big on-board flash drive and broadband wireless. A decent flash would be included too.
Intuitive controls are a must – but apparently not too much of an issue with touch screen portable devices, since the S70 only has two buttons (power and shutter release). The only issue I see is battery life – but new technologies like micro-turbines may be a solution to that issue.
Larger compacts would remain – I think EVIL and other larger sensor cameras will be far more popular in the future as the first big step up from the smart phone cameras. Of course, they’ll start integrating wireless, and other features as well. The difference is that their focus will be on taking photos above all else – as opposed to the smart phones that will need to do everything well but nothing great (besides making calls). But the typical compact camera of today will hardly exist except in the hands of stubborn grandparents who don’t want anything to do with a smart phone.
Hey, better that than a projector!
Really? Their selling those projector P&S like hot cakes. Sold out in the 4 stores i went too this week (to get a couple for friends and family).
thanks, nice to hear it
mmmh…
what would be wrong with a p&s capable of projecting emails?
nice!
This really crack me up better than K Rock.
Oh yes, computer viruses, here we come with a camera! Great new development!
Instead of wasting time and energy on gadgets…. Nikon should concentrate and come up with a fine D800 soon.
WTF do you think funds high-end camera development?
I’ll give you a hint – it ain’t high-end cameras.
And in the D800 they will include a electric razor for those long photoshootings out in the wild.. ;\
Nikon dslr and nikon coolpix aren’t the same team. The team of coolpix made is job to transform a camera into a gadget technologie. Dslr team made other thing.
Im fully aware of that, ever heard of sarcasm?
and an attachable bayonet for the lion who wasnt fooled by the birdtent
In the “me too” world of P&S cameras, companies have to differentiate themselves somehow. Olympus and Pentax are reinventing themselves as rough and tumble P&S’s. Nikon is starting to look like the innovator of “different”. Projector cameras and apparent email capability stand out in a crowded market. What would really be nice to see is a Nikon ‘G11′ type P&S with an APS-C sensor… perhaps extending the life of their 10mp CCD.
It seems we are only a couple of generations away from a true press photographers machine.
The screen on the D3 is already good enough quality – the next step….
…basic image editing (crop, colors, levels, sharp, resize)
and then a built Email, or even better FTP software.
It will be amazing and make life so much easier….
Exactly. This will be the PJ’s dream once it reaches the D1-series. Before soon, it’ll be faster to produce a new article picture than it’ll be to produce the actual article.
Besides, you do you guys really think Nikon solely focuses on DSLR-development? And as they probably realize that they can’t match what Canon and Panasonic are producing when it comes to P&S they are trying to find a niche of unique innovative solutions. Personally I’d prefer a larger 6MP sensor and a 35-80mm f/2-2.8 lens.
they better include this in the D4 or I’m switching to canon!
lol.
Off you go then.
Bye Bye. (tongue firmly in cheek)
Nikon got a *patent* for this? I mean, haven’t Nokia et al sold millions upon millions of devices that can take a photo and mail it to someone? This fails to meet even the most minimal standards for non-obviousness or prior art.
This is the application. Was it granted?
No, Mr NRAdmin, so stupid thing will NEVER be my next camera.
The gimicks I’d like to see in a Coolpix are: larger sensor, six megapixels, P A S M modes, rapid response, 24-120 equivalent f/2.0-4.0, decent viewfinder (OVF or EVF), and EN-EL1 battery (because of non-rechargeable equivalent).
don’t want one
Oops CR guy – I can’t believe I am the first one to point out the missing “D” in the word sending (instead of sening).
Outside of a typo. Although, I can see how this ability will set them apart but it makes little sense with the cell phones we have with built in cameras. The improved image quality and zoom would be a plus but not worth the risk of getting viruses that take down the camera.
I am more interested in the D800 or whatever it will be called and P & S without shutter lag.
I hate to break this news to Nikon, but I would think the iPhone anticipates this so-called invention.
Great. A camera that sends emails. This is patent-worthy how? It just glues a few pre-existing pieces together in a way that’s not even remotely interesting. Stupid patent examiners.
Actually P6000 already has email client, WAN & WiFI on a board.
This patent just a way to protect existing technology