[DavidRM]

Compact digital cameras are a consumable item, currently, and generally have to be replaced in 2-3 years. Before digital, how many people used the same camera for 5-10 years and only then considered buying a new one? That shift alone increases profit margins considerably, or at worst makes up in volume what might've been sacrificed to keep the price down.

So it's no wonder companies are moving away from the less profitable item that no one wants any more in favor of the pricier item with the built-in obsolescence and upgrade path.

I do wonder when the "high-tech glow" that currently surrounds digital camears will fade, and life cycles will stretch out again. Probably not for years. Because digital cameras opened up a whole lot of nifty new things that can be done, and simplified a few old things.

-David