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Originally Posted by Paul
I like your thoughts of cameras with built in storage. I can't see it being too difficult for a DSLR to have a built in flash memory/microdrive - say 4GB. So long as there was also the option of external storage then it would be a useful selling point.
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It was mentioned a few months ago on Luminous Landscape as a
possible future storage route for DSLRs. Most people responding (including my worthless self) didn't care much for the idea. Drives of that nature and size are just too sensitive to various environmental issues (temperature, vibration, shock, etc.). No one wants to lose a whole shoot due to a drive going south. If the drive goes bad, then you also lose the camera for the repair process. They are also limiting in that they would probably be the sole form of storage in-camera. Once a drive is full, you're done shooting unless you carry a laptop or portable HD to offload the shots. This is impractical in many situations. I suppose you could offload to a similar sized CF/stick on the fly ... but then there's no real point to having an internal drive in that case. Internal drives combined within wireless enabled consumer/prosumer grade P&S would be about the extent this concept. I can't see many pros wanting a set-up like that.
I also can't see manufacturers going with the idea of an internal drive combined with an auxillary externally accessible storage unit (whether CF or stick). Just too clunky a design and increased power usage. Pros already complain that camera bodies like the 1DsMk2 are too big (yet they complain in the same breath about the 300D/350D being too small). That is why I am thinking that pro/prosumer DSLR designs might switch to memory sticks. They are smaller than CF cards and thus require a smaller 'bay' on the camera. This would allow a shrinkage in the overall body size. Admittedly it wouldn't be much, but any space savings is significant to those buying $8k or more bodies.
Just have to wait and see what PMA brings.