Best Buy offers Pro Digicam

| July 06, 2006, 08:38 AM

Spotted: Canon EOS 5D at my local Best Buy. I was shocked to see it. The full-frame, 12.8-megapixel camera sells for $3,299 before $300 rebate. The target user tends to be semi-pro or professional photographer, so the EOS 5D looked a little out of place next to the $199 digicams.

Or, maybe the EOS 5D was where it was supposed to be. Over the last couple of years, I watched stores like Best Buy stock digital SLRs as they reached a certain level of mass-market appeal. Canon broke the less-than-$1,000 price point in 2003 with the Digital Rebel. After a period of time in camera stores, the Canon dSLR and successor Digital Rebel XT moved onto Best Buy store shelves. I remember my surprise, when after a number of months following its release, the Canon EOS 20D made its way to store shelves. The EOS 20D was more of a semi-pro camera, for which Canon's target profile was the demanding wedding photographer.

I don't expect Best Buy sells many Canon 5Ds, but it's safe to assume that the retailer wouldn't stock the high-end digicam if consumers weren't buying at all. As I said last year, lower dSLR prices will open new markets, particularly for people with investment in existing lenses.

Looks like dSLRs sales are bombing. Last week, Nikon said it expects more than a 30-percent rise in its dSLR shipments. Canon and Nikon are both increasing dSLR shipments to meet growing demand.

I'm currently using a Nikon D200 and testing Apple Aperture and Adobe Lightroom, which is Beta 3. I will next look at Windows Vista's new built-in RAW capabilities. While the feature benefits are first for more professional photographers, Apple, Adobe and even Microsoft are developing their software for more general photo enthusiasts shooting dSLRs, too. It's a market in great transition.