Key Trends that Redefined Digital Photography in 2016

The introduction of digital photography proved lethal for film cameras, and many imagined the mirrorless camera would flatline the DSLR. The popularity of smartphones has effectively killed the digital cameras market, especially low cost fixed lens cameras. The recent lack of innovation in digital cameras has meant that consumers are happy with their current cameras and less motivated to buy newer models. However, there are few innovations that can’t be ignored.

Here’s the biggest photo tech emerging at the end of 2016.

ISO 3 million+

The biggest camera announcement this year was Nikon’s new flagship DSLR, the D5. The D5 is loaded with pretty solid features, like the 12 fps burst, 158 autofocus points and 4K video.

While all of those features are significant, the Nikon D5 also has a feature that will allow it to capture things even the human eye can’t detect: ISO 3,280,000. Nikon claims that it can capture even more than the human eye can see in dark scenes.

The image is undoubtedly going to be pretty noisy but the ability to photograph more than you can even see in the dark is nonetheless very intriguing.

SnapBridge

Wi-Fi enabled cameras drain the battery pretty fast and the camera has to be manually connected to the device and it automatically disconnects after few minutes. Nikon has introduced Snapbridge connectivity which is an always-on image transfer service that enables a constant connection between Nikon cameras and smart devices.

Via Bluetooth low energy (BLE) technology, SnapBridge enables the continuous and immediate transfer of images from the camera to a smart device as they are captured in real time, transforming photography into a social, connected experience. This is achieved automatically without the need to activate image transfer from the camera, while also keeping power consumption low for both devices. Users can also continue to enjoy mobile internet connectivity during image transfer, allowing them to check their e-mail or access social media while syncing their photographs.

Nikon’s radio wave flash

Nikon’s New SB-5000 is its first Speedlight to utilize radio frequency.

A first for Nikon, the flash operates via radio frequency and will operate without a direct line of sight for a range of up to approx. 98 feet (30 meters). This new-found flexibility lets photographers place lights in different rooms, around corners and work seamlessly in bright ambient light with maximum efficiency.

Wireless compact printing

Canon has introduced the SELPHY CP1200 Wireless Compact Photo Printer, which offers 4×6 prints. Besides just connecting to mobile devices wirelessly, you can cut all the cords if you pick up the optional battery that prints up to 54 photos per charge.

The SELPHY CP1200 isn’t a professional photo printer by any means, but it could be a useful tool for photo booths and quick on-site prints.

SELPHY CP1200 is compact, portable and offers low cost per print. It can easily print from Windows and Mac computers, smartphones, tablets and comes with memory card slot and USB thumb drive port. However, it’s slow printing speed and inability to print images larger than 4-by-6 is the only cause of concern.

Samsung SSD T3

Equipped with Samsung’s proprietary Vertical NAND (V-NAND) and SSD TurboWrite technology, the T3 drive provides advanced performance enabling consumers to quickly store and transfer large content across a variety of devices, including laptops, desktops (working on Windows 7 or higher), TVs and android smarphones and tablets (Kitkat 4.4 or higher).

The Samsung 2 TB T3 SSD Drive also features a shock-resistant build, making it even more ideal for taking on the go.

KeyMission action and wearable cameras

Nikon’s KeyMission action and wearable cameras have been designed to help users shape and share their missions, from the everyday to the extreme, and the stories behind them. Earlier this year, Nikon had announced the KeyMission 360 – a tough, wearable action camera capable of recording true 360° video in 4K UHD.

The ability of the flagship KeyMission 360 is to capture seamless 360° video in 4K UHD format.

The KeyMission 170, which is shockproof and waterproof, captures dynamic 170° wide-angle 4K UHD videos and vivid images. Versatile shooting modes like Add Slow Motion, Superlapse Movie and Time-lapse Movie are available for creating dramatic scenes for any adventure.

The ultra-slim KeyMission 80 is a tough wearable camera designed for quick shooting of stills and movies, enabling users to record every moment of their experiences as it happens.

Polaroid Snap+

Polaroid Snap+ instant print camera comes with 3.5-inch touchscreen LCD for framing shots and navigating the camera’s menu, a new and improved 13 megapixel CMOS sensor for higher-quality images as well as 1080p full HD video recording capability. All images and video are stored on a micro SD card (up to 128GB).

The most exciting addition to the new Polaroid Snap+ is remote connectivity through Bluetooth to the Polaroid print app that allows the camera to connect to and print from other devices such as smartphones and tablets.

At the heart of the new Polaroid Snap+ is an integrated printer using ZINK Zero Ink Printing Technology, which gives users the ability to print full color, 2x3” prints automatically when an image is captured.

SanDisk's 1 TB SD card

SanDisk has unveiled 1 TB SD card. This 1TB version offers 16,384 times more storage.

According to SanDisk, the 1TB card is necessary to match the increasing demand for memory-heavy formats, including 4K and 8K footage, 360-degree video and VR. However, this 1TB card is certain to be prohibitively expensive.