The Era of the Gimmick Camera has begun

Samsung announced a new compact camera this week, the DualView TL225.  So why am I bothering to write about this?  It's because this camera contains the ultimate gimmick, an LCD screen on the front as well as the rear of the camera body.  Call it the Myspace camera-- other than cheesy self portraits, this really has no useful function.



I expect this trend will continue, and not just LCDs in wacky places, but whatever other nonsense camera manufacturers can include to generate interest.  The photography market is saturated right now, and we've reached a point where just about everyone already owns a digital camera of some sort.  Maybe an LCD screen on the front is that extra nudge that gets someone to upgrade.  Or how about some cool looking analog dials on top of the camera?  Or a built in projector?  The possibilities are endless.

So what's next?

• Cameras with voice activation?


• Cameras that can read your mind, enabling faster response time?  Never miss that decisive moment!


• A camera slash Easy Bake Oven combo?  Ummm... just think of all the brownie and cupcake photos.