DPreview highlights a moment of rare clarity in European Union legislation by reclassifying digital cameras that record video:
‘The CIPA (Camera & Imaging Products Association) has today released a statement on the recent re-classification of certain digital cameras as 'video camera recorders'. The new EU rule states that any digital still camera with a resolution higher than 800x600 and the duration of video of 30 minutes of more (at 23 fps or higher) must now be classified as a 'video camera recorder' and hence be taxed at a higher rate. This new legislation will undoubtedly mean that any promise of serious video capture on digital still cameras becomes an even more remote possibility. ‘
Hopefully this will encourage the big manufacturers to stop messing around on superfluous features and focus on image capture quality and other photography related enhancements instead.
The new laws are not retrospective though so new cameras like the Nikon D300 and D3 that break these rules will be unaffected. Just.
‘The CIPA (Camera & Imaging Products Association) has today released a statement on the recent re-classification of certain digital cameras as 'video camera recorders'. The new EU rule states that any digital still camera with a resolution higher than 800x600 and the duration of video of 30 minutes of more (at 23 fps or higher) must now be classified as a 'video camera recorder' and hence be taxed at a higher rate. This new legislation will undoubtedly mean that any promise of serious video capture on digital still cameras becomes an even more remote possibility. ‘
Hopefully this will encourage the big manufacturers to stop messing around on superfluous features and focus on image capture quality and other photography related enhancements instead.
The new laws are not retrospective though so new cameras like the Nikon D300 and D3 that break these rules will be unaffected. Just.