One of my 156 predictions made in March 2006 was that gigapixel cameras would be common in the 2009-2015 timeframe. The Seitz Roundshot that takes 470 Megapixel images in 3 seconds and costs $36,500 is getting very close. There are other gigapixel scanning cameras and cameras for satellites and space applications but those will not be common.
Seitz Phototechnik has the 160 Megapixel camera. The camera costs $35000 (Euro 25000). It takes the 160 megapixel shot in one second.
50 Megapixel Hasselblad cameras are available.
A 60 megapixel Hasselblad will be available April 2009.
Phase One has a 60.5 megapixel camera.
FURTHER READING
There is table of digital cameras and their image resolution at wikipedia
Gigapixel images are discussed at wikipedia
Vision Research Advances 1,000,000 Frames-per-Second High-Speed Digital Camera Offering With Launch of the Phantom(R) V12.1 Many rapidly shot lower resolution digital pictures can be stitched together into a larger high resolution image.
Extreme photography equipment.
Nikon MX rumored to have 40.7 megapixels and will be released early in 2009.
Sony has the Alpha 900 out now for $3000-6000 with 24 megapixels for a digital SLR camera.
DSLR Killer in Late 2009 from Company Now Killing 35mm film
The RED Digital Cinema Camera Company is rumored to be releasing a DSLR-killer in late 2009.
More discussion of the RED camera technology advantages.
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
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