the buzz log

Is a camera in your stocking? In the past week, shoppers were dialing up "camera" queries as fast as their little fingers would type. And from the looks of things, the desired photographic equipment is digital and splash proof.

Leading the pack, the "kodak easyshare camera" surged 418%, followed by "sanyo digital camera" (+94%) and "hp digital cameras" (+55%). Besides specific brands and models, searchers also checked out ratings, lenses, and bags. And for the swimmers, snorkelers, and scuba fans, "waterproof digital camera" and "underwater camera" flashed into our top 10 lookups.

Say cheese and take a snapshot of the most popular "camera" searches…

Filed under: Shopping, Cameras

Year after year, more people are falling victim to a harrowing disease. This insidious affliction is spread by hapless inhabitants of the frontiers of digital photography. The most recent outbreak of this plague, Nikon Acquisition Syndrome, was sparked by the announcement of a new sub-$1000 digital SLR camera, the Nikon D80.

In the week since Nikon announced its new 10.2 megapixel gizmo, digital photography fiends everywhere have been breaking out in cold sweats and reaching out to the Search box for relief. Queries on "nikon d80" rose 250%. According to our statistics, over 80% of NAS sufferers are male and most of these poor souls are between the ages of 35 and 54.

The medical industry is ignoring this terrible disease and no cure is in sight. In fact, our sources tells us that the digital imaging industry is spreading the virus with absolute prejudice. And it's not only Nikon. We expect shortly after the release of the D80 in September that Canon will release its own, perhaps more debilitating, strain of aquistion syndrome. This is a highly contagious and competitive digital SLR market. Gear hounds, beware.

Filed under: Technology, Cameras