• by Nina Lentini  @Nina_Lentini, August 1, 2008

Now that they can afford all the pixels they want, shutterbugs are looking for the newest next in camera equipment: waterproofing. Must be all that scuba diving.

J.D. Power and Associates, which just released its "2008 Digital Camera Usage and Satisfaction Study," finds that waterproofing is mentioned most frequently by owners in both the point-and-shoot (67%), and premium point-and-shoot (68%) segments, while ultra-slim owners desire 4 GB internal memory capacity and DSLR owners desire waterproofing (63%).

And they mean waterproof. "Digital camera manufacturers are constantly adding new features in efforts to differentiate themselves from their competitors," said Larry Wu, senior director of the technology practice at J.D. Power and Associates, in a statement. "However, ease of use becomes critical in maintaining satisfaction, as average satisfaction scores are 235 points lower among customers who say their features were difficult to use. Designing features with the consumer in mind and providing clear and concise instructions can help maintain high satisfaction levels with new features and functions."

The study also finds the following key trends:

-- The resources that camera owners used most frequently during the shopping process to research digital cameras are consistent across all segments, with Internet product and review sites the most frequently cited resource. Information or recommendations from family and friends, print reviews and in-store salespeople follow as other frequently used resources.

-- DSLR owners take the most photos in one month, averaging 454 images, followed by premium point-and-shoot owners (159), ultra-slim owners (96), and point-and-shoot owners (83).

-- Customers who purchased an extended warranty report significantly higher overall satisfaction scores (768, on average) with their cameras, compared with owners who did not purchase a warranty (732, on average). In 2008, 23% of DSLR, 17% of premium point-and-shoot, 16% of ultra-slim and 13% of point-and-shoot owners purchased an extended warranty for their digital camera.

Camera brands that ranked highest in customer satisfaction in their respective segments were the Canon EOS Digital SLR, Canon PowerShot G, Fujifilm Finepix S, Lumix (Panasonic) DMC-TZ, Nikon D and Sony Cyber-shot T, the study showed.

The study is based on responses from more than 8,000 consumers who purchased a digital camera between April 2007 and March 2008. The study was fielded in June and July.