Samsung Techwin has also jumped into the high-end market, introducing the Pro 815, which it says took two years and W10 billion to develop. Its battery life delivers 225 minutes or 450 pictures without recharging. The Pro 815 also features 8 megapixel resolution, 15x optical zoom, and a 3.5-inch LCD, the largest for a digital camera. According to the firm, pre-orders already outstrip production. The price is around W840,000.

Fujifilm launched its Finepix S9500 last month featuring 9 megapixel resolution and a 10.7x optical zoom as well as high sensitivity for shooting in the dark or snapping fast-moving objects. Reduced noise and an anti-shake feature also make the product stand out. It costs about W820,000.

Sony, meanwhile, released the latest in its Cybershot line-up, with a massive 10.3-megapixel resolution. The DSC-R1 has an extra-large CMOS sensor that is normally for professional use. But already it will cost a little over W1 million.

This is cache, read story here