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J.D. Power Asia Pacific Reports:
Casio EXILIM, Ricoh GR DIGITAL and Nikon Rank Highest in Their Respective Segments in Inaugural Japan Digital Camera Study

TOKYO: 29 March 2007 —The Casio EXILIM ranks highest in satisfying owners of 5 to less than 7 megapixel digital cameras, the Ricoh GR DIGITAL leads the 7 megapixels or more segment, and Nikon ranks highest among digital single-lens reflex (SLR) camera manufacturers, according to the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2007 Japan Digital Camera Customer Satisfaction Study^SM released today.

The inaugural study measures customer satisfaction among digital camera users in three segments: compact digital cameras with 5 to less than 7 megapixels; compact digital cameras with 7 megapixels or more; and digital SLR cameras. The compact digital camera segments examine various series of camera models, while the SLR segment measures each camera brand overall. Customer satisfaction in each segment is based on five factors: function/performance, picture quality, design, operability and connectivity.

Receiving the highest ratings from customers in function/performance and design, the Casio EXILIM leads the 5 to less than 7 megapixel compact digital camera segment with a score of 662 points on a 1,000-point scale. The Canon IXY DIGITAL follows with a score of 659 points, and the Sony Cyber-shot ranks third in the segment with 642 points.

In the 7 megapixels or more segment, the Ricoh GR DIGITAL ranks highest with a score of 708 points, performing particularly well in picture quality, design and operability. The Sony Cyber-shot (692 points) and Casio EXILIM (667 points), respectively, follow the Ricoh GR DIGITAL in the segment.

Nikon ranks highest among digital SLR cameras with a score of 698 points and receives the highest ratings in four of five factors that determine overall satisfaction: function/performance, picture quality, operability and connectivity. Pentax (683 points) follows with particularly high ratings in the design factor.

The study finds that function/performance is the most influential factor driving overall customer satisfaction with both compact digital and digital SLR cameras. Specifically, the ease of understanding the instruction manual has a considerable impact on customer satisfaction with function/performance. Satisfaction with this factor, however, is low when compared to overall satisfaction with picture quality and design, which are also highly influential factors.

“Understanding the instruction manual in particular is where customers note very low levels of satisfaction in the function and performance of their camera, making it clear that this key area is driving down overall satisfaction with the factor,” said Eisuke Ishimaru, general manager of the service and technology industry group at J.D. Power Asia Pacific. “Making sure customers feel comfortable with the function and performance of their camera is critical in impacting satisfaction with the product overall, so providing user-friendly, comprehensive instruction manuals can go a long way toward improving customer satisfaction.”

The study also finds that once the image sensing capacity exceeds 6 megapixels, overall satisfaction with digital cameras becomes considerably higher when compared with cameras that have a lower number of megapixels. Additionally, satisfaction levels steadily rise as the number of megapixels increases. Among compact digital cameras, however, the increase in overall customer satisfaction is comparatively small once the number of megapixels exceeds 7.

“Because the number of megapixels isn't necessarily correlated with customer satisfaction among compact digital cameras, the competition to increase pixels in compact digital cameras will likely subside, with the average number of megapixels ultimately falling somewhere between 7 and 8,” said Ishimaru. “It is essential that manufacturers understand how all aspects of the ownership experience impact their customers' satisfaction levels.”

One area where customer satisfaction strongly correlates with the increasing number of megapixels is among digital SLR cameras. Overall customer satisfaction continuously increases with the image-sensing capacity of a digital SLR camera, even when the megapixel rate exceeds 9 or more. Satisfaction with SLR picture quality also increases concurrently with the number of megapixels captured.

The 2007 Japan Digital Camera Customer Satisfaction Study is based on responses from 10,277 users 18 years old and older who purchased a digital camera between January 2006 and January 2007. The Internet-based survey was conducted between December 2006 and January 2007.

About J.D. Power Asia Pacific
J.D. Power Asia Pacific, established in 1990, conducts customer satisfaction research and provides consulting services in the automotive, information technology and finance industries. Information regarding J.D. Power Asia Pacific and its products can be accessed through the Internet at http://www.jdpower.co.jp/ Media e-mail contact: cc-group@jdpower.co.jp

About J.D. Power and Associates
Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is an ISO 9001-registered global marketing information services firm operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, training and customer satisfaction. The firm's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies:
Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP) is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2006 were $6.3 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/.

No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of J.D. Power and Associates. www.jdpower.com/corporate

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