Rangefinder Magazine
November 2005

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Digital Photography John Rettie
Three New Cameras Create Waves

JUST AS I WAS WRAPPING UP writing this month's column I received one of the new 12.8-megapixel EOS-5D cameras from Canon for evaluation.

Cannon's new 12.8-megapixel EOS-5D camera features a much larger rear screen and is capable of producing images of near medium-format quality

I'll admit that when I first heard about the new camera and read the specs, I was disappointed. For some time Canon had indicated it was not likely to introduce an "affordable" digital camera with a full-size 35mm frame sensor as large sensors are so expensive to manufacture.

The general feeling is that a sensor of this size is equivalent to medium-format film and is larger than that needed for most photographers.

I believed the EOS-1Ds Mark II would remain, as the only full-frame camera on the market and Canon, like Nikon and others, would concentrate development on cameras with smaller sensors with, of course, an increasing number of pixels.

Certainly the Nikon D2X with its 12.4-megapixel DX-size sensor has proven to be a stellar performer. Generally the smaller sensor works better with regular 35mm lenses as the center part of the lens is used. Even the problem of wide-angle lenses has been resolved with special digital-only lenses, such as the EF-S series for Canon and the DX-series for Nikon.

Sony's new 10.3-megapixel Cybershot DSC-R1 camera features the largest sensor on a non-professional camera to date. Could it indicate the wave of the future as a replacement for 35mm-type cameras?

I for one have been happy with my "old" Canon EOS-10D. I did not upgrade to the 20D-instead, I have been waiting for the "30D" or whatever it will be named. I presumed it would have a 10- or 12 megapxiel sensor and would produce outstanding results. I was also getting ready to purchase an EF-S lens to for extreme wide-angle use as a replacement for my current 17-35mm zoom.

I was also even considering switching back to Nikon as I still have a couple of "old" Nikon lenses and I am impressed with the D2X. I'd have then purchased one of the wide-angle DX lenses.

Now I am in quandary, thanks to the 5D. The EF-S lenses are not compatible with the 5D, so for the first time Canon has two ranges of lenses that are not interchangeable with all bodies.

If you own an extensive collection of lenses you're happy with, the 5D makes a lot of sense. But if like me, you're looking to add some new lenses because you need to upgrade, the question is what to buy. Do you back the camera systems with smaller sensors and their new specifically tailored digital lenses or the cameras with the bigger sensors and regular lenses that are really optimized for film cameras?

Personally, I was hoping Canon would introduce an upgraded 20D with a ruggedized body and a 10- to 12-megapixel APC-sized sensor with a 1.5 or 1.6X crop factor. I like the crop factor on longer lenses and with an EF-S lens the wide-angle problem is taken care of.

Hasselblad's newest 22-megapixel H2D camera has an integrated digital back and is undoubtedly good enough as a replacement for 4x6 film cameras.

Now I do not know what is the best course of action to take when I upgrade? Inaction probably, as I am basically getting acceptable results for most of my needs from the EOS-10D.

Regular readers of my column will know I am a firm believer in having an all-new camera design. Recently I tried the new Sony Cybershot DSC-R1 with its APC sized 10.3-megapixel sensor. We were not allowed to keep any photos we shot, as the cameras were prototypes. Nonetheless, I liked the format of the camera with its non-removable zoom with a 35mm equivalency of 24-120mm. The camera features an electronic viewfinder (EVF), which is nowhere near as nice to use as an optical viewfinder at present. However Canon and other companies are working on new OLED monitors that should improve EVF so they are just as good as an optical one in the future.

However, even in its present form, the Sony has one great benefit that no digitalSLR camera yet features: a real-time monitor that can preview pictures just like in a consumer point-and-shoot camera. Just about every photographer appreciates this benefit as it allows one to compose images from awkward angles that would not be possible with an optical viewfinder. I am convinced that all future professional cameras will have this feature, which is why, in my opinion, the new Sony is the wave of the future.

Most of the time we need more than one lens, and we need a backup camera. In many cases I can see where a pro could use a camera such as this without interchangeable lenses. It'll be just as convenient to carry two of them around with two different zoom lengths as it will be to carry two bodies with interchangeable lenses. Essentially, you'll buy the lens with the body permanently attached. The Sony has the rear element of the lens located so near the sensor that there is no room for a mirror anyway. According to engineers, this is a much better arrangement than having the lenses located far away as in a traditional SLR camera with its mirror mechanism.

If you read the numerous forums and web sites devoted to photography, you'll know that the 5D and the R1 have created a tremendous amount of debate during the past couple of months since they were announced. Some see the 5D as the future while others, including myself, see the R1 as the future.

Another camera I recently had the chance to hold, though not use, is the new Hasselblad H2D. It's essentially the same medium-format camera as the H1, but it has a digital back integrated into it. I love the physical layout of camera with the big grip handle containing the battery and the square box holding the lens and mirror. However I hate the weight and size of the camera, as it is just too much for anything but studio use. The camera sports a 22-megapixel sensor that is physically twice the size of a full-frame 35mm sensor in the 5D and it does offer live previewing.

It's obviously not an action camera as it can only shoot at 1.5 fps. It has one feature I would love to see on a 35mm camera, and that is the ability to superimpose a transparent overlay of a draft or sketch on the screen for positioning subjects for a layout. Ironically, a friend of mine, John Lamm, who shoots many of Road & Track's covers, asked me a few weeks ago when Canon would introduce something like that? I see no reason why it couldn't be done on a camera such as the Sony, but it'd be tough to implement on a "traditional" digital SLR that does not have live previewing.

Hopefully, you'll read a more complete review of the Canon EOS-5D in an upcoming issue. In the meantime I have to admit I am really impressed by the quality of images obtained by the 5D. At first blush I think it's better than those obtained by the 1Ds Mark II. I'm upset, though, by some of its unnecessary shortcomings such as lack of a built-in pop-up flash, a synch speed of just 1/200 second and its lack of a ruggedized body. These features would have only added perhaps $300 to the cost, in my opinion. Then again Canon would not want to cannibalize sales of its much more expensive line of 1D cameras. I'm also hoping to try the new Sony camera before too long and maybe I'll even give the Hasselblad a try.

It's my view that these three cameras represent the long-term digital replacements for traditional 4x5 film cameras (the Hasselblad H2D), medium format (the 5D and 1Ds) and 35mm (the Sony DSC-R1).

Canon and Epson Printers Just as the resolution and operational speed of digital cameras continues to increase, so does the resolution and speed of inkjet printers. I've recently tried a couple of new inkjet printers from Epson and Canon that produce great photographic prints with some neat features.

Epson's Photo Stylus R1800 printer features eight ink cartridges and produces long-life photo-quality prints.

Epson introduced the Stylus Photo R1800 a few months ago and at the time claimed it featured the smallest droplet size of 1.5 picoliters. It uses UltraChrome Hi-Gloss pigment inks that Epson claims will resist fading for 100 years under glass and up to 300 years in dark storage when used with specific Epson papers. The R1800 can produce prints up to 13x44 inches on roll paper. I found the printer to be speedy producing a photographic quality 11x14 print in just under two minutes.

The printer has eight separate ink cartridges that include the usual cyan, magenta and yellow colors along with special red and blue inks, photo black and matte black. The eight cartridges contain a gloss optimizer that is automatically used on certain papers.

The most unique feature of the $549 R1800 is that it is the only printer of this size that can print directly onto CD and DVD discs. A separate tray is used to hold an inkjet printable disc that is inserted in the front of the machine. Epson includes software for creating correctly shaped designs to fit on a disc.

Canon's newest series of Pixma printers includes the iP5200R, which has built-in wireless and ethernet networking capabilities. It is capable of producing photo quality prints up to 81/2x11 using Chroma Life100 dye-based inks. Its unique character, shared with other Pixma printers but not ones from Epson and other manufacturers, is built-in duplex printing. This can even be used on specific double-sided photo papers, which is really useful for those looking to produce photo albums. The printer also features a second tray so it can hold two different types of papers simultaneously.

Canon's IPS200R has built-in wireless or wired capabilities for sharing on a network

On the other hand the Pixma printers cannot print on CDs as this function is disabled in the U.S. models. I did a search on the Internet and found a couple of sites that describe how to enable this feature and even how to make a tray carry a CD for printing.

In a quick test, the $230 iP5200R produced a borderless 4x6 print in just over half a minute, which is faster than other printers. I was unable to get the wireless capability top work correctly. For some reason my PowerBook could communicate with the printer for setup and running test prints, but I could not get it to print from within a program. However, it worked fine printing wirelessly from my laptop to the printer when it was wired into the network through a hub. Another feature on the iP5200R is the capability to print directly from a PICT-enabled camera without using a computer, a feature not present on the Epson.

Quick Book Reviews Amphoto has been a long-time publisher of photographic books that cover just about every subject imaginable. The advent of digital photography has proven to be gold mine for many book publishers as they have churned out new books about Photoshop and other aspects of using computers and digital cameras. Yet, of course, all along key elements of photography such as lighting and composing have not changed.

I've recently thumbed through three new books from Amphoto, which are modern renditions of long time topics updated to include references to digital techniques where appropriate. For example
Digital Nature Photography Closeup by Jon Cox
(176 pages, $24.95) features pictures taken on digital cameras, and while most of the book describes how to take close-up pictures it has plenty of advice for newcomers to digital photography.

The Lighting Cookbook for Fashion and Beauty Photography by Jenni Bidner
and Eric Bean (144 pages, $24.95) spends less time on digital techniques and more on modern ideas for posing and lighting for fashion photography. Nonetheless, many of the images in the book were shot on digital cameras, and the authors discuss how some were modified in Photoshop to create the desired final look.

The Digital Color Printing Handbook by Tim Daly
(160 pages, $24.95) is purely about printing images digitally. Yet while discussing color management and creative techniques for producing images with altered colors using Photoshop, there is plenty of advice on how to capture correctly lit images that will produce great printed images in the final output. It's the sort of book that any beginning photographer using a digital camera should read and have around for reference as he or she learns the trade.