Versatile Cameras
Accept A Wide Range Of Accessories For Serious Work
By Zachary Singer
Not long ago, $1,000 would get you a 2-megapixel point-and-shoot camera,
maybe with a 2x or 3x zoom lens. Now, the same investment will buy
you a serious piece of photographic equipment, with a commanding range
of available focal lengths and flash capability that goes well beyond
a casual user’s camera. Although manufacturers’ list prices
are higher, the cameras featured here are available in stores for
between $500 and $1,500.
All 10 cameras provide a potential focal length range of 28-200mm
(35mm equivalent) or more, enough coverage for many professional shooters.
Some of the cameras accomplish this solely with their built-in optics,
some with the use of auxiliary screw-in lens adapters, and in the
case of D-SLRs, with the wide range of focal lengths offered by the
camera manufacturers. A good number of the cameras reach far past
the 28-200mm range, enabling you to capture wide vistas or photograph
wildlife and sports.
Every camera in this group has an important, if easy-to-miss, feature:
a hot-shoe. The hot-shoe is a portal into another dimension of photography,
where photographers control not only their cameras, but the quality
of light itself. To start, the system cameras’ powerful hot-shoe-mounted
flash units help you avoid the harshness of a camera-mounted direct
flash by bouncing the light off a ceiling or wall for beautifully
soft, indirect light. Many of the systems enable you to take the flash
off the camera to improve the texture and three-dimensional modeling
of your subject. For professional lighting quality, some of the cameras
can control more than one remote flash and still maintain through-the-lens
(TTL) flash metering for accurate exposures.
The extra power of a hot-shoe-mounted flash also offers you greatly
increased flash range, which will allow you to use the cameras’
telephoto lenses outdoors and still fill the sun’s shadows.
Inside, that power translates to a flash range of 40 to 60 feet—enough
to illuminate architectural interiors or light your kid’s school
play from the back of a small auditorium.
Each of the cameras features some type of macro system using either
its built-in optics or, for the D-SLRs, specialized macro lenses and
equipment. Many of the cameras, advanced compact and D-SLR alike,
offer macro flash capability, too. A ring light or dual-flash tube
fits around the front of your lens to provide professional lighting
for the inside of flowers or the faces of insects. This capability,
formerly the province of experts, can open whole new photographic
worlds for you. Third-party accessories are available in case your
dream camera system doesn’t include macro flash gear.
The system cameras here can accept a remote release, either a traditional
cable or wired or wireless system. At a minimum, remote releases improve
image quality by minimizing the camera shake that accompanies a finger’s
press on the shutter button. While that isn’t of prime importance
if you shoot handheld, it makes a real difference with tripod-mounted
telephoto or macro shots. The wired, and especially the wireless,
systems also offer you the option of being away from the camera when
the shutter goes off. This capability gives you a shot at photographing
skittish wildlife or capturing your friend’s expression at a
surprise party.
Some camera systems offer other gear that may be of interest to you,
depending on your pursuits. Some systems include battery grips, for
example, that not only increase your energy capacity, but provide
a vertical grip with shutter release. Nikon
Coolpix 8700
Nikon’s advanced compact standard bearer features Best Shot
Selector (BSS), which automatically selects the sharpest photo from
a series of shots. Another BSS for exposure selects the best image
from a bracketed series to ensure detail in highlights, shadows, or
both. The camera offers an 8x zoom with Nikkor ED glass, and a macro
mode that focuses to 1.2 inches. Contact: Nikon,
(800) NIKON-UX, www.nikonusa.com.
Canon
PowerShot Pro1
The camera features an exotic L-series USM Canon lens with fluorite
and ultra-low dispersion glass elements. Its closest macro setting
focuses to 1.2 inches from the front lens element. The FlexiZone AF
system allows you to move the AF point over most of the picture area
from the center, and can tie autofocus to the spot-metering location.
Contact: Canon, (800) OK-CANON, www.usa.canon.com.
Olympus
C-8080
The C-8080’s magnesium-alloy body houses a sophisticated instrument
with a variety of exposure modes, including eight customizable settings.
Its optics incorporate three ED glass elements and provide macro focus
down to 1.2 inches. The camera’s full-information, 240,000-pixel
EVF and fast startup time help you capture shots quickly. Contact:
Olympus, (888) 553-4448, www.olympusamerica.com.
Accessories:
wide-angle and telephoto adapters, Olympus flash units (including
cables for TTL metering with off-camera flash), remote release,
battery grip
Resolution:
8 megapixels
Lens:
28-140mm (35mm equivalent) ƒ/2.4-3.5
ISO Equivalence:
50-400
Shutter Speeds:
1/4000 to 16 sec.
Storage Media:
xD, CompactFlash
Dimensions:
4.9x3.3x3.4-inches
MSRP:
$1,149.00
Konica
Minolta DiMAGE A2
Building on the successful A1, the A2 boasts an image-stabilized,
28-200mm (35mm equivalent) ƒ/2.8-3.5 APO lens for sharp images,
even at slower shutter speeds handheld. Inside the camera’s
electronic viewfinder (EVF), 922,000 pixels provide a clear view of
what you’re shooting. The A2’s Flex Focus system allows
you to designate your subject’s location within the image for
accurate autofocus and spot metering. Contact: Konica
Minolta, (201) 825-4000, www.konicaminolta.us.
Accessories:
wide-angle and telephoto adapters, Maxxum flash units (including
off-camera remote flash and macro flash units), remote release,
battery grip
Resolution:
8 megapixels
Lens:
28-200mm (35mm equivalent) ƒ/2.8-3.5
ISO Equivalence:
64-800
Shutter Speeds:
1/4000 to 30 sec.
Storage Media:
CompactFlash, Microdrive
Dimensions:
4.6x3.4x4.5-inches
MSRP:
not yet available
Sony
Cyber-shot DSC-F828
Sony’s 8-megapixel camera features a fast ƒ/2-2.8 28-200mm
(35mm equivalent) Carl Zeiss T* lens with the widest aperture available
on an 8 MP advanced compact. Sony’s Night Framing System lets
you compose your image in near or total darkness before exposing it
with flash. The F828 has five default autofocus zones, and you can
set the camera to focus anywhere within the picture field. Contact:
Sony, (800) 222-SONY, www.sony.com.
Accessories:
Sony flash units, remote control
Resolution:
8 megapixels
Lens:
28-200mm (35mm equivalent) ƒ/2-2.8
ISO Equivalence:
64-800
Shutter Speeds:
1/3200 to 30 sec.
Storage Media:
Memory Stick, CompactFlash, Microdrive
Dimensions:
5.3x3.6x6.2-inches
MSRP:
$999.95
The New 8-Megapixel Cameras
Camera resolution continues to improve, so that the 5 MP cameras
we’ve come to know are now being replaced by 8 MP models.
These cameras offer about 25% better linear resolution than
their predecessors. The new machines are the flagship compacts
of their respective camera lines, and they carry a slew of features
for advanced photography that are missing in consumer-grade
models. Some of the new 8 MP cameras have evolved from 5 MP
cameras with similar designs and features. In those instances,
they take over where the 5 MP cameras left off. In other cases,
the new machines represent a major step forward for their manufacturers.
All of the 8 MP cameras feature a new or greatly improved electronic
viewfinder (EVF), for example. All of them can provide a broad
range of focal lengths.
Pixel count grabs our attention because we see it as an indicator
of print quality, but there’s more to the fineness of
a photographic image. Lens quality counts, too, and these 8
MP machines boast high-end optics. These cameras can produce
professional results, and come into their own when you make
12x18 or 16x20 prints, or heavily cropped 8x10s.
As the intended size of an enlargement grows, the demands placed
on technique become as important as those placed on technology.
To get the most from these cameras, it’s best to use a
tripod (or a very fast shutter speed) to eliminate the effects
of handheld image blur. Unlike less sophisticated digital compacts,
these models readily accept accessories to help you get the
best possible image.
While the number of pixels in the advanced compacts is comparable
to the D-SLRs featured here, the physical size of the sensor
for each pixel is smaller in the advanced compacts. That means
the D-SLRs will exhibit less noise at a given ISO than the compacts
and will generally offer higher ISOs than the compacts. While
the D-SLRs may have fewer pixels, those pixels are often “cleaner”
than those found in the advanced compacts, including the new
8 MP cameras. D-SLRs, on the other hand, are bulkier than advanced
compacts, and still more expensive.
Fujifilm
FinePix S20
Pro The FinePix S20’s Super CCD SR imaging chip uses two sets
of sensors, one more sensitive than the other, to provide increased
dynamic range. The system delivers improved shadow and highlight detail
on six-million recorded pixels. The S20’s 6x zoom lens focuses
down to 0.4 inches for macro work. Contact: Fujifilm,
(800) 800-FUJI, www.fujifilm.com.
Accessories:
Fuji wide-angle and telephoto adapters, third-party flash units
and cable release
Resolution:
6 megapixels "recorded"
Lens:
35-210mm (35mm equivalent) ƒ/2.8-3.1
ISO Equivalence:
160-800 (1600 available at 1-megapixel resolution)
Shutter Speeds:
1/10,000 to 30 sec.
Storage Media:
xD, Microdrive
Dimensions:
4.8x3.2x3.8-inches
MSRP:
$999.00
Canon
EOS 10D
Canon’s sturdy EOS 10D exterior is magnesium alloy like its
pro-level brothers, and dips into the same range of accessories. The
fully featured camera has seven AF zones to help keep your subject
sharply focused. The 10D’s internal memory buffer can han-dle
a burst of nine sequential full-resolution shots at 3 fps. Contact:
Canon, (800) OK-CANON, www.usa.canon.com.
Canon
EOS Digital Rebel
With its lightweight construction and available Scene modes, the Digital
Rebel gives beginners entry into the D-SLR world. As part of the vast
Canon D-SLR system, its versatility and 6-megapixel CMOS imager allow
it to grow with you as your skills develop. Contact:
Canon, (800) OK-CANON, www.usa.canon.com.
Nikon
D100
Like all Nikon D-SLRs, the D100 accepts most Nikon lenses made in
the last several decades. The D100 works with the extensive range
of gear in Nikon’s system, including focusing rails and bellows
for extreme close-up work. Nikon’s DX-format imager provides
consistent lens magnification when you switch to a different model
of Nikon D-SLR. Contact: Nikon, (800) NIKON-UX, www.nikonusa.com.
F-mount Nikkor lenses—AF-D, G series and manual-focus
lenses (AI-S, etc.); the D100 also accepts the new DX-series
lenses designed specifically for the DX digital-imaging format
Magnification Factor:
1.5x
ISO Equivalence:
200-1600 (extendable to 6400)
Shutter Speeds:
1/4000 to 30 sec.
Storage Media:
CompactFlash, Microdrive
Dimensions:
5.7x3.6x4.2-inches
Sigma
SD10
Sigma’s digital SLR makes use of a unique digital imager, the
Foveon chip, which records a true 3.4 megapixels in each of the red,
green and blue channels without the Bayer-pattern interpolation inherent
in other imaging systems. The SD10 provides an innovative Sports Finder,
an extended viewfinder area surrounding the borders of your picture.
The grayed-out region allows you to monitor what’s happening
just outside the edges of your picture without zooming, panning or
having to take your eye away from the eyepiece. Contact: Sigma,
(631) 585-1144, www.sigmaphoto.com.
RAW Files
One measure of the serious intent of the cameras featured here
is that they all can save their images as RAW files. The RAW
file format provides greater image quality than JPEGs, at the
cost of increased file size and a less convenient workflow.
RAW files are a record of the unprocessed data captured by your
camera’s imager. When you release the shutter, the imager
captures 36-bit color—more than 4,000 shades of gray each
for the red, green and blue channels in your color photo. Unlike
JPEGs, RAW files capture all of this data without any changes
for the set white balance, contrast or color saturation. Those
settings are simply noted and saved with the file.
When you open the RAW file, you can apply the settings as is
or change them as you wish. It’s as though you had shot
them that way in the first place, with the appropriate settings
applied just once. RAW files can be sharper than JPEGs since
they avoid the effects of JPEG’s lossy compression.
In comparison, JPEG files toss out much of the original color
data after the camera uses it to set image contrast, white balance
and the like. The processed JPEG file has only 24-bit color,
or 256 shades of gray in each color channel. If you like your
photo as it is and don’t want to make any dramatic color
or contrast changes, the 24-bit files are perfect for prints
or to display on a monitor. On the other hand, if you plan to
make strong use of the curves and levels in your imaging software,
you’ll be glad for the extra data contained in the original
RAW files.
Fujifilm
FinePix S20
