E D I T O R I A L

[ home ]

[ business ]

[ portfolios ]

[ contacts ]

24 November 2006

DSLR - Taking stock (... or getting rid of it!)

If you read my last editorial you might be aware that all is not that rosy in the digital world. There are a few advertising tricks, scientific misconceptions and experimental "tests" that would have made Galileo blush. This time I am taking stock, a deep breath, and checking on what is currently available in the DSLR world. These are very personal thoughts looking at the possibility of changing, complementing or keeping brands. So, what do I buy/not buy?

Canon

Canon is without a doubt the best brand, the one that works harder, that thinks harder; most probably their R & D works 24 hours a day, never sleeps and are always one step ahead of everyone, they lead the market and everyone follows suit. How annoying is that?
Pros: I would change to them because they have reliable cameras, offer an excellent full format option, have lenses and prices to suit everybody and every purse. Excellent AF and metering.
Cons: A discussable flash system, the emptying of CFA technology, leading to a dead end in a few years. The uniformity of Canon images, everyone can say "It's a Canon one!!". Phil Askey states in his review of the D400 that there is hardly any difference between RAW and JPEG images. This only means that either the RAW has not very much info to start with or the JPEG has been "battered" to death by "imaginary" engineering software.
Future: for certain a 5D Mark II with a bit more pixels, physical and software dust removing,. A 1DS Mk III with the first micro onboard vacuum cleaner shaker removal capsule, around 19MPixels, ISO standard starting at 6!! and the first one with a DIGIC processor that will mimic all film characteristics from TMax100 to Fujichrome 50 not to mention the revival look of Kodachrome 25.
Conclusion: New 5D would get my money, new 1DS would get every pros money.

Love marks 14/20

Nikon

Still with a big set of followers from film times and reaping the rewards of being unbeatable in... 1996! Well built and infallible cameras, with emphasis on skin tones. Always one step behind Canon and without full format option, which leads to the now traditional digital "cropped" look, to the desperation of some resilient professionals that have a high investment on lenses.
Pros: Excellent range of lenses and accessories (film inheritance though). Well thought of cameras with excellent AF and metering. Very good flash system.
Cons: Lack of coherence, doubts creeping on every Nikon owner.
Future: uncertain. The D40 could be their last "firework". They NEED to have a full format soon or else... curtains!
Conclusion: I would never buy a Nikon

Love marks 8/20

Olympus

Olympus is in a bit of limboland. Their 4/3 system is very appealing, lenses and cameras look more like jewellery pieces than technology. Smart ideas, sensor cleaning pioneers still betrayed by unsurmountable imaging problems due to noise and sensor size. All their lenses are made to fit their system. The E500 is selling very well and is good value for money.
Pros: beautiful (small) cameras, lenses and accessories. Very good flash system.
Cons: a lamentable lack of prime lenses
Future: If they launch a pro E2 with a well thought of sensor, they will be in the money.
Conclusion: a good E2 with a few primes i e. 25mm f1.4 and 45mm f1.4 and I will sign on the dotted line

Love marks 16/20

Sigma

My current system. The Foveon sensor delivers extraordinary images, helas what surrounds it, the camera, is below par, if not unacceptable, for current standards. The new SD14 promises even better images but I still doubt if they are able to cross the gap in what concerns auto focus, metering, reliability and confidence. It is no wonder that to date most professionals have stayed at bay and the most spectacular images that are part of our day to day consciousness, are made by some other brand.
Pros: amazing images, simple software, simple camera, acceptable range of lenses
Cons: simplistic camera, full of original sins, mediocre flash system, mediocre range of accessories.
Future: uncertain and marginal... maybe another camera in another 3 years time, then... curtains!
Conclusion: I can still afford the SD14 and check how it works. If the packaging (that thing around the sensor) is still below par I will move somewhere else. At this point I am seriously thinking of jumping into another system. I have not done it yet because everyone else is not "complete", has at least a weak point.

Love marks 12/20

Sony

I am an ex Minolta user (actually I still am a Minolta user as I have a 7000 with a 50mm f1.7 to shoot film when I am bored of my computer). Sony inherited the blueprints and is at present a "sleepy dragon" that will for sure wake up very soon. The launch of the A100 was made with intent by the company accompanied by new lenses for full frame that look as good, if no better than the Minolta ones. The Carl Zeiss look like tanks and I can't wait to put my hands on them. Minolta was a company that always looked at the photographer first and came out with some beautiful SLRs in the past. Sony looks like it is not going to kill that tradition.
Pros: competent camera, good software, the best flash system, already a good range of accessories, GPS is a treat
Cons: one single camera, a shot in the dark
Future: There are at least two full frame cameras somewhere in Sony's offices waiting to come out with around 20MPixels (one fully pro at half price of a 1DS and another semi priced at the 30D range. They are the future competitors to Canon in the next 3 years and the leaders in the next 5.
Conclusion: Ahh uncertainty kills, if they announce a full frame camera to use the best of their excellent lenses, I would buy a A100 tomorrow.

Love marks 17/20

... others

There are other marginal brands like Fuji, Pentax, Leica or Samsung which I have no experience of apart from Pentax SLRs. Leica has opted for digital and has its future guaranteed for another 10 years (good move Leica!). The others shall remain marginal, then infinitesimal, then extinct, unless bizarre alliances shall be formed like for instance LG buying Pentax in the very near future.

I shall now introduce a ratings table for the brands above:

The Walmart Papparazzi OK Hello magazine test is related to how fast you can get an excellent A4 print after shooting what you wanted.
The scores are out of 20. If you want you can rescore yourself and get different values according to your perception.

This is my perception on what is currently happening in the DSLR world. Canon is the leader but I was surprised to see Sony pairing with Nikon with one single camera. I guess the "It's a Sony" carries a lot of weight.

Next editorial 8 December - "Optics and Optic(ability)"

Previous editorial

© 2006 Paulo Ferreira - All rights reserved