26. February 2002
Digital SLR's

A Digital Single Lens Reflex or D-SLR is basically a 35mm SLR that uses an imaging chip instead of film to produce an image.

Digital cameras are becoming increasingly popular.
Users of traditional SLR's - many of which has become very cheap - who wants to migrate into the digital world, has a number of choices at the moment:
• They can buy a scanner to scan their films (negatives or positives) and thereby getting the image digitalized for manipulation on the computer and for output on the printer. (I bought the Minolta Dimage Scan Multi Pro film scanner).
• They could also buy a "point-and-shoot-like" digital camera. The prices for these are comparable to an SLR. (I bought the Canon G1).
• OR they can buy a digital SLR that can (maybe) use the lenses that was bought for the traditional SLR.
However, not that many digital SLR's has been around and most of them was for professional use (which means they are good but expensive).

This is now perhaps beginning to change!
In this year four very interesting D-SLR's has been introduced by Canon, Fuji, Nikon and Sigma.
They are not exactly cheap (I think they are all priced somewhere around 3200 Euro/$3000), but you get quite a lot for the money now.
I have no personal experience with a D-SLR, but I will provide you with a number of links that describes these new and interesting cameras.
Read on...


The new models

Canon EOS-D60
Canon is following up on their successful EOS-D30 with a new 6.3Mp SLR based on the D30 body. This camera uses a CMOS technology based chip.

Canon UK
Digital Photography Review^TM
Imaging Resource
Steves DigiCams


Fujifilm FinePix S2 Pro
Fujifilm has made an update to their FinePix S1 Pro, the FinePix S2 Pro.
This camera has a 6.17Mp chip, but this chip is a Super CCD design that outputs 12.1Mp!
The body of this camera is based on the Nikon F80.

Fujifilm
Imaging Resource


Nikon D100
Nikon D100 is the name of the new 6.1Mp CCD camera from Nikon. This camera "shares many parts" with the Nikon F80 body.
Nikon has produced D-SLR's for some time now - the D1, D1x and D1h are all popular and professional cameras.

Nikon USA
Digital Photography Review^TM


Sigma SD9
Sigma SD9 is a very interesting new D-SLR that is based on the Foveon^® X3^TM CMOS 3.34Mp chip. This chip uses a new technology which should produce very nice and smooth pictures.

Sigma
Digital Photography Review^TM


As you can see, they all uses slightly different imaging chips, so it'll be interesting to see the image quality from the cameras compared.


Other models

Canon
The EOS-D30 has been very popular and there are lot's of sources on the Internet dealing with this model. Try one of these:

Review : Digital Outback Photo
Review : Digital Photography Review^TM
Review : The Luminous Landscape
Review : photo.net
Gallery : Photography-on-the.net
Review : Steves DigiCams

The Canon EOS-1D is a new CCD-based professional camera. Read more here:

Review : Digital Outback Photo
Review : Digital Photography Review^TM
Review : Imaging Resource
Review : The Luminous Landscape


Contax
Contax is preparing a high-end 6Mp "full-frame" SLR. Read more:

Contax
Digital Photography Review^TM


Fujifilm
The FinePix S1 Pro is the predecessor of the S2. Read more:

Review : Digital Outback Photo
Review : Imaging Resource


Kodak
I'm not sure, but I believe Kodak was the first company to produce D-SLR's. These are VERY high end cameras and you can read more about them here:

Kodak (DCS560) : Kodak
Kodak (DCS720x) : Kodak
Kodak (DCS760M) : Kodak
Review (DCS520) : Digital Photography Review^TM
Review (DCS620) : Digital Photography Review^TM
Review (DCS760) : Digital Photography Review^TM


Nikon
As mentioned earlier, Nikon produces some popular D-SLR's called D1, D1x and D1h. You can read more here:

Review (D1) : Digital Photography Review^TM
Review (D1) : Imaging Resource
Review (D1x) : Digital Outback Photo
Review (D1x) : Digital Outback Photo
Review (D1x) : Digital Photography Review^TM
Review (D1x) : Imaging Resource
Review (D1x) : Steves DigiCams
Review (D1h) : Digital Photography Review^TM
Review (D1h) : Imaging Resource


Happy browsing!