News and New Products

Pixels' progress: Digital photography sticks

By Brian Dipert, Technical Editor -- EDN, 11/19/2003

Nearly six years ago, when I first covered the then-embryonic digital camera market, I predicted (albeit subtly) that conventional film's days were numbered (see "Digital photography clicks," Dec. 18, 1997). Judging from the feedback I received, more than a few readers thought I'd gotten overly caught up in the hype of what would likely be a passing fancy. Several members of the EDN editorial staff also gently suggested that I might be guilty of newbie over-enthusiasm, as I'd been with EDN for only about 10 months when I wrote the piece.

Flash forward to the present day, and my prognostication doesn't seem so ludicrous anymore. Digital cameras outsell conventional cameras in all but the most price-sensitive market segments, and a few more months' or years' worth of CMOS sensor- and flash memory-driven price reductions should give digital a clean sweep. Granted, sales figures are slanted in the newcomer's favor because most homes already own one or several conventional cameras. Regardless, the overall trend is clear: Digital is here, and silver halide is fading fast.

Recently, my wife and I have had the opportunity to test-drive several examples of the latest and greatest in digital-imaging gear. The comments that follow will hopefully be of value not only to those of you deciding on presents for others (and self) for the holiday season, but also for those of you developing digital imaging-related hardware and software for sale to both power users like myself and more mainstream users like my wife.

Digital SLR cameras

Photography has been an important creative outlet for me for more than 30 years, ever since I first picked up a Kodak Instamatic 126. Beginning in the early '80s, I started using Pentax equipment, and over the past 20 years I've amassed quite a collection of 35 mm and 6x7 medium-format bodies, lenses, flash units, and other gear.

Ever since I got my first taste of digital photography, I've been anxiously awaiting some means of migrating my hobby into the digital era while preserving as much of my existing equipment investments as possible.

The first two potential vehicles that promised to transport me to my digital destination didn't even make it to the starting line. Silicon Film Technologies ran out of funding before it could get the EFS-1 (e)film system (see "Electronic film focuses on low power, high image quality," July 5, 2001) into production, although the company's still-live Web site suggests the possibility, albeit remote, of a resurrection. And Pentax canceled the MZ-D, a full-frame sensor digital SLR (single-lens reflex) concept camera it showed the press a few years ago, after deciding its potential market size couldn't justify its development and production costs. Fortunately, in late September of this year Pentax began selling its first digital SLR, the 6.1-megapixel *ist D.

At 5.0x3.7x2.3 inches and 1.1 lbs (without battery or lens), the oddly named camera is the smallest and lightest DSLR now on the market. Fully compatible with every Pentax-mount lens in my personal collection, it takes stunning pictures, which it stores on CompactFlash Type 1 and II cards in RAW, TIFF, or JPEG format. I've successfully used flash-memory cards from Sandisk, Smart Modular Technologies, and Viking Components in it, along with an IBM (now Hitachi) MicroDrive. The TIFF and JPEG formats offer three user-selectable resolutions, and the JPEG format also offers three quality levels. The onboard RAM buffer enables you to burst-shoot multiple pictures (the exact number is format-dependent) at a rate of 2.7 fps, and the light sensitivity ranges from 200 to 3200 ISO.

The *ist D features an 11-zone autofocus system, and its 16-segment metering system supports a diverse suite of exposure modes (fully automatic, aperture-preferred, shutter preferred, and fully manual, with several variants of each). The built-in flash finds use in low-light settings and doubles as a means of temporary illumination for autofocus assist. The camera offers an extensive set of customization options, along with a bright, informative, and dimensionally-accurate viewfinder and LCD display (for which a set of Fellowes' Digital Camera Screen Protectors are a highly recommended accessory). The *ist D runs on CR-V3 batteries, but you can optionally power it with a set of four AAs. The latter feature may not seem like a big deal until you travel to Nepal or anywhere else where CR-V3s aren't plentiful.

The camera delivers plenty of other pluses. Visit Pentax's Web site or independent analysis sites such as Digital Photography Review (www.dpreview.com) for details.

Is the *ist D the perfect DSLR? Not quite, but it's close. Third-party software programs don't yet support the Pentax RAW format (.PEF), although its recent inclusion in the open-source dcraw software (www.cybercom.net/~dcoffin), which many retail software packages incorporate, suggests that support is on the way. And although that format captures 12 bit-per-pixel raw CCD data, it zero-pads the data to 16 bits per pixel, excessively bloating file sizes (especially when coupled with the fact that, unlike competitors' cameras, the *ist D doesn't seem to losslessly compress the data in the RAW file). At approximately $1700, the *ist D is competitively priced against most other equivalently featured DSLRs. However, the same week Pentax began shipping the *ist D, Canon introduced the sub-$900 EOS 300D/Digital Rebel, based on a 6.1-megapixel CMOS sensor. Canon has been in the DSLR game much longer than Pentax and makes its own sensors—both variables probably factor into the price discrepancy.

The *ist D is fully compatible with Pentax lenses beginning with the PK-A generation, which first appeared 20 years ago. Prior-generation PK-M lenses, along with screw-mount lenses and medium-format lenses coupled with 35 mm bayonet mount adapters, will physically mount on the body. However, due to the omission of a mechanical stop-down coupler, such lenses only meter correctly when set to their widest aperture. But by putting the body in manual-exposure mode, disregarding the internal meter's exposure guidance, and using an external exposure meter, determined photographers can use any Pentax mount lens.

One other lens-related quirk bears mentioning, though it'll either be a plus or minus depending on the kinds of pictures you take. Like all other DSLRs in its price range, the *ist D employs an APS (Advanced Photo System)-sized CCD that's smaller than the 35 mm film frame it's superceding. This discrepancy leads to an approximately 1.5x focal-length multiplier for any lens you use. A 50 mm lens becomes a 75 mm, or a 300 mm becomes a 450 mm, for example. For animal and sports photographers, this transformation is often a good thing; telephoto lenses become even longer without the added cost, length and weight, optical distortion, and f-stop reduction that result from the use of a teleconverter.

For someone like me who shoots a lot of panoramic landscapes, though, this focal-length multiplication is more problematic. Even with a 19-mm ultrawide-angle lens, the effective focal length on the *ist D is almost 30 mm. Consider the alternative, though. Cameras with full-size sensors such as Canon's EOS-1DS begin at around $8000. And in my particular case, this issue is minimized by the fact that I rarely shoot landscapes with my 35 mm gear. Unless I'm going on a long backpacking trip or somewhere else where light weight and small size are critical factors, I invariably drag out my much bigger and heavier Pentax 67 medium-format camera and lenses.

High-resolution scanner

Some medium-format cameras accept sensor-inclusive film backs that bring them into the digital era. My Pentax 67 isn't on that list, but judging from the prices of digital film backs, that option wouldn't be practically available to me, anyway. Instead, I rely on Epson's Perfection 3200 Photo flatbed scanner, which comes with a built-in transparency adapter for use with negatives and slides and, as the name implies, scans at a maximum optical (noninterpolated) resolution of 3200 ppi (pixels per inch). Much has been made of the advances in digital cameras over the past few years, but I personally think that flatbed-scanner improvements over that same timeframe are equally amazing.

The Perfection 3200 Photo retails for well under $400 before rebate (a higher-cost "Pro" variant comes with a more advanced software package) and offers both USB 2.0 and FireWire interfaces. In comparison, the Microtek E6 I was previously using, representing the state-of-the-art in mainstream flatbed scanners just a few years ago, scanned at a 600-ppi maximum optical resolution and transferred data to the computer over a slower SCSI bus.

Epson's new Perfection 3170 breaks through the $200 price barrier and also specs 3200-ppi optical resolution, albeit with a slightly narrower transparency adapter (which still works fine with 6x7 cm medium-format negatives and slides) and only a USB 2.0 interface (no FireWire). The Twain driver runs in one of three modes—full auto, home, or professional—with a varying set of mode-dependent options, and Epson has also developed standalone utilities that simplify common scanning tasks.

I have to think hard to come up with a complaint about the Perfection 3200. It's supported by my favorite third-party scanning software, Hamrick Software's VueScan, and Epson even included a USB cable with the scanner. Sometimes, attempting to scan a transparency on a flatbed scanner results in so-called Newton's Rings—interference caused by the reflection of light between flat and slightly curved surfaces. I've seen no evidence of their presence so far with this scanner, whose transparency holders and illumination system seem to be well-designed in this respect. Third-party adapters further improve the scanner's ability to handle long strips of medium-format negatives and slides (see this page). About the only grumble I can muster is that the software installation clutters my Windows XP Start menu with multiple folders, versus one tidier and inclusive folder.

Point-and-shoot

At this point, if my wife were reading this article she'd likely be shaking her head. High-end cameras with lots of buttons and complicated scanners, she'd point out, don't work for common folks who just want to take visually pleasing pictures as simply and quickly as possible.

And she's right. We ended up buying the Kodak DC120 featured in my 1997 article, and it's served us well. But at roughly the size of a digital camcorder, slipping it into a pocket is out of the question. Its 1.2-megapixel resolution is adequate for Web postings but falls apart beyond 3x5-inch prints. And its proprietary KDC file format never gained widespread support.

In mid-October, I had the opportunity to judge a photography contest sponsored by Texas Instruments, which took place at Ohio State University's school of art. The students there used 3.1-megapixel (non-interpolated) Kodak EasyShare DX6330 and DX6340 cameras, powered by TI DSPs. TI also got a DX6340 in my wife's hands for evaluation during a recent vacation. She came back enthralled with the camera, and we bought a refurbished unit from Computer Geeks for around $225. (As I was writing this article, an email from Computer Geeks appeared in my inbox offering that same camera for $199.)

The camera weighs 9.5 ounces inclusive of batteries and flash-memory card and has dimensions of 4.3x1.5x2.5 inches, all factors conducive toward our aspiration to take it with us wherever we go. The DX6340 contains a 4x (36-144 mm) Schneider-Kreuznach Variogon glass lens with multizone and center-spot autofocus options, and it stores JPEG still photos and QVGA-resolution QuickTime video clips to either its 16 Mbytes of internal storage or removable MMC/SD flash cards. Multipattern exposure metering combines with 100, 200, and 400 ISO speeds and a built-in flash to enable usage across a wide variety of lighting conditions. The DX6340 focuses from 19.7 inches to infinity in standard focal distances, and from 3.9 to 23.6 inches in close-up mode. The camera also offers NTSC and PAL video outputs.

Both the DX6340 and *ist D tether to computers over USB. In addition, Kodak sells two versions of an optional docking station that comes with rechargeable batteries for the camera—one variant includes a built-in printer that you can also hook up to a computer. The DX6340's default configuration works well for most photography applications, but advanced users can customize an impressive number of settings, including autofocus mode, metering mode, capture mode (color, black-and-white and antique-looking sepia tone), and exposure mode (aperture priority, shutter priority, and several application-tailored, full-program options are available).

Kodak has spent a great deal of time optimizing not only the electrical, mechanical, and optical aspects of the camera itself, but also its user interface and companion PC-based software. My wife was able to use the camera right out of the box without reading the instruction manual, including figuring out how to transfer photos back to her PC and selectively tag them for subsequent emailing, folder storage, and printing. Her biggest complaint with the EasyShare software was that although it imported email addresses from her Outlook database, it didn't also fill in the first and last name fields in the Kodak address book table with the corresponding Outlook information. In addition, the BackWeb-based auto-update feature of the software doesn't seem to work on her computer, although it works on mine.

Photo-quality inkjet printer

Once you've got all of these great digital images sitting in memory cards or on your hard drive, what can you do with them? Sure, you could post them to a Web site, but then you'll only be able to show them off to family and friends when they're connected to the Internet over (ideally) a broadband link. Hard-copy prints are the traditional display format, and in this respect Epson once again came to my rescue. My Canon BJC-4550 inkjet printer was past its prime in terms of resolution capability and ink quality, and large-format replacements came with price tags that didn't jive with my budget (especially after the cameras and scanner I'd already acquired).

Instead, I decided to purchase Epson's Stylus Photo 925, which delivers a claimed 5760x720 optimized dpi output, along with 4-picoliter ink dots and variable-sized-droplet technology. The Stylus Photo 925 only supports paper up to A4 in size, but I'd frankly only printed larger images a handful of times in the many years I'd owned the BJC-4550, and I figured I could just take the image file to a custom lab if I wanted a big print in the future. Since the *ist D supports Epson's P.I.M. (Print Image Management) color-matching system, I was able to take advantage of a $75 rebate that brought the printer's final cost down to an irresistible $59. And the stunning out-of-box results proved the wisdom of my selection.

I must admit, with no shortage of chagrin, that this historically passionate PhotoShop power user is quite enamored with the Stylus Photo 925's integrated memory-card slots and its optional LCD display. I can plug a CompactFlash, Memory Stick, or SmartMedia card directly into the printer, and I can also use MMC and SD cards in conjunction with a CompactFlash adapter from a company such as Delkin, or via a USB adapter. As the images coming off digital cameras get better and better, I'm less motivated to spend time in front of the PC further tweaking them. The memory card reader also appears as a distinct drive in the USB-connected computer when the printer is on. Speaking of memory cards, if you ever accidentally delete images from one, you might be able to restore them via a utility like DataRescue's PhotoRescue.

When I decide I do need to insert the computer in the middle of the camera-to-printer chain, though, the complexity pendulum unfortunately tends to swing towards the opposite end of its arc. A bewildering diversity of paper options are available to the digital photographer, both from Epson and third parties. Compared with Canon, which offers both standard and photo color-ink cartridges, Epson has simplified the process by providing only one set of color inks. However, cost-saving third-party inks also exist, and software utilities such as Strydent Software's InkSaver promise to further economize your photography hobby (with an image- and paper-dependent impact on quality).

One other note on quality: I purchased the Stylus Photo 925 exclusively for use in printing photos, because I have access to a laser printer for printing text. User feedback I've read indicates that this printer is competitively disadvantaged if you also attempt to use it for text output.

The printer's complexity potential extends beyond ink and paper choices to the setting options available to you in the printer driver. The driver version I'm running now lists 12 different print-media types to choose from, and also offers a quality-versus-speed slider bar. The default "automatic" print setting mode produces passable results, but to optimize the output you'll want to dive into the five-option PhotoEnhance mode or the even more flexible (or mystifying, depending on your perspective) Custom mode. As with the scanner, Epson scatters the printer utilities across multiple Start-menu folders, but they're quite capable once you figure them out and include real-time monitoring of ink levels (only from the computer connected to the printer, though; other computers on the LAN can use the printer via Windows Printer Sharing, but I can't get status monitoring to work on them, and a print-server manufacturer I'm working with right now confirms this limitation).

Finally, user feedback suggests that you can extend ink life by powering off the printer when it's not in use. For this reason, I don't understand (or maybe I do, given the high margins Epson and its competitors earn on consumables) why there's no ability to configure the printer to automatically power off after some period of inactivity.