Kodak DCS Pro SLR/n Kodak’s DCS Pro SLR/n improves on the original 13.89-megapixel DCS Pro 14n by utilizing a new pixel design in the image sensor (the new sensor can be installed in Pro 14n cameras as a retrofit) and expanding the ISO range to 6–1600, among other things. Like its predecessor, the Pro SLR/n’s full-frame (no “telephoto” effect) CMOS sensor turns out 4500x3000-pixel images (also 3000x2000- and 2250x1500-pixel RAW or JPEG files, if you don’t need maximum resolution, and want to get more shots per CF or SD/MMC card). Despite the tremendous resolution, you can shoot up to 19 images at 1.7 fps when desired. The magnesium-alloy-enhanced body incorporates a Nikon F lens mount, so you can use the full line of AF-Nikkor lenses. Other features include built-in flash plus dedicated hot-shoe and PC terminal, a full range of metering and exposure modes, a 2-inch LCD monitor plus top and back LCD panels for shooting and digital settings, and lots more. Dimensions are 5.2x6.2x3.5 inches and 32 ounces. Street price is around $4995. Kodak DCS Pro SLR/c Utilizing the same full-frame 13.89-megapixel image sensor and firmware as the Pro SLR/n, the Pro SLR/c features a Sigma-built body that takes Canon EOS-mount lenses. The SLR/c lacks the SLR/n’s built-in flash, but has a hot-shoe for dedicated ac cessory flash units plus a PC terminal to connect studio flash systems. Like the SLR/n, the SLR/c has a slot for CompactFlash cards and Microdrives, and another for SD/MMC cards. Top shutter speed is 1¼6000, and maximum flash-sync speed is 1¼180, although appropriate dedicated flash units provide High Speed Sync mode, with sync up to 1¼6000 at close range. Dimensions are 5.4x5.9x3.0 inches and 31.5 ounces; street price is around $4499. Our User Report on the DCS Pro SLR/c appeared in the September 2004 issue. Nikon D1x Turning out 3008x1960-pixel images (5.32 megapixels) thanks to its 5.47-megapixel CCD, the high-end pro D1x features a lightweight, durable magnesium body and such features as the 1005-pixel 3D Color Matrix metering found in the F5 (plus center-weighted and 2% spot metering), five-area Dynamic AF with automatic Focus Tracking down to EV –1, shutter speeds from 30 seconds to 1¼16,000 plus B, flash sync up to 1¼500, a hot-shoe for dedicated Nikon D-TTL Speedlights plus a PC terminal for studio flash, the ability to use the full line of Nikkor lenses (which crop the image as a lens 1.5X their focal length would on a full-frame 35mm camera, due to the 23.7x15.6mm CCD’s smaller size), automatic exposure bracketing, interchangeable focusing screens and much more. Digital features include two color modes (sRGB and Adobe RGB), ISOs from 125–800, image storage on Type I or II CompactFlash cards or IBM Microdrives, a two-inch TFT color monitor with white LED backlighting, raw and TIFF uncompressed file format plus three compression levels, FireWire interface with Power Macintosh and Windows computers, and much more. Nikon has recently issued firmware and software upgrades that improve performance and produce 10MB files by interpolating RAW data from D1x NEF files. Power is from a rechargeable NiMH battery pack (battery and charger come with the camera) or optional AC adapter. Dimensions are 6.2x6.1x3.4 inches and 40 ounces. Street price is around $3900. Our User Report on the D1x appeared in the October 2001 issue. Nikon D2h Able to do 8 frames per second at full 4.1-megapixel resolution (2484x1636 pixels), Nikon’s second-generation digital action camera, the D2h, has virtually no start-up lag time and a minimal shutter lag time of 37ms—comparable to that of the legendary F5 pro AF 35mm SLR. Offering Wi-Fi wireless transmission of images, the new camera is ideal for photojournalists and action shooters. Features include an extremely fast and accurate Multi-Cam 2000 AF system with 11 AF sensors (9 cross-type) that functions down to EV –1 (with Dynamic AF, Group Dynamic AF, Focus Tracking and Lock-On), a completely new high-performance image sensor, high-speed image transfer, compatibility with Lexar’s WA technology, a new lithium-ion battery that indicates battery life in 5% increments, and lots more. A new SB-800 Speedlight provides i-TTL advanced wireless control of up to three groups of SB-800s. Dimensions are 6.2x5.9x3.4 inches and 37.7 ounces; street price is around $3200. Our Faculty Review of the D2h appeared in the March 2004 issue. Nikon D100 Offering basically the same wide range of shooting features as Nikon’s N80 film camera, including 10-segment 3D Matrix plus center-weighted and spot metering, automatic exposure bracketing, shutter speeds from 30 seconds to 1¼4000 plus bulb, single-area and five-area dynamic AF, single-shot and continuous AF plus manual focusing, on-demand viewfinder grid lines, built-in D-TTL Speedlight, depth-of-field preview button, the ability to use the wide range of excellent AF-Nikkor lenses (with 1.5X “telephoto” factor), and much more, the D100 has proved quite popular. Digital features include 3008x2000-pixel maximum resolution, a 1.8-inch LCD monitor, three color modes, high-speed image processing, USB interface, image storage on CompactFlash Type I and II cards and Microdrives, three image file formats (RAW, uncompressed TIFF, and JPEG) and more. Recent firmware upgrades provide improved performance and operation. Dimensions are 5.7x4.6x3.2 inches and a very light 24.7 ounces. Street price is around $1500. Our User Report on the D100 appeared in the October 2002 issue. Nikon D70 Nikon’s entry in the under-$1000 digital AF SLR field is the $999.95 D70, a 6.1-megapixel camera with serious shooting and digital features despite its low-for-a-digital-SLR price. Those features include resolutions up to 3008x2000 pixels in NEF (RAW) and JPEG formats, the ability to use the entire line of Nikkor AF and DX lenses, a Large Scale Integrated (LSI) circuit with double-path bus and dynamic memory buffer for speedy operation, a full range of “serious” exposure modes plus seven Digital Vari-Programs for point-and-shooters, three metering modes (3D color matrix with 1005-pixel RGB sensor, center-weighted with adjustable size of central weighted area, 1% spot), shutter speeds from 30 seconds to 1¼8000 plus B, image storage on CompactFlash cards or Microdrives, ISOs from 200–1600, a maximum shooting rate of 3 fps, built-in Speedlight with flash exposure compensation, five-area TTL autofocusing in light levels down to EV –1, including predictive focus tracking with Lock-On, i-TTL flash (which integrates color information), flash sync up to 1¼500, text input capability, and lots more. Dimensions are a compact 5.5x4.4x3.1 inches and 21 ounces. Our User Report on the D70 appeared in the August 2004 issue. Olympus E-1 The first interchangeable-lens digital SLR designed to be digital from the get-go, Olympus’ E-1 offers a solution to the problem of using lenses designed for 35mm film cameras for digital imaging, namely getting the light to strike the image sensor more directly, to yield edge-to-edge sharpness with optimal colors and contrast and minimal vignetting: its Digital Specific Lenses (initially, 14–54mm f/2.8–3.5 and 50–200mm f/2.8–3.5 zooms, a 50mm f/2.0 1:2 macro and a 300mm f/2.8 supertele) were designed specifically to work with its image sensor. Superbly crafted, the rugged E-1 is said to offer the highest dynamic range, lowest noise levels and best color of any mobile pro digicam. The 5.5-megapixel 4:3-aspect ratio Full Frame Transfer CCD provides 2560x1920-pixel resolution, with RAW, TIFF or JPEG images stored on CompactFlash cards or Microdrives, and has a 2X “crop” factor (i.e., a 100mm lens provides the image cropping a 200mm lens would provide on a 35mm SLR). Other features include shutter speeds from 60 seconds to 1¼4000, burst capability of up to 12 full-res frames at 3 fps, 3-point AF in light levels down to EV 0, three metering systems (3-zone ESP, 6% center-weighted average and 2% spot), all the pro exposure modes (shiftable program AE, shutter- and aperture-priority AE and metered manual), a 1.8-inch color LCD monitor, IEEE 1394/FireWire and USB 2.0 interface compatibility with Macs and Windows, and lots more. Dimensions are 5.6x4.1x3.2 inches and 23 ounces; street price is around $1300. Our User Report on the E-1 appeared in the December 2003 issue. Pentax *ist D Pentax’s *ist D features a 23.5x15.7mm CCD sensor with 6.1 effective megapixels and a 1.5X “crop” factor, compatibility with a wide range of Pentax K-mount lenses, a top shutter speed of 1¼4000, flash sync up to 1¼150, 16-segment metering (plus center-weighted and spot), a full range of exposure modes (including shiftable program AE, shutter- and aperture-priority AE, and Hyper Manual), a new 11-point SAFOX VIII AF sensor, continuous shooting at 2.7 fps, a 1.8-inch LCD monitor, three recording formats (RAW, TIFF and JPEG, maximum resolution 3008x2008 pixels), 9-image and 12X magnification playback, storage on Type I and II CompactFlash cards and Microdrives, 22 Custom Functions, built-in TTL flash, and compact dimensions (5.1x3.7x2.4 inches and 19.4 ounces). Street price is around $1250. Our User Report on the *ist D appeared in the February 2004 issue. Sigma SD10 Sigma’s SD10 utilizes Foveon’s unique X3 CMOS sensor, in which every pixel records red, green and blue (in conventional sensors, each pixel records just one of the primary colors), for increased efficiency. As a result, the 3.54-megapixel sensor delivers 2268x1512-pixel images that show noticeably better detail than conventional 3.5-MP images. Improvements over the pioneering SD9 camera include higher ISO capability (up to 1600), shutter speeds down to 30 seconds at all ISOs, faster autofocusing, improved image quality, shutter speeds settable in 1¼3-EV increments, no need for the CR-123A batteries that had to be used along with the four AAs in the SD9, and new firmware and software (the new Photo Pro 2.0 software can be used with the SD9 camera, too). Features retained from the SD9 include lossless RAW recording (which does require use of their software for downloading and use—RAW is the only recording option), IEEE 1394/FireWire and USB interfaces, a 1.8-inch color LCD monitor, image storage on CompactFlash Type I and II cards and Microdrives, and such SLR shooting features as three metering modes, automatic exposure bracketing, four exposure modes, shutter speeds from 30 seconds to 1¼6000 plus B with flash sync up to 1¼180, and more. The camera accepts more than 40 Sigma SA-mount lenses, which are available in focal lengths from 8mm circular fisheye and 14mm superwide-angle to 800mm supertelephoto to (with a 1.7X "crop" factor). Dimensions are 5.9x4.7x3.1 inches and 27.7 ounces. Street price is around $1350.