Still video photography.
But don't throw away that trusty conventional camera yet. Filmless devices (cameras and camera backs)
still cost many times more than comparable-quality film-based counterparts. It would take most users
quite a while to shoot enough exposures to save money. And limitations in shooting flexibility,
storage capacity, and image quality still dog filmless photography.
At the heart of every filmless camera is a photosensitive semiconductor called a charge-coupled
device, or CCD (see the diagram "Filmless Photo Dilemma: Speed versus Resolution"). The performance
and cost of CCDs--and by extension filmless cameras--varies widely. In evaluating filmless cameras, we
found that relatively inexpensive ones--the $739 Apple QuickTake 150, the $795 Dycam Model 4, the
$3200 Fujix DS-100, and the $3740 Canon RC-570--typically produce images comparable to those shot with
a $20 box camera. Midrange handheld cameras, such as the $10,995 Kodak DCS420 and the $16,020 Fujix
DS-515 (identical to the Nikon E2s Digital Camera System), deliver image quality analogous to that of
a $100 point-and-shoot 35mm camera. Even the most expensive portable filmless camera, with the
highest-grade CCD we worked with, the $27,995 Kodak DCS460, has approximately the image quality of an
$800 semiprofessional 35mm camera. And while filmless devices designed for studio use--like the $4995
Leaf Lumina, the $29,995 Leaf Digital Camera Back, and the $22,500 Dicomed Digital Camera--produce
superb images that can be enlarged to poster or even billboard size, these cameras must generally be
used with a tripod; most must be tethered to a computer; and others require long exposure times,
precluding live action (see the table "Filmless Photography Spectrum").
To test the talents of these devices, we photographed a still-life scene that presented various
technical challenges--including a range of colors, subtle and varied highlight and shadow detail, and
a variety of textures and reflective surfaces. We used strobe lights for the real-time cameras and
high-intensity fluorescent lights for the time exposures required by the studio devices.
The crucial measure of any camera's performance is output. We used three output media: print,
electronic display, and film (see the sample output "More Data Equals Higher Quality"). All images
were transferred as TIFF files to Bernoulli cartridges, printed to a Fuji Pictography 3000 (a
photo-quality printer), output to slides on a Management Graphics Solitaire Image Recorder, and viewed
in Adobe Photoshop 3.0 on a high-resolution monitor. To level the playing field, we used the cameras'
own defaults when possible. Bear in mind that images can usually be improved with retouching
software.
The least expensive filmless devices are simple point-and-shoot cameras with fixed lenses, built-in
strobes, few user-selectable controls, and only fair image resolution. As a result, they can't handle
true wide-angle or telephoto shots, minute detail, output to slides, or enlargements bigger than 4 by
5 inches. Low-end devices work well for viewing photos on screen or for newsletter-type publishing.
Their relative affordability, compact size, lightweight design, modest computer requirements (8MB of
RAM, compared with the 24MB to 64MB some of the higher-end cameras require), and ease of use make
point-and-shoot cameras well suited for hobbyists and business users.
The Apple QuickTake 150 (tested in a prerelease version, but now available) is virtually identical to
its groundbreaking predecessor, the 100, but with a few important refinements: twice the internal
storage capacity, a snap-on close-up lens, and a built-in infrared filter that sharpens images. The
150 also ships with a simple image-touch-up program, PhotoFlash.
The 150 is virtually foolproof: just slide open the lens cover, aim, and shoot. The camera
automatically adjusts exposure to match lighting conditions. The 150's fixed-focus lens has a depth of
field from 4 inches to infinity. The snap-on macro lens allows close-ups (10 to 14 inches), but the
viewer is very difficult to focus. Off-loading images is easy--attach the camera to a modem or printer
port, open PhotoFlash, and click on the thumbnail you want to move to your hard drive. The QuickTake
150's only significant limitation, aside from the mediocre image quality of all inexpensive filmless
cameras, is its frame buffer. It holds only 16 to 32 shots (depending on resolution) that must then be
off-loaded.
We looked at a prerelease version of Kodak's $995 DC40, but it is now shipping. The DC40 uses the same
CCD as the QuickTake, and both cameras' bodies are built by Chinon. There are several important
differences, however. The DC40 comes equipped with 4MB of flash RAM, enough to hold 48 standard or 96
low-resolution images. To compensate for less RAM (the QuickTake has 1MB of flash EPROM), Apple masks
part of the CCD to limit resolution to 640 by 480 pixels. The DC40 uses the full CCD for a resolution
of 756 by 504. That translates into sharper, more-detailed images--which should be well worth the
extra $256.
The Dycam Model 4 comes with a $99 optional lens that focuses down to 2.5 inches and is designed to
produce sharper images, but our evaluation showed no appreciable improvement over the fixed-focus
lens. With no LCD display panel, the camera beeps when it's ready to shoot (up to once every 8 seconds
in standard resolution) or when the frame buffer is full. The camera stores only 8 standard or 24
low-resolution frames.
The Dycam was the only camera we tested that has no automatic exposure control. For outdoor shooting,
Dycam provides a neutral-density filter to avoid overexposure. That's acceptable for cheap box
cameras, but not for a nearly $800 device. Off-loading images was simple, but changing defaults
(resolution, flash on/off, and shutter speed) has to be done through your Mac--a terrible flaw for a
camera meant to be used on the go.
Significant differences separate the Dycam and the QuickTake. Both save to built-in memory chips.
However, the QuickTake's low-powered flash EPROM chips keep the pictures intact for up to a year,
while the Dycam's power-hungry RAM chip stores images for only a week. Theoretically, the Dycam's
etched viewfinder with parallax-correcting guides (which reduce the discrepancy between what you see
in the viewfinder and what the camera captures) should be more accurate than the QuickTake's simple
unframed viewfinder. But the Dycam was so inaccurate that it took us ten exposures to guesstimate
where to center the camera to shoot our still life.
The Model 4's biggest difference is image quality--a resolution problem sets it behind the other
devices. The QuickTake's 640 by 480 resolution is enough to give a sharp screen image and decent
prints up to 4 by 5 inches. But with the Dycam's 496 by 365 resolution, even with corrected software
the screen image would probably be less sharp, as would prints larger than about 3 by 4 inches.
Slightly pricier, slightly better Moving up a notch in price, the Canon RC-570 adds an
autofocus zoom lens, a parallax-correcting optical viewfinder, 1-frame-per-second (fps) shooting
speed, and virtually unlimited storage capacity. After you've clicked off 25 standard- or 50
low-resolution images, it takes only seconds to swap out the camera's $10, 2-inch floppy and continue
shooting.
Technically, the RC-570 is an analog-type still-video camera, rather than a digital camera. Digital
cameras instantly convert images from analog to digital data; still-video cameras need expensive
boards or boxes to produce their digital data. Still-video cameras generally yield poorer image
quality at the same resolutions as digital cameras. The RC-570's prints were not sharply defined and
the colors shifted. However, still-video cameras offer the advantage of being able to instantly output
a standard video-broadcast signal to a TV, VCR, or color video printer.
The RC-570 really falls down on price. The basic system (camera, digitizer board or box, and software)
costs $6000 or more--for image quality roughly equal to that of the $739 QuickTake.
The Fujix DS-100, which with all necessary equipment resides in the RS-570's price range, has a
push-button autofocus zoom lens and through-the-lens viewing. This camera features a true macro lens
that can focus as close as 1.6 inches, several flash modes, manual-exposure compensation, optional
remote control, a video-signal port, and the ability to time-stamp frames. These features make it well
suited to scientific and medical applications. It focuses quickly and flawlessly at every zoom
magnification.
But the DS-100's memory card system leaves a lot to be desired. Like the Canon RC-570, the DS-100
saves images to a removable storage medium that you can swap in a matter of seconds. The RC-570 saves
up to 25 high-resolution or 50 standard images on a floppy, while the Fujix stores only 5 to 21
digital images (depending on compression level) on $360 proprietary 1MB memory cards. What's more, the
DS-100 requires a dedicated card drive that costs about $2500.
For the next jump up we looked at real-time systems costing between $11,000 and $28,000 that
incorporate professional features, like auto-aperture or shutter-priority modes, manual shutter speeds
and f-stops, fully interchangeable lenses, the ability to annotate each frame verbally via built-in
microphones, burst modes (the ability to fire off several frames in quick succession) as fast as 3
fps, spot or matrix metering, various lighting settings, and precise exposure-compensation control.
All real-time cameras use either removable PC (formerly called PCMCIA) Type III cards, or Type I or II
solid-state flash-memory cards, and off-load their images via TWAIN-compliant Photoshop plug-in
drivers. (The $850 Fujix CR-500 PC Card Reader reads from and writes to Type I, II, and III PC cards.)
Neither small nor light, high-end, real-time cameras are twice as large and two to three times as
heavy as conventional 35mm cameras. These cameras are well suited for photojournalism; sports; annual
reports; some portraiture, industrial, and manufacturing photography; and for specialized work
requiring immediate viewing, short deadlines, or the rapid electronic transmission of images.
The Kodak DCS460 is the highest-resolution portable filmless camera on the market. Virtually all the
controls and features are the same as on the conventional Nikon N90 body that the DCS460 is based on,
with two important exceptions. The ISO, or film-equivalent sensitivity level of the CCD, is limited to
a range of 50 to 200. This diminishes the DCS460's suitability for shooting candid photos with
available light. The DCS460 also lacks a burst mode. The camera pauses for 12 seconds between frames
to save the image file to the camera's 170MB removable hard drive. That, in photographic parlance, is
half a lifetime. Another frustrating bottleneck: the three to four minutes it takes to off-load each
image (unless you use a SCSI-2 accelerator board). As this article went to press, Kodak began shipping
a new driver that it says greatly speeds off-loading of images for all its filmless units (except the
DC40), as well as for the Canon EOS-DCS3 and the Associated Press News Camera 2000.
But the DCS460's image quality sets it apart. It's the only real-time camera that can produce
photographs up to 11 by 14 inches that are virtually indistinguishable from those made with 35mm film.
This quality doesn't come cheap; it costs $27,995 (not including lens).
The DCS420 is identical to the DCS460, except the 420 uses a smaller, lower-resolution CCD, which
effectively reduces the lens's focal length (and viewing area) by about half and lowers the camera's
cost by nearly $17,000. But the 420 has a conventional camera-like burst mode of better than 2 fps,
for 5 successive frames. The 420 also records more frames before you must off-load images or swap hard
drives. The 420's uncompressed file size (4.5MB) is one-fourth that of the 460 (18MB); transferring
each 420 image to the computer takes about 50 seconds. Because of its handling capabilities, shooting
speed, and recording capacity, the DCS420--of all the cameras tested--feels and works the most like a
conventional 35mm camera.
In a similar price range, the Fujix DS-515 (also sold as the Nikon E2) is a complicated camera to
learn and to use; the sheer number and complexity of controls on the DS-515 are enough to daunt even
photographic wire-heads. But perseverance has its payoff: total control, more download options, a high
degree of customization, and excellent image quality.
The DS-515 uses a novel optical condenser in which the image area fills the entire viewfinder. This
means that, unlike with the DCS420, a 50mm lens on the DS-515 gives a 50mm field of coverage.
Unfortunately, the largest aperture is a modest f/6.7, regardless of how fast the lens. To compensate,
the camera's ISO goes up to 1600, fast enough for most available-light photography. The DS-515 comes
equipped with a video interface for off-loading images to TVs, VCRs, or video printers. And images are
quickly and easily transferred to the computer via a PC Card.
The $15,100 Sony CatsEye Digital Camera is a hybrid. This still-video camera shoots in real time like
portable filmless cameras, but lacks an internal power supply, a viewfinder, on-camera controls, or
built-in storage capability--relegating it to the studio. It is the only camera we tested that uses
three CCDs instead of one, reducing color aliasing while boosting image resolution.
While the camera is difficult to set up, shooting is fast and easy. It allowed us to project what we
were doing, in real time, on a TV or computer monitor. Thus, the camera can be mounted in one room and
controlled from another, making the CatsEye a popular system among amusement-park operators, or at
hospitals, labs, portrait studios--any place where decisions about composition are made remotely or by
committee.
As a point of reference for evaluating portable filmless cameras, we also tested three other studio
filmless cameras and CCD-equipped backs that attach to certain cameras. All can produce top-quality
images virtually indistinguishable from images shot with film and professional view or roll cameras.
Because it requires considerable skill and care to operate these cameras properly, this level of
filmless device is almost wholly the province of commercial photographers and prepress
professionals.
Two of the devices tested--the Leaf Digital Camera Back and the Dicomed Digital Camera (a portable or
studio camera)--are backs designed to fit on various makes of professional view and roll camera
bodies, to take advantage of swings, tilts, and top-quality lenses. The third studio-only device, the
Leaf Lumina, has its own fixed body and takes interchangeable Nikkor lenses.
These three devices are controlled directly from the computer--the Dicomed and Lumina via a SCSI-2
interface, the Digital Camera via a proprietary serial interface. Each must be mounted on a tripod
(because they capture their images during a time exposure), and must be plugged into a wall outlet or
large battery pack. They save images directly to a hard drive. The software provides sophisticated
controls for focusing, composing, color correction, and dynamic range, which can take some time to
tweak to perfection. But the bottom line is that perfection is possible, even when compared with
top-notch traditional film cameras.
Filmless cameras are not quite mainstream yet, but at the low end they're not far off. For home or
small-business users, the Apple QuickTake provides easy input for desktop publishing,
visual-information management, and snapshots. In scientific and medical work, the Fujix DS-100 is an
excellent choice for nonphotographers, while the Fujix DS-515, Kodak DCS420, and Sony CatsEye offer
greater precision for imaging professionals.
Professional photographers who need real-time capture would be well served by the Kodak DCS420 or
DCS460, or by the Fujix DS-515. While the DS-515's CCD has fewer pixels than the Kodak DCS420's, the
DS-515 has better color fidelity and provides superb (if complex) controls. On the other hand, the
higher density of the Kodak DCS460 is necessary for images that will be printed large.
The Leaf Lumina, Leaf Digital Camera Back, and Dicomed Digital Camera are venerable
professional-quality studio devices when real-time capture is not necessary. The Lumina is a bargain
for the quality, while the Dicomed provides superior images with some portability. But the best seller
is the Digital Camera Back, due to its speed, reliability, quality, and real-time black-and-white
capture.
This latest generation of filmless devices proves we're not dealing with a passing fad. And Minolta,
Casio, Olympus, Agfa, Logitech, Chinon, Fuji, and other major photographic or electronic manufacturers
are readying filmless cameras for the market.
What will the next generation bring? Higher-resolution images in real time for the professional
photographer and price reductions that will capture a larger percentage of the mass market. When that
happens, the millennium will come for film, but it isn't here yet.
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More Data Equals Higher Quality
This series of images shows the effects of different amounts of visual information on image size.
(These images are not intended for direct comparison of image quality because lighting and other
conditions varied during the photo shoot.) On the far left, a 630K image created with a $3740 Canon
RC-570 is printed as large as possible while offering full resolution at 300 dpi. (This is a crop of a
larger image. For lower-resolution 4-by-5-inch prints or for on-screen viewing the Canon camera yields
acceptable images.)
Increasingly tightly cropped details are shown in successive images because printing 300-dpi images at
the largest sizes possible would eventually exceed the size of this page. The second image from the
left shows a detail captured by a $16,020 Fujix DS-515 camera. The full image (equivalent to the image
at the far left) at 300 dpi would have measured 2.5 by 1.8 inches.
The next detail (third from the left) was taken with the $27,995 Kodak DCS460 and would have required
6 by 4.2 inches. The $22,500 Dicomed Digital Camera's 31.3MB image (below, at left) would have taken
up 11.4 by 8 inches; an image from any of the other cameras would be extremely fuzzy if blown up to
that size. The Dicomed captures so much information that its images compare favorably with a scan of
35mm film (far right). Bear in mind, however, that the film image was enlarged by 1525 percent--far
higher than normal in professional-quality work. (Images created with the assistance of Crimson Tech,
Boston.)
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Editors' Choice
Filmless Cameras
No choice The top contenders in this category are the Apple QuickTake 150 (whose image
quality, simplicity, macro lens, and image-touch-up software compare favorably with cameras costing
five to eight times as much), and the Kodak DC40 (a slightly more costly camera that offers higher
image resolution and storage capacity). Neither unit was shipping during our testing, though
prerelease models looked excellent.
Fujix DS-515/Nikon E2 Though complicated to use, this camera's superb image quality and
impressive controls set it apart from the competition. Company: Fuji, Nikon. List price: $12,780; with
optional lens and PC card: $14,140.
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Daniel Grotta, an imaging-technology consultant and journalist, and Sally Wiener Grotta, a digital
artist, photographer, and educator, are coauthors, most recently, of Digital Imaging for Visual
Artists (Windcrest/McGraw-Hill, 1994).
Technical assistance by Crimson Tech, Boston.
By Daniel Grotta and Sally Wiener Grotta
Many futurists predict that silver-based film and conventional photography will soon go the way of
8-track stereo and polyester leisure suits. After all, once you buy a filmless camera, you never pay
another nickel for film or processing, or worry about polluting the environment with dangerous
chemicals. Just hook up the camera to a Mac and color printer, and you have a veritable home Fotomat.
And filmless cameras are fast and convenient; they can produce a picture in minutes, or instantly
transmit images anywhere in the world. Filmless photography is rapidly becoming popular among law
enforcement officials, photo ID centers, photojournalists, real estate listing agencies, and insurance
claims adjusters.
Entry-Level Cameras
Expensive Real-Time Cameras
Studio Devices
The Last Word
Sidebar
The quality of images captured by filmless devices depends largely on the amount of visual information
the devices can capture. Less expensive cameras capture less information--resulting in smaller file
sizes--than professional-level units. The less data captured (and consequently, the smaller the file
size), the smaller the image that can be printed clearly at the same resolution as an image captured
by a better camera.
Sidebar
One size does not fit all when it comes to filmless photography. We geared our choices to the cost
limits and quality needs of two different kinds of users: home and small-business users and
professional photographers.
Home/Small Business
Professional Real-Time Photography
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