The tools of the photo professionals

Digital photography Fast and expandable -
These are the outstanding features of digitally recording
SLR cameras, which are currently keeping the photography market on the move.
digital cameras is slowing down and the market is becoming saturated, the digital camera market is booming.
The demand for the more affordable digital
Single-lens reflex cameras, or D-SLRs for short. The trend can be explained on the one hand by
cheaper entry-level models from 1100 francs, on the other hand
even professional photographers get much more for their money today: professional cameras
can now also compete with photographic film in terms of image resolution and
are still fast enough for productive work.

Lenses allow diverse areas of application
Thanks to the possibility of using a wide variety of lenses,
the D-SLR cameras can each be optimally adjusted to a photographic
Tailor the task, i.e. for specific motifs or a specific design intention with the
focal length. Another plus point is that they
into the existing 35 mm systems from Canon, Leica and Minolta,
Nikon and Pentax insert and the use of "old" lenses
enable. Unfortunately, this does not automatically mean that the cameras
thus meet the higher requirements of the digital photo sensor.
The manufacturers have also developed new lenses for digital SLR cameras
developed. The overall selection of lenses is therefore very large,
especially since, in addition to lenses from the camera manufacturer, lenses from the
example Tamron, Tokina, Sigma etc. with suitable mounts for the
major camera brands are available. Olympus is the only one that has completely
analog past and created a completely new, uncompromisingly
system designed to meet the requirements of digital photography
cameras and lenses.
The fact that SLR cameras are better suited than other camera types for
interchangeable lenses lies in the design of their viewfinder
justified. With the SLR viewfinder, the photographer looks through a
prism and via a mirror directly through the lens. During the
For the duration of the recording, this mirror folds up and, together with the
shutter clears the way for the light image on the photo sensor or film.
The photographer can thus always precisely determine the image section -
regardless of which lens is currently attached. With digital
SLR cameras, however, the mirror in the optical path makes it impossible to
live viewfinder image, which is why the LCD is only used for image control and display.
of the menu for camera operation.

Pixel noise and image quality
High resolutions generate more pixels, which means that fine details can be
image details are captured and reproduced. A high resolution is
especially necessary when the data is output, printed
should. While in private use the current standard resolution of
5 to 6 megapixels (Mpx) is sufficient to take postcard-sized photos or
also as an A4 enlargement, it hangs in the professional area
strongly depends on the intended use of the photos. High-resolution images have
more potential for image details, large prints and a detailed
image processing, but slow down the work process due to the
higher data volume - and they require more storage space.
Digital SLR cameras in the entry-level class and the somewhat more robust and
faster semi-professional models today have photo sensors with
6 Mpx (Konica Minolta, Nikon, Pentax) or 8 Mpx (Canon, Olympus). Still
higher resolutions are available when entering the professional class. The
digital back (DigiBack), which is used with the analog Leica R8 and R9 cameras.
into digital, has a 10 Mpx photo sensor. The
professional SLR cameras Canon EOS 5D, Fujfilm FinePix S3
Pro and Nikon D2X both boast 12Mpx, while the Canon EOS
1Ds Mark II with 16.7 Mpx even rivals some DigiBacks.
Digital backs that contain a photo sensor and are used instead of a
Film magazine used on a medium format SLR or view camera
meanwhile, usually generate 16 Mpx or a maximum of 21 Mpx. But already
new photo sensors for the digital medium format promise even more
higher resolutions. Phase One has developed these new sensors in new
DigiBacks and recently integrated the P30 model (with 31 Mpx) and the
P45 (39 Mpx) was presented.

Megapixels are not the only quality feature
In the digital 35 mm format, brands such as Canon and
Nikon cameras. These digital SLR cameras now achieve
resolutions that correspond approximately to those of 35 mm film (approx. 12
up to 15 Mpx). But this is only the last argument against the
Digital photography has become obsolete, as the replacement of silver halide films by silicon technology has been underway for some time. Finally, the
digital image too many advantages, starting with image control and the
immediate use with computers and other digital devices such as
the (mobile) photo printers.
But resolution is only one aspect of the photo sensor. Important for the
In addition to the lens, image quality is the size of the million
of light-sensitive CCD or CMOS elements that capture the incident light.
into electricity. The larger these elements are, the more
They can capture light (higher sensitivity, greater dynamic range)
and the signal has to be amplified less (less noise or
less "grainy" image). This advantage becomes clear when comparing
a D-SLR with a compact camera, both of which have the same resolution.
have. While a 6 Mpx sensor of a D-SLR has around
24 ¥ 15 mm, the photo sensor of a compact camera accommodates the
same number of correspondingly smaller elements on an area of
just 8.8 ¥ 6.6 mm. In practice, therefore, a digital photo
of a compact camera at 400 ISO
as "noisy" as the image from a D-SLR taken at 1600 or
3200 ISO was taken. Conversely, this means for D-SLR cameras,
that they can be used without additional light (e.g. flash) even in poor
lighting conditions. For the same reason
promise the large medium-format sensors that are used in digital
back parts and with 33 ¥ 44 mm and 37 ¥ 49 mm still a
larger, also have a quality advantage compared to the
the D-SLR models. Apart from use in the smallest possible
Compact cameras and camera phones are therefore large photo sensors
desirable. But unfortunately they are much more expensive than the small ones, as
semiconductor technology is geared towards miniaturization.
But it's not just for quality reasons that photographers want larger
Sensors. Today, the sensors commonly used in D-SLR cameras measure
sensors are only 24 ¥ 15 mm (so-called APS-C format) and are therefore
smaller than the conventional 35 mm format (KB) with its 36 ¥ 24
mm. If, for example, a 24-105mm lens is attached to a D-SLR with a small
sensor is used, it records a correspondingly smaller
The aperture is the same as that of a 36 - 158mm lens on a 35 mm camera.
corresponds. This effect is known as focal length extension
and expressed with a multiplication factor (usually 1.5 times). For
Paparazzi and other fans of telephoto lenses, this
Focal length extension advantageous, otherwise rather disadvantageous. Even
strong wide angles are thus robbed of their dramatic effect. The
In response to this, lens manufacturers have expanded their ranges with
extreme and yet inexpensive wide angle (zooms). But instead of
to change and invest in new lenses, want to
Many photographers prefer a full-frame sensor in KB format, such as the Canon
EOS 1Ds Mark II or the new, comparatively inexpensive EOS 5D
own.

Work better
It is not only factors such as speed, the use of
interchangeable lenses and better image quality, which is
reflex camera, but additionally a sum of small
Properties that are particularly noticeable during intensive use
or - in a positive sense - not. So instead of
small, fiddly buttons and menus, generous control elements for
Use. Manual focusing and zooming are also used to
directly and very precisely on the lens, for example, instead of
electronically back and forth via buttons and rockers.
In order for digital SLR cameras to meet the demands placed on them, the
higher requirements, they are focused on performance instead of
compact, pleasing appearance. The design engineers have to
the design of a new D-SLR is less of a compromise than, for example
for compact cameras. The D-SLR cameras are therefore also available in every
relationship faster than the other digicams. This becomes clear with the
automatic focusing, the response times (no
shutter release delay) or when quickly recording the images on
Memory cards. Only with such professional cameras can photo reporters and
sports photographers capture the decisive moments and the
fashion photographer quickly pulls off his series. Even the less
powerful D-SLRs for beginners are fast enough to allow the
amateur photographers succeed in taking snapshots of children playing, which
with compact digicams all too often prove to be a hopeless
undertaking.
What distinguishes the entry-level D-SLR models from the inexpensive
more expensive professional cameras through higher resolutions and faster
image sequences. They are also more robust and, as a result, larger and
significantly heavier. In the top professional league, Canon and Nikon offer
two professional SLRs each. The Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II and the Nikon D2X
each have a particularly high resolution and are suitable for
advertising and fashion photography, object photography, etc., the Canon EOS 1D Mark II and
The Nikon D2Hs have a lower resolution, but are available with about 8
photos per second and 50 in a row super fast and therefore better for
Suitable for sports and action photographers.

Images through the air
In professional use, speed counts in every respect. Instead of
Transferring photos to the PC only after a shoot, scoop
various models (so far only from Canon and Nikon) by means of
optional WLAN technology (Wireless LAN = wireless network) Photos
wirelessly to the PC immediately after shooting. A sports photographer can thus
continuously during the event, while his photos
by means of WLAN transmission on the WLAN-equipped
notebook or even directly on his computer via a WLAN hotspot.
web server, from where picture editors can download the latest photos for their
download media. Such a photo WLAN is just as useful
of course also in other areas such as event, studio and
Fashion photography.

Markus Zitt