story by Shane Bevel
Canon officials expect the camera, built along the same lines as the EOS Elan II and A2 film cameras in terms of frame rate and autofocus functions, to be used in the upper-range consumer and lower to mid-range professional level.
The D30 will make a great second or third digital body for most professionals, said Bobby Malish, assistant manager of Professional Markets Group in the Camera Products Division of Canon. However, he noted that while the camera's slower frame rate may be too slow for some sports and other action for those shooting day-to-day assignments, it can make a great primary body.
Unlike its film counterparts, the Elan II and A2, the camera does have an internal steel chassis, and the outside of the camera is covered with the same polycarbonate case as the other cameras.
photo by Michael C. Weimar
Canon representative Chuck Westfall shows the software for the new Canon D30 to attendees at the Visual Edge conference in St. Petersburg. Attendees were among the first to see the D30 although they were not allowed to upload images.
Although the slower frame rate may prove to be a disadvantage to those shooting sports or other types of action, the digital technology of the camera is at the high end of the market. The 3.25million pixel chip produces an 8.9MB file. The files can be compressed, with four JPEG settings on the camera, from 3.4 MB (highest quality) to 700K (lowest quality).
The camera can also store the files in an 8MB proprietary TIFF file format. "A camera like this gives us the ability to expand the product up and down the range," said Chuck Westhall, manager of the Technical Information Department for Canon products. "It allows us to appeal to the largest part of the market."
Reed Hoffman, a digital consultant, said the camera has benefits and flaws. While he did look at the prototype camera, he said he will make real decisions when the camera is in production. He said the proof of a quality digital camera is in the image quality and that the D30 still has problems with the higher ISO settings. The D30, Hoffman said, has a significant amount of noise in all three-color channels and the luminance channel.
However, he pointed out Canon has said the programming of the camera is not yet complete. Hoffman also said the camera is a good solution for Canon shooters who need to shoot digital right now. He also mentioned that unlike the Nikon D1, the D30 is certified for use with IBM Microdrives. The Microdrives currently are being used in the Nikon camera, but some people have had problems with them.
