by Marcelo Duran
Assistant Editor

The D30 is still relatively popular in sales. The Huntsville (Ala.) Times recently purchased a D30 camera from National Graphics Supply Co. According to Mike Mercier, chief photographer at The Huntsville Times, only two out of 10 photographers now use film on a regular basis.

The Canon EOS 1D was designed for outdoor photography and is well-suited for sports journalists. The EOS D60 digital single-lens-reflex camera was developed to succeed the popular D30 camera.

The newspaper expects to save money in the long haul using the digital camera. Mercier commented that film cost is about $5.50 per 36-exposure roll processed.

“We do not have to make prints in order to get images in the paper. It is all done on a computer, but if we had to make prints of every one of our digital images … it would not be cheaper in the long run,” he said. “I can make a conventional color print using an enlarger and chemicals for probably 50 cents. The same print from my Kodak 8660 printer costs $3 in materials only.”

For travel purposes, a digital camera is very convenient for The Huntsville Times since they were not able to transport their portable darkroom due to security concerns over the chemicals used in film development.

“Digital cameras are also not sensitive to X-ray, that I am aware. Film would be ruined by the volume of X-ray used by the airlines,” Mercier said. “The sheer weight of the darkroom was a durge. I have even had to buy a ticket for all the extra equipment I had to carry when taking film cameras on the road.”

EOS D60

Canon developed the new EOS D60 to replace the widely used EOS D30 digital SLR model, which retains many of its features, while adding new and improved features including a three-point auto-focus system with more responsive performance in low-light conditions, three illuminated viewfinder focusing points and the ability to capture images simultaneously in RAW and JPEG formats. In addition, improvements in the camera’s signal processing system allow photographers to make exposures as long as 30 seconds without the assistance of a noise reduction feature.

The D60 features a newly developed 6.3-megapixel single-plate, complementary metal oxide semiconductor sensor with 3,072-by-2,048 square pixels, 12-bit analog-to-digital conversion and an on-chip RGB primary color filter array. The sensor is the same size as the EOS D30 at 15-by-22 mm, resulting in a focal length conversion factor of 1.6x compared to the 35 mm format.

The EOS D60 is able to record images in any one of six JPEG settings plus RAW format from 2,048-by-1,360 pixel and 1,536-by-1,024 pixel JPEG settings not available in the D30. RAW files contain an embedded 2,048-by-1,360 pixel JPEG image that can be extracted with the supplied driver software making them ideal for photographers who need to view or transmit images quickly but need to retain maximum image quality for future editing.

Other improvements include an illuminated LCD panel on top of the camera, making it simpler to view and change the settings in low light. A brighter LCD monitor allows easier viewing of menus and recorded images in bright light and new custom functions allow users to tailor the camera’s operations to individual preferences. The D60 also offers an in-camera setting that allows photographers to store up to three sets of shooting parameters including contrast, saturation, sharpness and color tone.

Since the D60 shares many features with its predecessor, it inherits many of its advanced features including a built-in electronic through-the-lens (E-TTL) flash, 11 shooting modes, three AF modes, three metering patterns and shutter speeds ranging from 1/4,000 to 30 seconds.

The D60’s burst mode can capture up to eight consecutive images at three frames per second at all image quality settings including RAW mode. It is equipped with a USB 1.1 and NTSC/PAL video out ports as well as an N3-series remote control socket, a dedicated hot shoe for EX-series Speedites and a PC terminal for external flash units.

A lithium-ion battery pack is included, which provides enough power to take 490 images. The images can be stored on CompactFlash Cards Type I and II.

The D60 is bundled with an upgraded software package featuring powerful drivers based on those supplied with the professional EOS-1D camera, but newly upgraded for compatibility with Windows XP. The D60 will also soon be supported by the image capture function of Apple Macintosh OS X.

The EOS D60 measures 5.9-by-4.2-by-3 inches and weighs 27.5 ounces without the battery.

Canon’s new D60 digital camera will be available at authorized retailers this month for a suggested retail price of $2,999.

EOS-1D

In late September, Canon introduced the EOS-1D.1,

designed primarily for professional sports photographers and photojournalists. New digital features include a continuous shooting speed of eight frames per second for up to 21 consecutive frames at full resolution, an extra-large 4.48 megapixel CCD sensor and image quality control ranging from color space selection and in-camera folder creation to new driver software used for viewing and customized image processing.

Some newspapers are placing orders for the EOS-1D, such as the Sun Herald in Charlotte Harbor-Port Charlotte, Fla. The Florida newspaper also bought the product from National Graphics Supply.

“(We purchased) one Canon 1D with 16 mm to 35 mm and 70 mm to 200 mm lenses. We bought this body since we had already invested in some high-end company Canon equipment such as long lens, flashes, extenders and such,” said Paul Schmidt, photo editor at the Sun Herald. “The new Canon is also the latest digital to hit the market.”

The Canon EOS-1D is designed with many of the advanced features and functions of the 35 mm Canon EOS-1v including a strong dust- and weather-resistant magnesium alloy body, 45-point auto-focus, and a 21-point evaluative metering system.

“The new EOS-1D combines the most advanced features of the EOS-1v with the latest in Canon digital imaging technology,” said Yukiaki Hashimoto, vice president and general manager of Canon’s Photographic Products Group. “Professional photographers who are familiar with Canon’s EOS System will be able to quickly and easily use this new digital camera.”

The EOS-1D’s interline transfer CCD design provides two important functions, an eight-frames-per-second refresh rate, as well as the ability to control shutter speeds internally rather than relying on a mechanical shutter. Compared to the EOS D30 the EOS-1D can shoot nearly three times faster, with a top shutter speed of 1/16,000 vs. 1/8,000 of a second, and a top X-sync shutter speed of 1/500 vs. 1/125 of a second.

Images made with the EOS-1D can be recorded as 12-bit RAW files or in one of three JPEG formats. The EOS-1D has a single slot for Type I or II CompactFlash memory cards. The camera is also equipped with a built-in microphone that allows photographers to add audio annotation to any image.

The EOS-1D can provide ISO Speed Bracketing. This new feature exposes a sequence of three images at the same shutter speed and aperture. ISO Speed Bracketing can be combined with one of the EOS-1D’s personal functions to adjust the number of shots in the bracketing sequence. The overall ISO range of the camera is 100 to 3,200.

The new EOS-1D is compatible with all Canon EF lenses and most EOS System accessories including Canon’s line of EX-series Speedlites.

The Canon EOS-1D is equipped with an IEEE 1394 FireWire interface for high-speed plug-and-play data transfer up to approximately 400 mb per second.

The Canon EOS-1D digital SLR camera is available at authorized Canon dealers and has a suggested retail price of $6,499.