The Photokina show in Germany is almost over and anything of note has already been announced. Time to review the state of the camera industry.
Ask most people what type of camera takes the best photos and they will answer “DSLR”, the interchangeable lens, mirror-slapping monsters, churned out by the likes of Canon and Nikon in a variety of specifications and a singularity of colour (black). Not so. All else being equal, the bigger the sensor, the better the image quality; so you would do better with something like this:
Photo copyright Evan Kafka
It’s a large format Polaroid and it’s what you need for the ultimate in image quality, when you really need to print something to cover the side of a building. If you find that carrying this around produces an unsightly bulge in your pocket; then you may be better of with a medium format camera:
Photo copyright Hasselblad
This is the Ferrari limited edition Hasselblad introduced at Photokina. Still a little bulky in your pocket; but at least your wallet would be empty; don’t expect much change out of $30,000, even without the Ferrari badge.
Coming out of the price and practicality stratosphere and we end up back at DSLRs. Still the choice of the majority of people who think they want to take photographs rather than snaps. And what did the big two have to entice us at Photokina? What signs of innovation and progress? Bugger all. Nikon came up with the D7000 which I am sure is a very nice camera; but offered nothing new in the way of technology; just existing features improved. Canon offered the 60D which was greeted by yawns, even by the Canon crowd who saw it as not much of an improvement over its predecessor the 50D, which in turn offered little enticement to upgrade from the 40D. Canon and Nikon, wake up!!
So who was doing something different? Let’s start with Sony; not my favourite company but at least they are innovating.
First the NEX. Similar in concept to Micro 4/3, a mirrorless camera with interchangeable lenses.
Photo copyright Sony
The good thing about the NEX is that it takes great photos from such a small size; the bad thing about the NEX is that it is just too small, with a lack of controls to enable you to manage the photo taking process. But well done Sony for producing something different.
And well done for the Sony A55. Looks like a DSLR, and indeed there is a mirror/prism of sorts; but it doesn’t move. Most of the light coming into the camera heads for the sensor and the viewfinder, with a small percentage being diverted to the DSLR-like focus mechanism. Why bother? Well, mirrorless cameras like the GF1 take their focus off the sensor using a process that is accurate, but slower than the focus techniques used in DSLRs. So the idea behind the A55 is to give you the advantages of a mirrorless camera, and the advantages of DSLR focusing. An effortless ten frames a second results (no mirror to slap up and down); so congratulations to Sony; although the latest from Panasonic may make the focusing issues redundant (see below).
Star of the show in terms of visitor interest has been the gorgeous Fuji X100.
Photo copyright Fuji
Once this is released next year, I am going to have to make sure that my credit card and this camera are never in the same room at the same time.
In the world of Micro 4/3 there was only one really new camera announced, the Panasonic GH2, The GH1 already had the reputation of producing the best M4/3 images; and being by far the best “stills camera that also takes video” on the market; especially after a Russian gentleman had hacked the firmware.
The GH2 provides even better video features, and as a stills camera it offers an 18 megapixel sensor that is sliced in different ways, depending on the aspect ratio you are shooting (16:9, 4:3, 3:2) to produce 16 megapixel images which are is claimed have more dynamic range and less noise than the previous model. Gorgeous viewfinder too. Most impressively though, the previous rather stately focusing speed has been transformed to a Canon and Nikon beating level; which partially negates the Sony A55’s design (not clear yet how the GH2 will handle fast action and multiple frames per second). The only downside is that GH2 is more chunky than the small M43 cameras such as the GF1.
Photo copyright Panasonic
No sign of the rumoured GF2, so you will have to wait for next year for that, along with the announcement of a “professional level” M4/3 from Olympus. Never mind, if you want to join the future now and go mirrorless, you currently have choice of four M4/3 cameras from Panasonic and three from Olympus; all of which will produce great photos. Last time I counted, there were eighteen lenses specifically made for M4/3, and literally hundreds of other lenses you could mount with a suitable adapter. Or you could consider a Fuji X100, or a Sony NEX, also offering a mirror-free environment.
What are you waiting for?
Oh no Spike, I need the image excellence that only a DSLR can give me; and I don’t care about lugging around all that heavy kit.
Of course, you are right. How about a Nikon D700, a full frame DSLR optimised to produce amazing images? That’s what silly Nik sold before he moved to a GF1; the idiot. After our photo shoot yesterday, I asked him how he liked the images from his new camera. This was his answer:
“They are equal to D700 pics. Very pleased.”
The future has no mirror.
Comments 🔗
2010-09-25| Ray saysThe “Ferrari” ‘Blad - The “taste challenged” Chinese market will devour the 600 limited production as they did with the garish yellow V series models!
Then of course the question begs- why buy a copy Leica M3 (Fuji X100) when you can still get the original, which is a far better piece of jewelry!
Seems to have been more to do with Haute Couture than photography.
2010-09-26| Spike saysI tried that M3 thing; but you had to stick a little canister in it, rather than a memory card; and then when I had finished I couldn’t find a card reader with a slot that would take the canister thingie. Complete waster of time.
2010-09-26| Ray saysYou’re not supposed to use them - Just hang them around your neck.
Jewelry!
2010-09-27| Billy saysRobert Maxwell will be spinning in his grave …
2010-09-27| Spike saysI rather hope he is rotting, and do not understand the spinning reference; please educate me. I am sure you are being witty; but I am thick.
2010-09-28| Billy saysthat would have Mr X “turning in his grave” is the common reference ..
spinning indicates extreme turning ..
not witty at all when explained ….
2012-09-25| I have seen the future, and it’s name is the RX1 | Pattaya Days says[…] After Photokina two years ago I penned a piece of no consequence entitled “I have seen the future, and it has no mirror“. […]