Thoughts on DSLR's future developments
 

Since the creation of this forum photography as moved from No3 to No1 interest ... been here a few times over the last 40 years. Each time has led to a major kit upgrade. This time though funds are limited so I have spent some time looking at getting the max out of my D100. To upgrade would involve a new PC, maybe new software as well, due to the file sizes involved.

I have spent some time looking at what I can get out of my current kit in terms of resolution and film like quality and comparing info on images available from the latest kit. OK I'm a Nikon guy so have been looking at D2X and D200, but it might just have well been any other brand. From this it appears that the latest cameras are really stretching lens performance now in a way that only the finest grain film would.

Have we now reached the point that modern kit will last in the same way that film cameras did. Manufacturers introducing limited upgrades without users other than ' gear heads ' feeling the necessity to upgrade to this latest kit, just as it was with film based cameras.

Don

The recently announced Canon 30D seems to be more of an upgrade than a total new model, so things may be slowing down a bit though you never know what new idea may be just around the corner.

As I mentioned in the 30D thread, I'm sure the camera-makers would love to have a model that just sold steadily without the need to be constantly upgraded - like the EOS3 35mm camera which must be the longest-running production AF SLR by some margin without any revised 'N' or 'V' or 'HS' model.

One problem with making the 'ideal' camera is the fact that different manufacturers have their own USPs, often protected by patents, making it difficult to put everything into one super model.

Konica/Minolta/Sony have the anti-shake system in the camera body, Canon still haven't incorporated eye-control auto-focus into a digital body, Olympus have the built-in sensor cleaner and firmware that recognises each lens and applies corrections to its' aberrations - I wonder how difficult it would be to extend that idea to tackle the problems of diffraction?

There will always be room for improvements, but I think you have hit the nail on the head, Don and Adey: we are seeing a clear trend towards some stabilisation, a sign that today's good quality gear is already good enough and that to improve your pictures you need to be looking at taking better pictures, not at spending yet more dollars on the latest mega-new release. (But yeah: I'll buy a 30D because I want that buffer and the spot meter. After that though, it might be a long. long time. Hey, do you know which camera lasted me the longest? The 1MP Sony that was my first-ever digital camera. No, wait, there was the box Brownie I had as a kid. Used that for years. I think my father still has it somewhere in a back room.)

The companies that make the cameras are being driven by profits. They could create a super DSLR - they could give us the features we want all at once. But then, what would they sell us next year?

The latest offering from Canon, the 30D, is an example of a camera designed by the company shareholders. A minimum of real new features, just slight improvements. They don't want to give us too much at once since they want to release another new camera next year.

The 30D has spot metering - great. It has 1/3 ISO settings - ok. It has a larger LCD screen - ok. It can take 3 or 5 frames per second - ok. It has a longer life shutter - ok. It displays the ISO in the viewfinder (but only when you push a button) - bah. It has enhancements to PictBridge - WHO CARES! There is only one really nice new feature (spot metering). None of the others alone could cause anyone to upgrade.

The next offering from Canon in the 10D, 20D, 30D line will likely have even cleaner high ISO settings, maybe a slightly brighter viewfinder, perhaps enhanced focusing at f/4 and (if we are lucky) more improvements to PictBridge!

They are just going to keep trickling out the improvements - now and then they will need to really do a big upgrade of the body or processor to accommodate the incremental minor improvements such as we saw this year with Canon. Next year will likely be a slack year for Nikon improvements.

Interesting comparison digital v film
 

On the theme of this thread I have just found this. A comparison between the Canon 5D and 35 mm and 6 x 6 cm.
http://www.ales.litomisky.com/shooto...alshootout.htm

Don

Interesting. I visited that same comparison a while back and I'm certain that one of the cameras was using a large zoom ratio lens. I remember commenting on it at the time (in another forum). Now they are all primes. They must have re-shot the comparison.

They must have seen your avater !!:D

Don

Imager sensors employed in DSLR's are similar in technology to sensors used in CCTV cameras. The Early 90's saw the CCD in mainstream use in the CCTV industry and over the years light sensitivity was improved and improved and improved again (get the picture). For instance 4-5 Lux was a quoted performance figure for low light 15 years ago and today a colour camera camera should be around 0.8 to 1 Lux.

Applied to DSLR imager technology light sensitivity should increase allowing ISO 50 or lower to be common place with lower noise as a result in he next few years.

Another CCTV innovation is SIMDY technology created when Sony deliberately squeezed supply of their 1/3" CCD imagers to the market. A number of camera manufacturers formed a consortium and developed SIMDY. SIMDY imagers are CMOS and allow greater flexibility and programming from the internal DSP (Digital Signal Processor), essentially a SIMDY camera will have greater dynamic range because each photosite can have its own electronic iris (aperture) so shadows become more detailed and highlights can never be blown.

Add better focussing systems and greater processing speeds from general electronic circuitry, I am sure the next five to ten years will be an exciting time for our DSLR friend.
If DSLR imagers used CMOS SIMDY technology you have perfect exposed images with no risk of blown highlights!

I'm not sure if many improvements to image sensor technology will make much of a difference in DSLRs, Image quality is stunning as it is now, hell, my 6mp D70 outpreforms anything 35mm I've ever shot... I don't care what the numbers say.

I'm thinking that more buffer improvements will come along, larger buffers with faster write-to-memory speeds. I'm hoping we can do away with mechanical shutters on DSLRs, except to keep dust out when the camera is off. Electronic 'shutters', like the stuff the D70 uses to get it's high shutter speeds, could help increase FPS and decrease shutter lag. I'm sure focus system improvements will be made sooner or later, maybe instead of using many tiny sensors to AF there could be one big one, maybe in the 1mp range... On which you could choose many points for it to focus on, maybe even cursor-style.

Got to agree with Tyler about sensor technology. Already a good dSLR will out-resolve most of the lenses available.

As for AF systems - has anybody tried Canon's eye-guided AF?

The apple iDSLR is soon to be realeased.

its a 10.1mp DSLR with wirless connection to instantly upload your images to a mac. this al so uses accelerometer technology The accelerometer detects when you rotate iDSLR from portrait to landscape, then automatically changes the display, so you immediately see the entire width of a photo in its proper landscape aspect ratio.

it has the ipod technology which runs from a seperate SD card and connects to itunes for instant download. using safari you can connect to wpf and submit your photos instantly.

and of course it features the new iphone system conected via bluetooth to a seperate handset.


only available on o2 and Nikon

:D

Hmmmm, doesn't sound exactly revolutionary. My Pentax has auto rotate portrait/landscape built in and I'm no expert on other brands but I'd be astonished if equivalent models from bigger names didn't have this feature. They do, don't they? :confused:

As for wi-fi instant upload, literally 'straight out of the camera' - you'd better get it right before you press the button. This again isn't anything revolutionary. You can buy a wi-fi SD card that does this, see:
http://www.eye.fi/

I can't currently make phone calls using my camera, for me, this is a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

Duncan

I think Jim Seaman is right on the point.
Technology that exist in lab right now, will become available to us in next 10 years, why, manufacturers should recover their money from investing in research and additionally their expected normal daily profit.

Duncan; If you replace the memory card by the wifi card that sends your images to pc/mac, can you tell me how the wifi card reads the image files that are now over you table or in your hand?:)
Canon has the wifi built in the power grip but I believe the price is around $800 to 1000 that means they are not building it for me unless I feel confidence on Bad Ebay in next ten years for one.

Two things I like to surely see in DSLRs and I mean soon, first Real Hard drive (I said real because I am aware and own several IBM microHD card that are between 128MB WOW, and 340MB, of course this is to exclude a few of non functional 1-5GB ones that came by third party manufacturers that turn to a toy or a memory symbol once they fall from finger tip to the palm of hand or just by themselves plan not to work anymore). Installing 2.5 format laptop HD of say 160GB is so simple, small and easy that I am not sure WHY it is not done yet. Someone once told me the moving internal HD motor can act like a gyro... what a joke. We have video camera right now with HD that work perfectly without driving you out of your ballance...

Then I like to see the LCD on DSLR to be movable like many other cheaper point and shoots like Canon S3. Why? It is very practical for low angle view, hight angle shooting from top of the head of audience standing in front of you etc Of course then you like to see full time display option like the PnS to go with this and heel todays batteries can take care of the needed extra demand.
Of course internal GPS would be a plus, High definition TV, DVD compatibility and projections display on the wall, are appreciated and surely phone, electronic ID to be used instead of passport or driving license, photo ID, credit card, and also a flat hard under surface of camera body to be used for ironing the cloths now that there is enough internal heat build up are all in the wish list...

LCD shutters - no moving parts

mirror-less (pellix)

interchangeable prism/ finder options

switchable 'passive' to 'active' ir focus option without resorting to using one on an add on flashgun

touch screen option on LCD

shutter cover on LCD (after all the development of a DSLR we resort to clipping on a bit of tupperware to protect the LCD?!)

Tiltable LCD

Better moisture/ weather/shock proofing on entry level and mid range DSLR's

A real reduction in the price of rechargeable battery units...or coming together with several 'industry standard' units.....(a bit like car light bulbs?)

Variable touch/sensitivity control on key buttons (e.g like shutter release...hair trigger or a hard jab of a gloved finger?)

Availability in a variety of colours....pink, blue, green, yellow and white colours as frequently seen outside the DSLR norms of silver and black. (a massive market, which I find difficult to believe no one has tapped into)




All just a few of the ideas / things I'd like to see more of on a DSLR...
Ironically I probably wouldn't buy one with ALL of the above on it...but I'd sure like to play with one for a while just to see what it's like.

Apple iDSLR Correction:
 

Sorry James you only got the the initial concept draft. Apple have decided to switch to Nano Technology and have reviewed the spec. It includes all you state plus the fact that Nano Tech enables you to miniaturize it. It will be a 500 mega pixel camera and it will be stereo mounted on either side of a pair of spectacles called iSpecs. The viewfinder will appear in the lens in front of your eye as a HUD or Heads up Display. Each unit will have a built in Nikkor 0-10,000mm f1.8 IF Zoom Lens the size of a pin head - so we return to true pinhole photography - also to give 3D photography it will project Holographic images to your home TV. Direction and framing can be controlled by two Mark 7 Nintendo Wii's which are in the form of two finger worn rings so you can use either unit independently. Built in Hard drives of 5 tetra gigs ( upgradable ) with built in Photoshop CS5 and Apple Apperture 5 will enable you to edit, store, catalogue, retouch and merge etc. while walking about (visible in HUD)and controlled by Wii's. To take a picture the HUD will read your own eyes and click on a blink or on one of the Wii's whichever you program in. As it tracks your vision it will automatically assess which is best Photograph and so you never miss a shot you will be able to rewind it's memory. It is also a green product and solar powered - with optional wind turbine for grey days - Apple are still working on miniaturizing the turbine as they are on the built in Flash which at present consists of a full Bowens studio set in a back-pack. The built in A2 photo printer is carried in the back pack also along with a roll of A2 Archive Quality Photo paper. Each one will come with a Hummer vehicle to carry the accessory packs. Volunteers required for testing and Price to be announced !!!

It all exists now
 

Sounds like an Olympus E-3 with wifi memory card fitted. I know they are only available as SD at the moment CF can't be long in coming. I am afraid I discount anything which says ipod, iphone or itune automatically.:)

:D
yeah, your new dslr find is better than mine, i cant wait for the release :D