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SLR cameras in the digital future

Article by Greg Dickins, Photo Sydney, updated July 2008

Digital camera makers are now betting heavily on the success of the single lens reflex (SLR) model for the future of photography. Their Digital SLR offerings have larger picture sensors than regular digital cameras, more user controls and feature. This comes at premium in price although this is getting lower all the time.
    Most camera buyers starting a serious interest in photography are now buying a DSLR in the belief that this is their best option.
    But anyone taking the big first step will benefit from considering all the options and keeping a sharp eye on latest developments. Digital photography is still in its infancy and is effectively a new medium. There is yet to see a clear indication of what will constitute the most practical format of cameras in the long term.
    While the SLR reigned supreme in film/chemical photography at its zenith, there are good reasons to suspect that a new ideal for model of camera design will emerge.
    It's difficult to predict what that will be but not to speculate.
    There are two significant question marks hanging over the SLR model when applied to digital technology.

Changing Lenses

   First is the inter changeability of lenses. This is ironic of course, because this was the effective reason for the birth and success of the SLR format. Framing and composing pictures through the lens allows the use of a fabulous range of lenses from the fish-eye widest of angles to virtual telescopes and every focal length in between. Alas, the switch to digital raises an ugly conundrum for photographers in the form of an age-old enemy – dust.
    Film/chemical photographers hoped dust worries would be seen off by the digital revolution. But instead, dust is back to haunt us . . . at the other end of the photographic workflow. The fight against dust is more like permanent war in the darkroom for print makers. Many welcomed digital cameras and ink-jet printing with open arms as heralding the end of dust stress alone.
    But wait. When we change lenses on a digital SLR, dust is back right back in the picture or on it. And it mostly stays back – on every picture until the camera's sensor is cleaned. And that's not all. There's also moisture, little bugs and even things that grow. Unfortunately, it’s an accumulation thing.
   It didn't matter when film was zipping through the back of the camera. Foreign bodies landing on the film only affected one frame and they mostly got washed away in the chemical processing anyway. However, when the film went and was replaced by the static light sensor, dust and all other nasties just stay put, pinpointing an unwelcome presence in the light areas on every picture. So for the DSLR photography it's back to spotting by another name. Not a brush now but on the PC requiring new skills and still a big pain and drain on creativity.
    Camera makers are progressively introducing mechanical devices and coatings to ease dust problem. These have been shown to help, but not to prevent dust getting on the camera sensor. Over longer periods of use, ingress of dust and other uninvited guests will be increasing and will demand regular cleaning or even full servicing.
This provides a powerful argument for sealed fixed lens cameras.

Through the viewfinder

The second area of interest (or concern) is seen in the viewfinder. Through-the-lens is great for framing and checking acute detail of what's in the photograph. But digital technology offers an important advance for photographers. That's the facility of viewfinding via the light sensor itself and so the ability to achieve correct exposure before the picture is made. This is very close to through the lens (because the light sensor is looking through the lens) but also offers the chance to observe the effect of exposure settings on the fly.
    Currently, electronic eye-level viewfinders in digital cameras leave much to be desired in clarity and resolution (compared to direct through-the-lens viewfinding). But it's reasonable to assume that this shortcoming will eventually be dealt with. And because exposure can be adjusted by eye in the electronic viewfinder, it's safe to assume an eventual preference by photographers for such a system system.
     DSLR makers are progressively introducing 'live view' features to address this issue. So far the implementations is relatively clumsy compared to the live view in fully digital camera designs. (Variously called ultrazooms, bridge, prosumer cameras etc.)
    The combination of dust concerns and the development of electronic viewfinders and live view has the potential to snooker the future of the digital SLR. The developing fully-digital model of camera design may offer the best clue to how these issues will be resolved.
    Current developments can be characterised as a race on two tracks. On one, all the benefits of miniaturisation are being explored leading to smaller, faster and more flexible cameras. On the second track, older film era technologies are being modified to marry the benefits of the digital world with proven lens and mechanical combinations.
    Time will tell show us the camera that we will be choosing in five years.

© By Greg Dickins, Photo Sydney, Copyright 2008 and should only be reproduced with the author's permission.