February 9th, 2000

[12:45 PM] The Pick Of PMA: Outstanding Digital Cameras Emerge From PMA Show by Bill Troop Last week's PMA show in Las Vegas showcased several promising new digital cameras, many featuring resolution beyond 2 megapixels. Our picks are the Olympus C-3030 Zoom and the Fujifilm FinePix S1 Pro. The Olympus C-3030Z builds on the success of the C-2000 and C-2020 which we reviewed in December, 1999. We haven't made any secret of the fact that the C-2020 is our favorite digital camera -- and neither has the rest of the world. It's now the top-selling digital camera worldwide. The 3030Z has all the features of the 2020, and adds: 3.4 megapixel resolution Quicktime capability now with audio capture 4-second audio sound bites you can attach to still pictures 3.5 frames/second with no delay USB port more external flash capabilities more manual controls including more shutter speeds As always, what's most important about the C-2000/3000 series is the overall design -- the ergonomics, the handleability, the style. Nobody comes close to Olympus in this respect, though you can certainly see Sony trying, with its similar-looking Cybershot series. The Cybershot DSC-S70 has a lot of great features but just doesn't get the style and usability intangibles right. The C-3030 will sell for $999 when it comes out in May, 2000. The C-2020 will sell for $799. The Fujifilm FinePix S1 Pro In spite of a cumbersome name, the Fujifilm FinePix S1 Pro could change the professional digital SLR market just the way Olympus changed the viewfinder category with the C-2000. The S1 is upfront about being a professional camera: it doesn't even come with a lens! You have to supply your own -- which is not hard because the camera has a Nikon F lens mount and thus accepts the Nikkor lenses that have been one of the main standards in professional photography since the 1960s. What sets the S1 apart is resolution -- 6 megapixels -- at under $4000. This has never been achieved before. Fuji accomplishes this breakthrough with a new proprietary CCD design. According to Fuji, "Recognizing limitations in conventional charge-coupled device (CCD) design, Fujifilm developed a new, radically different CCD with larger, octagonal-shaped photodiodes situated on 45-degree angles. This pattern increases sensitivity, improves signal-to-noise ratio and offers a much wider dynamic range, all attributes that result in sharper, more colorful digital images." The proof will be in the manufacturing run, but at PMA, where the prototype was being shown, PMA attendees picked prints from the S1 as best in the under-$5000 professional category. Other notable features include ISO 1600 capability, the capability to use all three of today's preferred storage media (SmartMedia, CompactFlash, and IBM's microdrive), 1.5 frames per second even in top resolution mode, full manual control, and multiple metering capabilities. One of my favorite features, though, is perhaps the most primitive: a good old fashioned, mechanical cable release. That's going to make a lot of people in the professional photography community happy -- none more so than me. Olympus - Fuji