Since I'm in the market for a digital camera, I'm doing the normal research (which is great fun!). Of course, this web site is well above normal and is excellent. But I've noticed that these cameras use stand-alone non-removable lenses. I have a Canon EOS and love the fact that I can buy (more research - yes!) additional lenses. Here are the questions: 1) Are there digital cameras on the market that have this capability? 1a) If not, when? 2) Is/when will the digital camera market consolidate? (like all other industries) - remember the PC industy anyone? 3) Who will the likely winners be? The traditional photographic players?

Thanks! Zoro Zing

-- Zoro Zing (zoro@oz.net), June 14, 1998

Answers

The new Kodak DCS520 is based on the EOS 1n and would use your EOS lenses and accessories. Reviews say it's a fabulous camera that takes great pictures and integrates well into a newspaper workflow. Retail price is $13k. It replaced the DCS420, so you might get one of those for "cheap" ($5k?). There are also two studio cameras in that line, the DCS460 and 465, which have much higher resolution (2000x3000, approaching film) and originally listed for $27k. The Minolta RD-175 takes Maxxum lenses, but it's not so much cheaper than a DCS420 would be that it would offset the cost of buying new lenses (for an EOS user like yourself).

The conspiracy theory says that Kodak (and other manufacturers like Canon) intentionally leave features like interchangable lenses, flash sync and exposure controls off of their "low end" offerings in order to protect their pro line, since the resolution of $1k cameras approaches that of the pro photojournalism ones.

The real reason that only pro cameras use 35mm lenses (I think the economics of a special set of interchangable lenses for a digital camera are clearly doomed) is that it's very expensive to make a CCD that's almost as large as a 35mm frame. Even the cameras mentioned above only reach 60-80% of the size of a full frame and result in an effective elongation of your lens by 20 to 200%. Maybe if APS takes off the digital camera market could capitalize on special APS lenses...

-- Ben Jackson (ben@ben.com), June 17, 1998.

I notice that Olympus offers an auxillary lens adapter for the D600L. The Olympus web site has some a sample photo. The effective 35mm equivalent would be 29mm. This is better for my purposes than the standard 38 mm lens. ( I like a 21mm lens with a polarizing filter- God only knowws what a polarizing filter will do to a CCD image.) Nikon makes reference to a " wide-angle and fish eye" lens for the CP900 - but I have found no information on this set. Nikon's toll free number was of no help - only suggestion was to call Nikon in New York and not a toll free number - I live near San Diego so time on hold would be expensive. I'll be watching to see what other responses you get - Good Luck.

-- Bill Hogan (wbfh@inland.net), July 01, 1998.