Digital Cameras for the
Professional Photographer

Phase One
High end camera backs for medium and large format cameras, up to 22 megapixels in size with 48-bit (16 bits-per-colour) colour depth.

Leaf
Leaf Systems Inc. is now part of Kodak. Digital camera backs up to 22 megapixels in size with 48-bit (16 bits-per-colour) colour depth. The latest models in the Valeo Wi family use Bluetooth to display images on an HP iPAQ pocket PC and are able to control the camera back with the HP.

Hasselblad
Camera maker Hasselblad merged with Imacon, a manufacturer of digital camera backs and high end scanners, to form a new company in August 2004. Camera backs up to 22 megapixels with a 48-bit (16 bits-per-colour) colour depth are currently available.

Sinarback
Uses 14 bits-per-colour capture (raw mode), 22 megapixel backs available. Sinar is a well-known large-format camera maker.

Dalsa - Digital Professional Photography Sensors
There are only two manufacturers of professional photographer image sensors, one is Dalsa and the other is Kodak (see next entry). Dalsa is a Canadian company, founded in 1980 in Waterloo, Ontario by Dr. Savvas Chamberlain. Dalsa makes the sensors for Leaf and Sinar eMotion capture backs. Sensors range from 6 to 22 megapixels.

Kodak- Image Sensor Solutions
Kodak sensors are used in PhaseOne and Imacon capture backs. Sensor sizes up to 39 megapixels.

Cambo
Cambo, a manufacturer of large format cameras since 1947, has a digital-ready camera system named the Ultima. The Ultima 35 is unique; it uses a digital SLR camera (i.e. Canon 1Ds) to capture the image while allowing a full range of view camera movements (swing, tilt, shift). The digital SLR camera does not need to be modified and can be easily removed from the Ultima mount and used normally.

Canon
Canon's EOS 1Ds Mark II Digital SLR camera has a 16.7 megapixel sensor and a 12 bits-per-colour depth and a wide selection of lenses. Unlike most other pro cameras this one uses a CMOS sensor (Complementary Metal Oxide Silicon) which is much more power efficient than the CCD (Charge Coupled Detectors) used on other cameras.

Nikon Digital
Nikon's line of pro digital cameras use CCD or CMOS sensors (depending upon model). Although these cameras can now capture images up to 12 megapixels, the Nikon cameras only have a 12 bits-per-colour depth (large format digital cameras have a 14 to 16 bit depth).

Adobe Imaging Solutions for Photographers
Although biased heavily towards Photoshop, Adobe's de facto standard for digital image processing, this site does provide valuable information for the professional photographer. Read "Understanding Digital Raw Capture" and "Raw Capture, Linear Gamma, and Exposure" for a better understanding of how digital images differ from film and how the RAW capture files in digital cameras work.

A Digital Manifesto
Provided by Editoral Photographers, A Digital Manifesto explains the costs associated with professional digital image capture. It was inspired by the mistaken view that digital is less expensive to produce than traditional film-based photography because there isn't any film or processing involved in the production of the images.

Rob Galbraith: Digital Photography Insights
Has digital photography news, reviews and tutorials for professional photographers. Unlike other digital photography sites that review only consumer digital equipment, this site has reviews of professional equipment.

Canadian Photographers Network
This online community provides business resources for Canadian professional photographers. A source of info about business practices (including copyright and pricing), new equipment and industry news.