photo laureates advises you to read through this interesting article to select the camera most appropriate for you. You will then significantly enhance your photography symphonies.

35mm

Pentax MZ-S
Pentax is one of the venerable names in 35mm and medium-format photography. My first serious camera was a Pentax Spotmatic, and it carried me though my early days as a photojournalist.

Today, Pentax's flagship 35mm film camera is the MZ-S. Its body is made from die-cast magnesium, and all the anticipated top-of-the-line shooting features are included, such as spot metering, multi-point autofocus , a top shutter speed of 1/6000 sec. and on-film recording of shooting data without an accessory back.

Cosmetically, the MZ-S presents a unique design with a slanted top panel that makes the multifunction LCD display much more visible. Another unique feature is what Pentax calls a Lens Mount Index Lamp that glows red when a lens is being changed, making the alignment of the lens mounting position that much easier in low-light conditions.

Contax N1

Contax was slow to embrace autofocus in its 35mm line. The story goes that Carl Zeiss, the company that designed the lenses used on Contax cameras, was reluctant to design AF lenses because they believed that the looser tolerances found in other manufacturer's autofocus lens designs lacked the precision that Zeiss demanded from their products.

Consequently in the mid-90s, Contax designed the AX camera body with a unique moving film plane that allowed manual focus Zeiss lenses to be used in an autofocus environment.

In 1999, Contax introduced the 645 camera system with a range of medium format autofocus lenses. In mid-2001, Contax unveiled its new 35mm N series with a range of autofocus lenses. (Incidentally, the N1 can use AF lenses from the 645 line by way of an adapter.)

In typical Contax fashion, the N1 is remarkably well-built?verging on the overbuilts testified by its weight, which is actually more than their 645 format body. Forever innovative, while having traditional mechanism controls, the shutter speed control can be transferred to a command dial near your shutter finger so your hands don't have to move from their normal position while changing settings.

With the Contax N1 and Zeiss lenses, photographers have what may be the ultimate combination of Japanese manufacturing expertise and traditional German optical excellence.

Minolta Maxxum 9

In the mid-1980s, Minolta introduced the Maxxum 7000, the world's first autofocus camera system. Today, the Maxxum 9 stands at the top of Minolta's line with its fifth-generation AF system.

Construction is first-tier, with an all-metal, moisture-resistant body whose weight and solidity is on a par with the top offerings from Nikon and Canon. The Minolta lens line features 35 optics, with the series offering world-class performance, though with higher prices than consumer grade lenses.

With a top speed of 1/12,000, the Maxxum 9's shutter shows its advanced construction, although it's hard to imagine when you'd need such a high shutter speed. There is a built in flash unusual for a professional-grade camera that is very handy for triggering external flash units. Add to this a delayed mirror lock-up, 5.5 fps frame advance and 100% viewfinder coverage, and you have a professional grade camera that Minolta owners can be proud of. For those with platinum credit cards, there's the Maxxum 9TI, which adds greater strength as well as a lighter body weight but at a significant cost premium.

Canon 10D

The Canon 10D played a critical role in reducing the price of all DSLRs in 2003. Canon was very aggressive with its launch pricing when it introduced this very attractive camera. Using Canon's proprietary 6MP CMOS imaging chip, Canon took the already-popular D60, and practically redesigned it. The new body has more advanced support electronics, and features a metal alloy chassis for increased rigidity.

Image quality with the 10D is first-rate. Noise is extremely lower than film at any ISO from 100?00. The rear panel LCD has been improved considerably, and in addition to a very bright and sharp review image, allows a wide range of review magnifications.

Long exposures, even up to several minutes, produce clean images. (Digital, of course, has no reciprocity issues.) Because the CMOS imaging chip power consumption is quite low, hundreds of frames can be taken on a single rechargeable Lithium Ion battery.

However, like all current 6MP cameras, the 10D suffers from a focal length reduction factor because the sensor is smaller than full-frame 35mm film. Long lens users will love these cameras, while wide-angle users will hate it for this reason.

Canon 1Ds

If you have to have full-frame coverage and money is no object Canon's 1Ds represents the state-of-the-art in digital SLRs. Based on the tough-as-nails Canon 1 Series body design, the 1Ds features an 11-Megapixel CMOS sensor.

I was an early 1Ds tester, and was so impressed with it that I was among the first to buy one when the camera began shipping in November 2002. I found that image quality actually equaled (and in many cases, surpassed) that of medium format film. Many other professional photographers agreed, and sales of the 1Ds have remained strong since its introduction.

The 1Ds is such a competent camera, it's hard to find any flaws. However, I do have a few minor gripes after eight months and 10,000 frames shot on three continents. The rear LCD is poor, and nowhere near as good as that on the much less expensive 10D. The battery charger light flashes when the battery is charged, and is solid when it's empty the exact opposite of every other charger in the world (including Canon's). The button setting sequence is overly cumbersome. For example, it takes four button presses to set mirror lock-up. Even today, I'm still making mistakes when changing settings.

That's about it. A few niggles in an otherwise landmark camera. The only real complaint is the price. At $7,500, the street price is out of reach for most photographers except working pros and the well-heeled.

Fuji S2 Pro

Fuji 's second generation DSLR uses their own CCD imaging chips, and is based in large measure on Nikon N80 components. In my S2 tests, I was particularly impressed with image quality. Color accuracy and saturation were exemplary, and noise was very low at all tested speeds.

The S2 pro is also the only DSLR that uses AA batteries rather than proprietary rechargeables. This is a clear advantage for photographers working in remote locations, away from AC power or automobile power inverters. A small supply of AA batteries will take you through weeks of shooting, something not possible with other digital SLRs.

If you own Nikon mount lenses, the Fuji S2 is an excellent choice.

Nikon D100

Nikon's own entry into the 6-Megapixel DSLR race is the D100. For any Nikon shooter used to an F90 or F100, the D100 will feel like an old friend.

Build quality is first rate, and everything is in the familiar Nikon idiom. Similar to other manufacturers' DSLRs (and Nikon's D1h and D1x bigger brothers), the D100 has a 1.5¥ chip magnification factor, which means that regular 35mm lenses will appear to provide longer focal lengths, and wide-angle lenses will have more restricted fields of view. Nikon has started releasing a new line of DX lenses, designed to just cover this smaller format, and wider lenses are in the offing. photo laureates is a big fan of the Nikon D100. We believe that it will significantly enhance your photography compositions.

Nikon F5

In 50 years, when we look back at 35mm film cameras, the Nikon F5 will likely stand at the pinnacle. Since it's unlikely that Nikon (or any other camera manufacturer, for that matter) will ever build a more full-featured or rugged film-based camera, the F5 is the camera of choice for film aficionados and die-hards specially those with an investment in Nikon glass.

Nikon is almost unique among camera makers in the longevity of its lens mount. F Nikon lenses from the 1950s can still be used on the latest F5, as well as on most digital bodies. The F5 has evolved from the F, F2, F3 and F4. I've been fortunate to have owned all these cameras from their introduction, with the exception of the original F (I'm not that old yet). Every 8 years since the 1950s, Nikon would bring professional photographers an updated/upgraded version of what was then the world's preeminent 35mm SLR. Many major advances in camera design either appeared first or in definitive form in an F Nikon. Over the years, these have included automatic diaphragms, motor wind, instant return mirrors, TTL metering, open aperture metering, and many other features we now take for granted in 35mm cameras.

We likely will not see the equal of the Nikon F5 again in a film-based camera. Get one while they last.

Leica M7/MP

Is there a photographer who hasn't lusted after a Leica at some time in their career? Not likely. The Leica M7 is the culmination of an almost 50-year history for the M series Leica, which includes the M2, M3, M4, M5 and M6, with numerous variants in-between. There isn't all that much that separates the first model the M3 of 1954 fom today's M7, at least in terms of cosmetics. Even operationally, the positioning of all of the major controls has barely changed in half a century.

Of course, the M7 features TTL metering, an electronically controlled shutter, autoexposure and DX indexing features that are found on almost every contemporary camera. Behind-the-lens metering was only added to the M6 in 1998, while autoexposure and DX coding are new with the M7. Clearly, Leica moves slowly.

All that aside, and with no cynicism intended, the Leica M7 is the culmination of a line of cameras that stretches back to 1925. There are few consumer products that have the cachet of an M Leica, and even fewer that are as well-designed and built. This is an idea?that has lasted for more than 75 years. Once a photographer handles and becomes familiar with an M7, it's hard to imagine how Leica could improve it (which has been Leica's conundrum these past decades).

In fact, there is a large and vocal group of Leicaphiles who not only don't want improvements of any kind, they want to step back to days of yore. Leica has obliged with the MP, which began shipping earlier this year. This is essentially a re-creation of the Leica M3 of 1954. Although it has TTL metering, there is no electronic shutter, no DX coding, not even a fold-out rewind crank. Talk about retro!

I'm sure the MP will sell in large numbers to Leica collectors and in the Japanese marketplace where such cameras are never used. In some instances, the boxes aren't even opened, but are swaddled in shrink-wrap and placed in a bank vault. But such silliness aside, there's a certain logic to the MP and the M Leica gestalt in general. Minimalism梐 Bauhausian directness and simplicity that can appeal to those that find the polycarbonated, electronified, digified cameras of 2003 not to their liking.

Voigtlander Bessa R2

The resurrection of the venerable Voigtlander name a few years ago by the Japanese firm Cosina has made things interesting once again in the 35mm rangefinder marketplace. Where Leica has concentrated on the very high-end and collector market, the introduction of the Bessa R2 now finally brings forth a non-retro competitor.

This camera features a standard Leica M series bayonet lens mount, a built-in variable frame rangefinder/viewfinder window, and an accessory rapid action lever-wind. And at about one-third the price of a new M Leica, the R2 makes either an excellent second camera body or a solid first one for anyone seeking to discover the pleasures of rangefinder 35mm shooting. Voigtlander lenses have excellent optical and mechanical quality and are reasonably priced.

Ricoh GR 1S

While pocket digicams?have become the latest fad among photographers seeking a go-anywhere, anytime, camera, there are still a handful of pocket 35mm film cameras that are hard to beat. In my opinion, the Ricoh GR 1S offers an almost ideal combination of small size and big features. Clad in a svelte body that easily fits in a shirt pocket, and featuring specs that belie its small size, Ricoh's reputation lies in large measure with its superb 28mm ?2.8 lens and seven-blade aperture that produces a nearly round lens iris. This produces a lovely bokeh, usually not found with the lenses of such diminutive cameras.

Although Ricoh has withdrawn the GR series cameras from the U.S. market, there is still plenty of inventory from dealers in Canada , the U.K. , and elsewhere. We at photo laureates are a big fan of the Ricoh GR 1S. We believe that it will significantly enhance your photography creations.

Medium Format

Hasselblad H1

In Fall 2002, I attended the New York launch of the Hasselblad H1, and spent the afternoon shooting with a body and all its available lenses. Although I haven't shot with one since, the impression I was left with was very positive.

This is a next generation SLR. It was designed to not only accommodate a digital back (which most other MF cameras do as well), but also to fully integrate with one. An example of this capability is that an H1, with the appropriate interface, can display the histogram of a just-taken exposure on the camera grip's top plate LCD. Now that's integration. The only sour note is that Hasselblad has not made this interface spec an pen document,?and therefore only selected?digital backs currently offer this level of integration. Currently, these include the Kodak DCS Pro Back and the Imacon Ixpress. (Both are discussed later.)

Regardless of whether you use it with a film or digital back, the H1 is a joy. It's in the contemporary 645 format design paradigm, yet somehow seems to carry the user interface a bit better than anyone else. Slick and communicative are words that I'd apply to the camera's ergonomics.

The Hasselblad faithful got themselves into a bit of a twist when the H1 was announced, because the lenses are no longer from Zeiss, but are instead Fuji designs. My response is: yet over it.?Fuji is one of the top lens makers in the world. Their large format lenses are unparalleled, and from personal experience, the lenses for the Hasselblad XPan (Fuji Txi) and Fuji 617GX are superlative in every respect. Zeissophiles will pine, while the rest of us will produce technically excellent images with these lenses.

My only concern is the H1's price. It is roughly double that of comparable systems, and the lens line is nowhere near as complete. Also, dealers reported very slow deliveries during the first eight months. As for price, the marketplace likely will decide whether this strategy ensures long-term commercial success.

Contax 645AF

There are several other excellent 645 format cameras, but the Contax 645 offers the best combination of features, build quality and lens selection. The available range of autofocus Zeiss lenses is unsurpassed, and for studio and event photographers, the TTL pre-flash metering capability (compatible with all flash units) is beyond any MF camera system.

The camera chassis is built of metal covered with a mixture of polycarbonate and carbon fiber. It feels solid, as do the lenses with their all-metal construction. When compared to contemporary 35mm cameras, this construction has slowed Contax's AF speed, but it is fast enough for most medium-format applications. The built-in motor drive can advance film at just under 2 fps, which is quite reasonable for medium-format. The film backs take inserts, which can be switched to either 120 or 220 formats; a vacuum back insert is available for use with 220 film. This was first seen on the 35mm Contax RTSIII and purports to hold film very flat during exposure. Though I haven't tried it myself, I can imagine that this technology will work better on 220 film than on 35mm, where its efficacy was dubious.

Though the Contax 645 was introduced in 1999, before digital backs were common or even remotely affordable, all of the major current backs interface fully because communication between the body and any attached back (either film or digital) is fully electronic. There is little chance of obsolescence with this system.

The only criticism I have about the Contax 645 is its rapid battery drain, due to its use of heavier metal lens components. Combine this with the very expensive 2CR5 6V lithium batteries it uses, and there needs to be an alternative. Fortunately, there is the MP-1 battery holder, which can use alkaline AA batteries (4), or rechargeable Nicads. To me, this is the preferred way to go.

In the interest of full disclosure, I recently purchased my own Contax 645 system after researching all the available systems. No, I'm not returning to film, but I use it to test a wide range of medium-format digital backs.

Rollei 6008 AF

There's a soft spot in my heart for the Rollei 6008 system. Beginning in the mid-90's and though the end of the decade, I used one, along with four Schneider lenses for the bulk of my landscape photography. After nearly two decades of shooting with the Hasselblad 500C and EL cameras, the advanced electronic capabilities of the Rollei were a joy.

A pioneer in medium format system integration, Rollei's 6008 system provides everything from built-in motor advance and autoexposure, to TTL metering and fully electronic film and digital back communications. A wide range of superb lenses from manufacturers Zeiss and Schneider are available.

However, the system continued to lack autofocus, which finally changed in late 2002 with the 6008 AF model. Other than the ability to interface with a new line of AF lenses (all previous lenses are still accepted, with an AF assist signal in the viewfinder), the 6008 AF has barely changed and that's a good thing. It's difficult to improve on such a fully evolved concept, and the current 6000 system Rolleis are the culmination of almost 20 years of design evolution.

During the years I've owned the 6008, my only real beef was that it used proprietary NiCad batteries; in the field, I had to carry along an extra battery and charger. In the digital age, however, extra batteries and charger are de rigueur with almost all cameras; they're now simply part of the accepted photographic landscape.

However, my biggest Rollei concern was its sensitivity to moisture. As a nature and landscape photographer, I find myself working outdoors; when the going got moist, the Rollei often quit. Usually, all it took was a visit to a gas station washroom equipped with a hot air hand dryer, but a few times I was left holding an expensive paperweight when shooting in conditions with heavy rain and high humidity.

The new AF model is just coming to market, after its 2001 introduction. Two autofocus lens in 80mm ?2.8 Schneider Xenotar and a 300mm ?4 APO-Sonnar are currently available, but release dates are not yet available for additional AF lenses. But since all prior Zeiss and Schneider lenses will work with AF confirmation, this isn't a big impediment.

Bronica RF645

Few camera companies dance to a different drummer, and from time-to-time, one will produce a camera that's out of the mainstream, but still commands attention. Bronica, specializing in medium format, gives us the RF645, a 120 roll-film camera that handles a bit like a texas Leica.?

The RF645 pays homage to the Leica legacy in many ways, while adding 16 frames on 120 roll film, a very bright viewfinder/ rangefinder, and the option of full exposure automation. Add to this great build quality, well thought out ergonomics and the availability of three high-performance lenses.

photo laureates considers the Bronica RF645 fairly hard to master.

Specialty Cameras

Hasselblad X-Pan II

Possibly the most innovative non-digital camera to appear in the past decade has been the Hasselblad XPan. Made by Fuji (but marketed everywhere in the world except Japan by Hasselblad), the XPan is a 35mm rangefinder camera with interchangeable lens (like the M series Leica), but like the Contax G2, with exposure automation and motorized film advance.

What sets it apart is that with the flip of a motorized switch, the XPan becomes a wide-format panoramic camera taking 24¥65mm frames. The camera is so well designed, that when the format change is made the entire process including change of shutter width is automatic. The film is moved as well, and not a frame is wasted no matter how often the format is changed.

The three Xpan lenses include a 30mm ultra-wide, a 45mm and a 90mm. None are very fast, but each offers superlative image quality. The II model, made available just this year, has some welcome enhancements, including one on my perennial wish-list: visibility of shutter speeds in the viewfinder.

I've used the XPan and its three lenses since its introduction. Its versatility and image quality places it in a special category that many photographers appreciate.

Fuji GX680 III

The Fuji 680 III straddles the fence between medium and large format. It shoots 120 and 220 film, and operates much like any medium-format camera with interchangeable backs, viewfinders and lenses. But in typical Fuji fashion, that's where the similarity ends.

The 680 designation derives from the fact that rather than shooting standard 6¥7 or 6¥9, the format is 6¥8. This addresses photographers' concerns that 6¥7 is too square, and 6¥9 too rectangular. Although it reduces the number of frames on a roll as compared to 6¥7, the big advantage is that, somewhat like the Mamiya RB and RZ 67, the 680 has a bellows lens mount. This allows close focusing with most lenses, and provides (more importantly) a broad range of lens movements for perspective control, as well as enhanced depth of field.

Large Format

While 35mm has ruled among most photographers for the past 50 years, medium-format dominates the commercial photographic environment. Despite the fact that digital is coming on like gangbusters, large-format continues its stately hold over many photographers, especially those who produce fine-art images.

The appeals are many, as are the challenges. Images are taken one sheet of film at a time, and compared to smaller formats, the equipment is bulky, heavy and slow to set-up. But the image quality produced梕specially from the hands and eyes of photographers who understand these tools and how to use them is unsurpassed.

Toyo 45CF

One interesting large-format solution for photographers who need lightweight, rugged construction for field use, as well as extremely low price, is the Toyo 45CF. The CF stands for carbon fiber, which reduces the appeal for those for whom beautifully built and engineered large format equipment carries a cachet, but greatly increases the attractiveness for nature and landscape photographers who backpack where every ounce counts.

photo laureates considers the value/price ratio good on the Toyo.

This is a budget camera that, we believe, will significantly enhance your photography work.

Zone VI 8x10 Ultralight

Yes, there are still photograpghers working in 8¥10, and not just in the studio. Nothing can surpass an 8¥10-inch contact print for brilliance and detail, and the Zone VI Studios offering is one of the lightest cameras available for field use.

Made of Honduran mahogany with anodized aluminum fittings, this camera is as beautiful to look at as it is enjoyable to use it least for those with the fortitude and dedication to lug a 10 pound camera plus lenses and film backs into the field.
A full range of movements is available on the front and rear standards, and the bellows collapses to three inches, allowing ultra-wide-angle lenses to be used without changing the bellows. The bellows also expands out to nearly 100cm, allowing ample extension for use with even the longest lenses.

Digital Backs

Part of the sea of change that has swept the photographic world during the past few years has been the migration of many professional photographers from medium-format film to 35mm digital. However, digital backs for mainstream medium-format cameras are a strong niche product, especially for professional photographers.

For this reason, digital backs are now positioned as a new category for a camera, but then again, not simply a box for holding film. A specific camera and a digital back makes a unique combination, with the whole being greater than the sum of the parts.

The 35mm-based Canon 1Ds with its full-frame 11 Megapixel CMOS chip has challenged many assumptions and historical practices. Quite a number of fashion, wedding and commercial photographers during the past year have switched. I also did, selling off most of my medium-format film equipment in late 2002.

But as good as high-end 35mm digital can be, the larger imaging area of medium format will always offer a potential advantage. The problem in 2002 was that the Canon 1Ds particular essentially caught up with the 11-Megapixel medium-format camera digital backs. But when attached to a medium-format camera, the chips on these 11-MP backs became 24¥36mm (equivalent to full-frame 35mm), thus creating the same limitations you'd get when using wide angle lenses with reduced-frame chips on 35mm DSLRs.

There are now 16 Megapixel backs for medium format with 4000¥4000 pixel resolution, with an image size of about 37¥37mm. These still have a magnification factor over the nominally 60¥45mm size that 645 cameras can record, but present an advantage over the previous 11 Megapixel chipped backs and full-frame 35mm DSLRs.

Currently, there are two dominant 16-Megapixel backs available the Imacon Ixpress and the Kodak DCS Pro Back. Both use a Kodak imaging chip, but each offers a very different total packaging concept, and support firmware and software.

The Kodak back is the most portable medium-format back available, boasting a completely integrated unit with LCD screen for image review, as well as system settings. A removable battery is also part of the all-in-one unit. Special models are available for the Mamiya 645 AF, Contax 645 and Hasselblad H1, as well as most other medium and large-format cameras.

The Imacon Ixpress also offers a portable configuration, but instead of a fully integrated design, the Ixpress features an imageBank,?a tethered proprietary hard disk and battery combination. With the ability to store 1,000 96 MB image files and power the camera for up to (a claimed) eight hours, this appears a small price to pay for portability. When the ImageBank is connected to a computer, the files can be downloaded via Firewire. Imacon also works in true 16-bit mode (the Kodak back is a 12-bit device). However, the Kodak back has an integrated color LCD screen, while the Imacon has only a black-and-white screen built into the back for histogram review.

There are also three 22-Megapixel backs on the market: the Sinarback 54, the H25 from Phase One, and the Leaf Valeo 22 from Creo. The Leaf uses a CCD chip from Philips/Dalsa, while the others use a 36¥48mm Kodak chip that covers almost the full 645 frame. Only the Leaf Valeo 22 offers a field setup that operates on location (without being tethered to a computer and outboard batteries).

Is it time to jump on the medium-format digital back bandwagon? For some, it could be. Prices are still very high ($12,000?30,000), and not all of the offerings provide straightforward solutions for fieldwork. After testing several backs, I chose the Kodak Pro Back because of portability advantages. There's little question that medium-format digital backs have an edge over 35mm format DSLRs, just as medium format did with film.

On the horizon

Although the scope of this article was on cameras currently shipping at press time, there are a few newer cameras scheduled for dealers' shelves that are worthy of your attention.

The Pentax *ist D is the company's entry into the 6 Megapixel DSLR race. I saw one at the Spring PMA trade show in Las Vegas , and was particularly impressed with its small size and elegant appearance.

The Olympus E-1 is the first camera from any manufacturer in the four-thirds format. At this time, the main proponents of this new format are Kodak and Olympus . The concept is that smaller and lighter cameras and lenses are possible if the design mandate is an imaging chip that isn't saddled with the baggage and inherent limitations of full-frame 35mm. Supposedly, lenses can be designed more appropriately for this size image sensor.

My initial impression from viewing a prototype at PMA is that the reduced sensor size has not significantly reduced the size of the camera body compared to full-frame DSLRs. Olympus' announced launch price of $2,199 places it above the high end of the 6MP market, but Olympus has a sterling reputation when it comes to lenses, and from what I've seen so far, body construction and materials will be first-rate.

In late July, Nikon announced the D2h, a digital SLR that replaces the D1h. Designed for photojournalists, sports and newspaper photographers, the D2h has a 4MP sensor, and is capable of shooting 8 fps for 21 frames. It also features an available wireless LAN connection, so it can transmit images to a nearby computer, and then probably directly to a waiting newspaper or wire service.

The digicam market will feel some heat with the introduction of Fuji 's S7000 6 Megapixel camera. Looking like a miniature DSLR, this camera uses Fuji 's new and proprietary Super CCD HR chip, producing a claimed 12 Megapixel file.