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| Kodak DCS Pro 14n |
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January 1, 2004
• Vol.2 Issue 1 Page(s) 25 in print issue | |
Kodak DCS Pro 14n | |
So what does $5,000 deliver? For starters, the Pro 14n boasts one of the highest pixel counts available. Although its 13.9 megapixel rating will eventually be surpassed, for now it reigns supreme among digicams. With a rating this high, the Pro 14n can capture images for large prints with excellent detail. When digital cameras first came to market, the conventional wisdom among professional photographers was digital cameras would require an eight to 10 megapixel resolution to approach the level of detail available with 35mm film. Now that digicams have blown past this performance boundary, manufacturers can focus on other features to give their products more leverage against the old school world of film. In addition to world-class resolution, the Pro 14n features a full-frame CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor) sensor. Most digicams use a CMOS sensor that is smaller than a 35mm film frame. When combined with a telephoto lens, a digicam with a smaller CMOS effectively magnifies the lens's power. However, this effect also magnifies wide-angle lenses, which reduces the "wideness" of such photos (such as vast, sweeping landscapes) when you try to take them with, say, a 28mm lens. Kodak's decision to use a full frame sensor means that the 35mm lenses you attach to the camera will work as intended. The Pro 14n uses any lens with a Nikon F-mount, which will help you get more life out of your legacy camera gear if you happen to own Nikon equipment. And it's a good thing, too, because the DCS Pro 14n doesn't include a lens. If you plan to buy new lenses, be sure to purchase Nikon's D- or G-type Nikkor lenses to take full advantage of the Pro 14n's automatic features. Kodak has also made wise choices in designing the Pro 14n's body. Molded out of magnesium alloy, the camera is sturdy yet reasonably compact compared to similar professional-grade cameras. The Pro 14n has an SLR (single-lens reflex) viewfinder and metering features that can cope with shooting situations that would make cheaper cameras wilt. The DCS Pro 14n uses two types of storage media: the now ubiquitous CompactFlash 1, and the newer SD (Secure Digital) card format. The CompactFlash slot also supports IBM's Microdrives. Shooting images at the camera's highest resolution results in very large files on the order of 15MB. The Pro 14n also has an internal 256MB buffer that temporarily stores images before they are written to the removable media. The Pro 14n also has a FireWire connection so you can easily move image files to your computer. We found the Pro 14n intuitive to use. It provides setting and configuration information through two monochromatic LCDs and image viewing on the camera's large color LCD . Due to the nature of the SLR mechanism, you can't use the color LCD for image composition, so you'll have to stick with the viewfinder. When utilizing the Burst mode, the Pro 14n captured seven to eight shots before its buffer filled up. We had to wait almost one minute while the buffer wrote the images to our 1GB Microdrive before we could shoot again. Among the camera's many valuable features is Kodak's ERI-JPEG (Extended Range Imaging) format. This basically captures your shot in a format that lets you digitally manipulate exposure settings after you've taken the photo. In the old days, we called this "bracketing" the exposure. You'll need a plug-in for Adobe Photoshop to take advantage of the ERI-JPEG format. Is the DCS Pro 14n worth its hefty price tag? In our tests, we found the Pro 14n to create extremely sharp images with few digital artifacts. Despite its price, the camera isn't a fast performer, either starting up or after using the Burst mode. However, it's hard to overlook the incredible resolution it offers. Outfitted with a few quality lenses, the Pro 14n should be more than a match for all but the most discriminating photographer.  by Chris Jackson |
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