5. Pro SLR/n And Pro SLR/c... Canon EOS 1Ds And Contax N Digital... Vs. Digital SLRs

To summarize, the professional product offering ranges between SLRs with "reduced" sensors and ones with 24x36 sensors, with resolutions of from 6 to 14 million pixels. Beyond resolution and sensor size, finish, construction and handling, characteristics vary enormously from one model to another. The Canon EOS 1Ds line (1Ds and 1D Mark II, at 11 and 8 million pixels respectively) stand out for their rigorous professionalism, with an architecture based on the EOS 1, the flagship of the film line. Solidity, speed, exceptional ergonomics and overall quality are de rigueur, producing results that are beyond reproach. For photographers who are already equipped with Canon optics, this is a logical and obvious choice.

Slightly apart stands the Contax N Digital is developed in parallel with its film equivalent, the Contax N. With identical, "brother" bodies, they embody a principle of transversality that is also found in the Kodak DCS pro SLR/n, with lenses that can be used in the same way in both cases. But the Contax N Digital is not without faults, and it has some of the same disadvantages as the Kodak, a point we'll come back to. But where finish, solidity, ergonomics and handling are concerned, the Contax N Digital is exceptional. Studio photographers who have medium-format (4.5x6 cm) Contax optics can, in addition, use them on the N Digital via an adaptor ring. That's a convincing plus for many professionals.

Among all these imposing, large, heavy, impressive-looking units, the Kodak DCS pro SLR/n stands out due to its slightly more "flimsy" look, which is essentially the result of its body being derived from a Nikon F80 (an amateur-level SLR in the film line). But beyond that - and we'll discuss these shortcomings below - the Kodak is badly designed, with finicky, slow operation and a shape that borders on the absurd, halfway between obesity and physical deformation. From a strictly visual and ergonomic point of view, it's well below the professional competition. That's also what explains its price, which is much lower than the others, notwithstanding the fact that its resolution is the best on the market. The same holds for its brother, the DSC pro SLR/c, the Canon-compatible version - but which, oddly, is built on a Sigma shell (the one found on the Sigma SD10), which could surprise Canon devotees who are used to their favorite cameras.

All this adds up to two Kodaks that are oddly positioned, with tempting characteristics and resolution that makes your head swim, but aspects that are too "amateur" to convince real hardcore professionals.