Making A Camera Digital, Other Questions
Readers Have HDTV, Other Gadgets On The Brain
The Labor Day weekend is the traditional end of the summer season, so it's about time I clean out all the e-mail that has accumulated in recent weeks.
You've got questions about HDTV, digital cameras, cell phones and a number of other gadgets -- along with some criticism of recent articles. So let's dig in!
Chris from Houston isn't asking to be able to turn lead into gold, just to convert an old-fashioned camera into a digital one:
"A co-worker of mine told me that he heard a story on the news about a cassette you can drop into your 35mm camera in order to take digital images. I read your recent article printed on the Web site and didn't see that particular product mentioned -- in fact, it sounds like there is no such thing. Have I missed something? Is there a digital recording canister that is the same size and shape as a roll of 35mm film which will fit into my SLR camera [single-lens reflex, or through-the-lens viewing] and take a digital image using my current lenses?"The quick answer: There have been prototypes of such a device for years, it's about to come on the market, and it will probably be obsolete by the time it ships.
Here's the story.
Two-and-a-half years ago, at a photographic trade convention, a company called Irvine Sensors Corporation of California announced a new Electronic Film System -- the EFS-1. The device would drop in any 35mm camera and turn it into a digital camera. It was supposed to ship in the summer of '98, but didn't.
I found another reference to this same device on Steve's Digicams Web site in November '99. At that point it was called the e-film efs-1 (note the oh-so-trendy lower-case name) and was marketed by SiliconFilm. The "new" efs-1 was supposed to be close to shipping then, for about $800, but with only one-megapixel resolution. (For a further explanation of megapixels, see: "Digital Cameras: Run The Numbers Before You Buy.")
Pinched Picture
Silicon Film's Web site now says the device will be available in the late summer of 2000, but there's one more catch. If you click on the company's frequently asked question (FAQ) page, you'll see a note about field of view that states, "The sensor's Field of View (FOVEA) encompasses only the center portion of the viewfinder image." Another note, "More Info on Field of View" brings up the interesting revelation that the tiny sensor now specified for the efs-1 only covers about 13 percent of the area of a 35mm frame.
That means the image that you see in the viewfinder will be severely "cropped."
Unless you want to shoot a lot of telephoto images, you'll be better off to buy one of the current crop of one- or two-megapixel digital cameras. You'll save yourself some money that way.
The efs-1 is a good idea limited by three critical shortcomings. The current image sensor is way too small to be effective in a 35mm camera. Power for the device must come from a source small enough to fit in an area the size of a 35mm film cassette with enough room left over for digital storage of the photos. Finally, the more megapixels the company uses for its imager, the fewer images it will be able to store in the small, cassette-sized device. My verdict? Close, but no cigar.
Zoom, Zoom
George Revay, a student at Ohio's Cleveland State University, had a delightfully simple question:"I'm not that familiar with specifications on cameras. I need something that will zoom in on an object at a distance. What part of the specifications on a camera shows this?"Most cameras now use zoom lenses and will list the equivalent size of the lens to 35mm photography. Basically,
- A lens of 35mm is a wide-angle lens, meaning it takes in a wide field of view
- A 50mm lens is considered "normal"
- And a 105mm lens is a short telephoto lens.
If you want even more "reach" with your camera, look for a manufacturer that offers add-on multiplier lenses. These basically increase the telephoto capabilities of a lens.
On the other hand, ignore "digital zoom" capabilities. Digital zoom makes the image "look" bigger by using a smaller area of the CCD imager, so quality suffers.
HDTV: Not So Expensive
Joe Hammer of Lexington, Minn., said we were making high-definition television (HDTV) seem out of reach for most consumers:"The only question I have is why you constantly throw out the $5,000-$20,000 price range for a HDTV setup?Yes, prices have come down somewhat, and you can purchase a screen and set-top receiver as a package for about $3,500. But the top end is still $20,000 or more!
"I have recently purchased a 40-inch, wide-screen, digital, HD-ready, Toshiba rear-projection set for $2,500! And all I need for HDTV reception is a receiver, which is currently going for $1,000. And I'm hoping that number drops before I purchase one. Grand total of $3,500 Quite a difference than the $5K-$20K you repeatedly state. I also looked into a Mitsubishi HD ready set for the same price.
"And as far as the distance issue is concerned, I think it's time to get your glasses checked. According to your math, I need to be within 60 inches of my TV to tell the difference in resolution [from regular TV and HDTV]. And I can tell you that I can tell a huge difference in resolution at 10 feet. But then, I just had my eyes checked two months ago, and I have perfect 20/20 vision."
As for viewing distances, the ultimate question is, does it look good to you, and does it look good enough for the price you paid? You certainly sound happy, so the price was worth it to you.
The Little Big Screen
Frank Huber of Burnsville, Minn., is, like us, on a quest for the perfect DVD viewing experience. He asked about the new breed of monitors whose screens are at once wide and thin:
"Just came across your well-written review of wide-screen monitors. Like you, I wish I could buy the ideal monitor. My pet application (besides Visual Basic [programming language], which earns me a living) is DVD playback.Speaking for myself, I just ordered the Sony GDM FW900 -- the "F" indicates it's a new model with a flat CRT screen. I'll be attaching it up to my dual-processor PowerMac G4 from Apple, currently with the standard ATI video board, but I'll be evaluating both the new ATI Radeon and 3DFX video boards.
"Having held on to my PC until it became antiquated, I'm now in a fortunate position: I could buy a complete system optimized for desktop DVD viewing -- if only there was such a thing! Yeah, I know about AV Science, but their systems are oriented towards supplying a signal to a projection TV (preferably front-projection).
"So, I wonder if you know of anyone who's actually using either the SGI 1600SW or the Sony GDM-W900 to view DVDs, and whether they're happy with the results. It would be especially nice for me if you could connect me with someone in the Twin Cities area who has one or the other."
Currently, the Macs use a software DVD player, but there is a company that has adapted the Hollywood Magic DVD play for Apple. It's called the Wired4DVD board and runs about $200. When I get the configuration finalized, I'll be writing about it. The Sony monitor is due sometime in the middle of September.
As for hooking you up with other people on the hunt for the improved DVD and big-TV experience ? ask and ye shall receive. Because you demanded it (or rather, asked for it politely), we started a new online discussion about those topics. To post your message about DVDs and large-screen TVs, click here.
Related article: Click here.
Cell Phones No Habla
Phil Rinehart of Cambridge, Mass., joined us in decrying the lack of a unifying language for cellphones:"In a Tech Tomorrow article, you commented critically (and rightly so) about the Balkanization in digital phone standards -- GSM, TDMA, CDMA and iDen. There are some obvious follow-up questions:
- What are the technical advantages and disadvantages of each standard?
- How did this absurdity come about?
- Why didn't the FCC stop it?
- What can we do about it?
- Are there moves afoot, in fact, to get to a single world standard before it's too late?"
Analog cell phones were and are hugely successful in North America because there was a single standard. When companies moved toward digital, they went with different standards because they were, so to speak, idiots.
There is one way to get cellular phone service in most of the world: Use a dual-band GSM phone (you see, even though we do have GSM service in North America, it works on a separate frequency from Europe's standard). There is work going on in America on so-called second- and third-generation systems that will start to bridge some of the incompatibility gaps. But for now, if you travel internationally, go dual-band GSM.
Related article: Click here.
Support Your Local Computer Dealer?
Don Hoversten, who owns the computer reseller BusinessWare Solutions in Hutchinson, Minn., was disappointed with our discussion of the relative merits of buying a computer online and in a store:
"I was shocked when I read your article on buying computers online vs. in person. I was also shocked to see that the only reason that you would buy locally is if you got something free -- in this case, [tech] support.
"Isn't a relationship with a local dealer worth something? And how about supporting the local economy?
"When I buy a car, I take comfort in the fact that if I have a problem, my local car dealership knows and appreciates me. Sure, I can get a GM car fixed at any GM dealer, but you really don't get treated the same. When I get my vehicle repaired, my local dealership treats me as if I am the most important person they have seen that day. They may check on previous repair work to make sure it is holding up, or they may understand my tough schedule and 'squeeze me in' during a lunch break.
"Your article also implied that the dealer was overcharging you. They weren't. That $109 [amount the dealer quoted over the online quote] represented a third to a half of the dealer's profit. $109 is less than 3 percent of the purchase price! Not much of a return on a $4,000 investment.
"As far as tax-dodging [avoiding local sales taxes by buying over the Internet], you should be ashamed of yourself. Local taxes go to support your community. I wonder what your neighbors thought of you after reading your article! In addition, there is some question as to whether or not you are still responsible for paying a 6½-percent use tax.
"To summarize, I do not think you should have to get a free reward (like 90 days of tech support) to buy locally. I would think that the relationship with a local dealer and the support of your local community would be enough.
"Shame on you for telling people to send their money out of town!"
Gee, I guess I should be wearing a scarlet letter on my chest (if anyone has a suggestion for which letter of the alphabet, let me know). Here's my question to you: What is the difference between "relationship with a local dealer" and "technical support"? Isn't technical support a good part of the "relationship" between a dealer and customer? When making a purchase from what is known as a value-added reseller (VAR), just what exactly is that value-added part, if not technical support?
And let's be perfectly clear, price wasn't an issue on my part going in. I made no attempt to shop the small stuff around for better prices. Price became an issue only when considered vs. the lack of technical support on an Apple product, AirPort, purchased from an Apple VAR.
Now, I know something about technical support. I worked for a video dealer as a trainer and tech support person for the Video Toaster, a video production device that, at that time, was installed in an Amiga computer. When I made my call, all I really needed was someone familiar with the AirPort system to walk through the setup menus, because that's where the trouble had to be. Without tech support help, it took me well under an hour to find the problem, and that was basically blind groping. Someone qualified to walk through those menus should have been able to handle the call in about 15 minutes. Instead, they were more interested in "selling" a minimum of a $175 service call. Where is my added value in that?
The issue of taxes on Internet purchases is probably worth a column in itself. Let me say that I don't feel that I'm taxed less than I deserve. Related article: Click here.
Test PC Vulnerability -- For Real
Stefan Puffer (aka "Dr SuSE") of Houston had firewalls on the brain:"I enjoyed your article 'Protecting Your Home PCs: Not Impossible.' I see you reference Steve Gibson's "Shields Up" site, so for that reason I had to reply. Steve Gibson's site does not test computer vulnerabilities. All that Shields Up does is attempt a connection on ports 137/139 and attempts to get NetBIOS information from the computer it is looking at. This is not a vulnerability, but a normal function of computers running any form of Windows operating system. All that needs to be done is remove the NetBIOS binding from the network card, and poof, Shields Up won't work.
"I thought you might be interested in a site on the 'Net that actually does vulnerability testing. The site can be located at this URL: www.whitehats.com. Just select 'Online Self-Test,' and then select the tests you want to run."
Thanks, Stefan. I'm sure readers will appreciate the tip. I know I do.
Related article: Click here.
Hackers Wouldn't Bother?
The same column referenced above described my difficulties in setting up a firewall to keep hackers out of my home PC. Billy Bob wrote:
"What, do you have top secret stuff on your PC? Or just credit card info? I think hackers are overrated (until it happens to you) ... Don't really think they'd waste their time on your PC. Ever heard the word perinoid? [sic]"
I haven't heard the word "perinoid," but I have heard of the Domino's Pizza "Noid." "Bad Andy, good Noid."
I once interviewed a hacker who said everyone with a computer has something valuable to a hacker -- empty disk space. If a hacker can store two gigabytes of stuff on your computer, that's two gigabytes of hard disk storage that he doesn't have to buy.
And I'm really not worried about serious hackers at all. It's the kid down the block who might have cable or DSL access, who has figured out the 'Net address of everybody on either service and who's decided to poke around in his spare time. Either of those possibilities are much more frightening than the possibility that a serious hacker would go after me.
In Parting ?
Linc Swan of Campton, N.H., just wanted to pass along this note:"Walk -- don't drive to your nearest Guinness outlet!"
Yeah, I think that would be a good definition of reckless behavior -- driving home from the pub in an Explorer with Firestone tires.
--Tom Egan has worked the information business from photography and journalism to video production and online editing. He writes about technology from his home in Saint Paul, Minn., within three blocks of four bars that serve Guinness on tap. He can be reached at egan@ibsys.com.
