Way back in the old days cameras had a thing called film.  Light would strike tiny particles of silver in this film and whenever more than a couple photons of light hit one of these silver grains it would be called exposed.  Exposed grains were soaked in a solution called a developer and they would then turn black.  The parts of the film that received the most light would have the most silver grains developed, and that part of the film would be blacker than the rest.

One problem was that if a grain was developed, whether by two photons or by a thousand photons, the entire grain turned black.  So the resolution of the film was limited by the size of the silver grains, and in order to have a good resolution, like what we call today pixels, the film size had to be as large as possible.  The most practical size for film for good pictures  was 35mm, and thus the most popular camera was called the 35 mm camera.

Now the 35mm camera took pictures that were good enough that people wanted to see exactly what they were filming before they pressed the shutter.  Cheaper, smaller format cameras had a viewfinder that was offset from the lens, so it looked at a slightly different part of the world than the camera lens, so there was some guesswork involved in what exactly would show up on the film.  The solution was to place a movable mirror right in the middle of the main camera lens.  This mirror would move out of the way when you pressed the shutter, but until then, it would deflect the light that would normally fall onto the film up to the viewfinder so you could see exactly what would fall onto the film.

The motion of this mirror was called reflex, and because there was only one main camera lens – instead of a camera lens plus a viewfinder lens – the cameras were called single lens reflex, or SLR.  Almost all of those cameras exposed 35mm film, meaning that the size of the exposed film was 35mm across.  Every part of the camera, from the body to the lens to the distance of the lens from the film, was designed specifically to make an image of the outside world onto a 35mm long strip of silver grains.

Fast forward to the 1980s and 1990s.  Innovations in design and manufacture of light sensitive semiconductor arrays made possible small chips with at least 640 by 480 individual light sensitive regions, which was as good as or better than most commercial camera film of the same size.  This availability of cmos and ccd led to an entire generation of small consumer cameras; remember that both the lens, the body and the geometry of a camera revolves around the size of the film, and in this case these chips compared in size to 8mm or 16mm film, much smaller than 35mm.

These small form cameras featured a viewfinder like their old small film type cameras:  the viewfinder was offset from the camera so it showed a slightly different picture than the film, or in this case the chip, saw.   But the new cameras were now digital, so they read the amount of light at each point, or pixel, of the chip and converted that amount of light into a number; the digital cameras could display this digital image on a small screen, so the photographer could preview exactly what the chip was seeing.   Previews on the back of the camera gave these small form cameras the major advantage of SLR with the convenience of inexpensive consumer point and shoot cameras, and today these cameras comprise a large part of the consumer electronics market.

Small point and shoot cameras, like the popular Canon Digital Elph series, routinely shoot pictures of far better resolution and clarity than the old consumer cameras of similar sized film.  The ubiquity of excellent picture quality with the convenience of computer and internet connectivity have truly revolutionized consumer photography and its ability to be shared with much larger groups of people than just friends or family.   Still,  there is a constant demand in digital products for improvement in all of the specifications, and these demands for even better image quality motivated a whole new generation of digitial cameras.

These new cameras are called digital single lens reflex, or DSLR, cameras, and they are almost exactly like the old fashioned 35mm SLR cameras, except they use a larger 16mm or 35mm sensor chip instead of film, and some makers have taken the opportunity to redesign their removable lenses.   Some cameras can still use the lenses made for older 35mm film cameras, but other cameras need their own brand of lenses.  Still, almost all DSLR cameras have removable lenses so that the photographer has a choice of lens format, from macro lenses to telephoto zoom lenses.

The larger format DSLR cameras have other advantages over the point and shoot digital cameras, but whichever camera you choose you can be sure that it exceeds the image quality of most all of the last generation consumer cameras.

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Camera shake can ruin your photos, particularly when taking telephoto shots or shooting in low light conditions. The Tamron 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 macro zoom lens, however, fights camera shake with its state-of-the-art vibration compensation (VC) mechanism, which delivers blur-free handheld images for incredible results. The proprietary VC mechanism employs a three-coil system that moves the VC lens electromagnetically based on signals originating from the movement of three steel balls. The lens element that compensates for vibration is held in place by the balls, so there is little friction and the movement is quite smooth. The end result is a technology that makes it possible to create exceptional images at slower (more…)

The Explorer 1 carries and protects a digital or film SLR with a 3½ inch lens attached, an additional lens, a small flash and accessories. The main comparent features adjustable, foam-padded dividers and Dual-Foam Technology for shock protection and a custom fit to equipment. The front pocket features Tamrac’s patented Memory & Battery Management System that uses red flags to identify available memory cards and batteries. A Speed Pocket on the front flap secures small accessories, while the Total Coverage Top with quick-release buckle and zipper closures provides weather protection. A smooth nylon pocket inside the lid holds lens cleaning paper. An adjustable, BioCurve shoulder strap and EasyGrip carrying handle provi (more…)

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Designed to meet consumer demands for a fast EF-S zoom lens, the EF-S 17-55mm offers image quality on par with Canon’s highly regarded L-series lenses. The lens features a large circular aperture that produces a shallow depth of field, creating background blur that draws special attention to the photographic subject. The lens construction, meanwhile, includes UD and aspherical elements that deliver impressive image quality throughout the entire zoom range. And thanks to the Image Stabilizer lens groups–which shift to compensate for camera shake–the image appears crisp and clear on the image plane, eve in dim light. Finally, the lens offers a ring-type ultra-sonic monitor (USM), inner focusing, and new AF algori (more…)

From the Manufacturer

The Pentax X70 Megazoom digital camera features a high-magnification 24x optical zoom lens with wide-angle to super-telephoto coverage housed in a highly portable, compact, lightweight body. With 12 megapixels, SLR-like styling and flexible exposure modes, the Pentax X70 is a true bridge between compact digital cameras and digital SLRs. The X70 is the ideal camera for the intermediate to advanced shooter who wants to step up in form and function from digital compact offerings without the size, weight, and expense of a true DSLR camera. The X70 offers photographers the ease-of-use of a compact camera with powerful shooting options traditionally found on a DSLR, such as aperture/shutter priority and met (more…)

The Leather Padded Camera Strap is the ultimate in carrying comfort. The thick foam pad absorbs and distributes the weight of the camera. The non-slip suede leather keeps the strap from slipping off the shoulder. The quick-release buckles allow flexibility and are interchangeable with all other Tamrac quick-release systems. Adjusts to 50-Inch in Length.

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Give your favorite Pentax digital camera, two lenses, a flash and small accessories lots of space in the Crossover Bag from Pentax. This bag offers great user comfort. In fact, if you have hung the Crossover Bag bag on your back, all you need to do is slide it in front in order to have a quick and easy access to your camera.

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Manufacturer Description

The Tamrac Explorer 1 carries and protects a digital or film SLR (like Canon’s 20D or Nikon’s D70s) with a lens attached, an additional lens and accessories. The main compartment features Tamrac’s Dual-Foam Technology for shock protection and a custom fit to equipment. An external front pocket features Tamrac’s patented Memory and Battery Management System, which uses red flags to identify which memory cards and batteries are available and which ones are used up. A Speed Pocket on the front flap secures and provides quick access to small accessories. A Total Coverage Top with quick-release buckle and zipper closures provides weather protection. Inside the lid is a smooth nylon pocket for holding le (more…)

Canon is a leader in professional business and consumer imaging equipment and information systems. By developing innovative, high-quality business solutions Canon makes it easy to create, manage, and share images and information better, faster, and more efficiently.

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Camera Control Pro software enables simplified remote control of many Nikon digital SLR functions from a personal computer, and includes advanced features such as Viewer that provide substantial improvements in operation. Includes Software CD-ROM User Guide.

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