Kodak DCS 300 series
Encyclopedia
The Kodak DCS 300 series comprised two cameras, the DCS 315 and DCS 330. They were professional-level digital SLR cameras
built by Eastman Kodak
's Kodak Professional Imaging Solutions division. They were based on the Nikon Pronea 600i APS
SLR cameram and were aimed at a lower price point than other models in the Kodak DCS
range. The 1.5 megapixel DCS 315 was launched in 1998, while the 3 megapixel DCS 330 was launched in 1999.
The two cameras had different sized CCD
imaging chips, both of which were smaller than either 135 film
or APS-C film frames. The 315's imager had a crop factor
of 2.6 relative to 135 film ("35mm"), while the 330's was larger with a factor of 1.9.
The Kodak modification to the Pronea 600i involved removing the camera's film back and mounting instead a Kodak digital back. This not only covered the back of the camera, but also extended beneath it, approximately doubling the camera's height. This was required to accommodate the large PC card
s used as storage media, the six AA batteries required to power the camera, and the circuitry for image processing. The Kodak back had two display screens. The upper was a full-color screen used for viewing taken shots. The lower LCD displayed the camera's settings.
An infrared filter was mounted just behind the lens mount. This had to be removed in order to fit certain Nikkor lenses, including the IX-Nikkor lenses designed for the APS format camera.
The DCS 315 was substantially faster than the 330 since only half as much data needed to be stored per shot. The 315 also allowed image storage in the smaller JPEG
format, while the 330 only allowed Kodak's proprietary .TIF RAW format.
Digital camera
A digital camera is a camera that takes video or still photographs, or both, digitally by recording images via an electronic image sensor. It is the main device used in the field of digital photography...
built by Eastman Kodak
Eastman Kodak
Eastman Kodak Company is a multinational imaging and photographic equipment, materials and services company headquarted in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded by George Eastman in 1892....
's Kodak Professional Imaging Solutions division. They were based on the Nikon Pronea 600i APS
Advanced Photo System
Advanced Photo System is a film format for still photography first produced in 1996. It was marketed by Eastman Kodak under the brand name Advantix, by FujiFilm under the name Nexia, by AgfaPhoto under the name Futura and by Konica as Centuria.- Design :The film is 24 mm wide, and has three...
SLR cameram and were aimed at a lower price point than other models in the Kodak DCS
Kodak DCS
The Kodak Digital Camera System is a series of digital single-lens reflex cameras and digital camera backs that were released by Kodak in the 1990s and 2000s, and discontinued in 2005. They were all based on existing 35mm film SLRs from Nikon and Canon...
range. The 1.5 megapixel DCS 315 was launched in 1998, while the 3 megapixel DCS 330 was launched in 1999.
The two cameras had different sized CCD
Charge-coupled device
A charge-coupled device is a device for the movement of electrical charge, usually from within the device to an area where the charge can be manipulated, for example conversion into a digital value. This is achieved by "shifting" the signals between stages within the device one at a time...
imaging chips, both of which were smaller than either 135 film
135 film
The term 135 was introduced by Kodak in 1934 as a designation for cartridge film wide, specifically for still photography. It quickly grew in popularity, surpassing 120 film by the late 1960s to become the most popular photographic film format...
or APS-C film frames. The 315's imager had a crop factor
Crop factor
In digital photography, a crop factor is related to the ratio of the dimensions of a camera's imaging area compared to a reference format; most often, this term is applied to digital cameras, relative to 35 mm film format as a reference. In the case of digital cameras, the imaging device would be a...
of 2.6 relative to 135 film ("35mm"), while the 330's was larger with a factor of 1.9.
The Kodak modification to the Pronea 600i involved removing the camera's film back and mounting instead a Kodak digital back. This not only covered the back of the camera, but also extended beneath it, approximately doubling the camera's height. This was required to accommodate the large PC card
PC card
In computing, PC Card is the form factor of a peripheral interface designed for laptop computers. The PC Card standard was defined and developed by the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association which itself was created by a number of computer industry companies in the United States...
s used as storage media, the six AA batteries required to power the camera, and the circuitry for image processing. The Kodak back had two display screens. The upper was a full-color screen used for viewing taken shots. The lower LCD displayed the camera's settings.
An infrared filter was mounted just behind the lens mount. This had to be removed in order to fit certain Nikkor lenses, including the IX-Nikkor lenses designed for the APS format camera.
The DCS 315 was substantially faster than the 330 since only half as much data needed to be stored per shot. The 315 also allowed image storage in the smaller JPEG
JPEG
In computing, JPEG . The degree of compression can be adjusted, allowing a selectable tradeoff between storage size and image quality. JPEG typically achieves 10:1 compression with little perceptible loss in image quality....
format, while the 330 only allowed Kodak's proprietary .TIF RAW format.
External links
- DCS 315 at Kodak.com
- DCS 330 at Kodak.com
- [ftp://ftp.kodak.com/web/service/manuals/dcs/6b0935.pdf Online manual] at Kodak.com (PDF)
- DCS 300 series on mir.com.my photographic resource
- The DCS Story