Amateur Photographer (2019-04-13)

subscribe 0330 333 1113I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.ukI 13 April 2019 53

Tech Talk

ofessorNewman on...

BobNewmanis currentlyProfessorof ComputerScienceat theUniversityof Wolverhampton.Hehasbeenworkingwiththedesignanddevelopmentof
high-technology equipment for 35 years and two of his products have won innovation awards. Bob is also a camera nut and a keen amateur photographer

Rapid

elaboration

I

nAugustlastyearNikon
andCanonannounced
theirfirstfull-frame
mirrorlesscameras:theZ 7
andEOSR, respectively.Now,both
manufacturersarefieldingtwo
examples,withNikonhavingadded
theZ 6 andCanonproducingthe
EOSRP.Nikonhasdisclosedthatit
willaddto thesystemwitha new
camerabelowtheZ 6 (whichthe
rumourmillexpectsto becalled
theZ 5).SincetheEOSR is a
mid-rangecamerait seemsto bea
fairbetthattheCanonR rangewill
besupplementedfairlysoonbya
top-endmodel(EOSR1,perhaps?).
Bythenormalspeedof camera
introductions,thisis an
exceptionallyfastrateof new
modelproduction.Howis this
possible?I canseetworeasons.
First,forbothNikonandCanon
thecamerasarequitesimilar,
whichin thecontextof thesecond
reason,makestheirvariationquick
andeasytodevelop.Thesecond
reasonis todowiththenatureof
mirrorlesscameras:theyaremuch
simplerthansinglelensreflexes.
It’snotonlythemirrormechanism
andfocusingscreenthathave
beenremoved,butalsothe
internalmechanicaldependence
betweenthesesub-components
andthestructuresthatare
requiredtosupportthemtoa very
highdegreeof precision.
Theinternalcomplexityof an
SLRmeansthatin generalit is
hardtosupporta wholerangeof
camerasarounda singlesetof
components.In boththeCanon
andNikonrangesthetop-end
modelscansupportframeratesof
over12fps.A mirrormechanism
whichcanflip at thatratewhile
maintainingtherequiredaccuracy
andrepeatabilityrequiresa very
highlevelof engineeringand
large and powerful motors. The

structureof thecameraneedsto

besufficientlyrobusttosupport

thismechanismin fullflow,without

allowingit toprovokeenough

vibrationtospoiltheshots.Sucha

mechanismis inevitablyexpensive

andpossiblyquitelarge.These

twofactorsprecludeitsuselower

downtherange.Thus,thedesign

of a fullrangeof DSLRsrequires

thedevelopmentof several

completelydifferentmechanisms.

Simplicityofmirrorless

Bycontrast,a mirrorlesscamera

hasa verysimplemechanical

design.Themostcomplexpartis

theshutter,andtheseare

generallymassproducedby

specialistsuppliers.Freedfromthe

requirementforlinkagestoa

mirrormechanism,theycanbe

simplyselectedasappropriatetoa

particularcameramodel.The

sameis trueof theviewfinder

assemblyin a mirrorlesscamera.

Thesehavea standardised

electronicinterface,andacrossa

modelrange,different-

specificationviewfinderassemblies

can be selected without requiring

substantivechangetoanyother

partof thecamera.

Asa result,it is muchsimplerto

builda completerangeof

mirrorlesscamerasaroundthe

sameengineeringbase.The

cameramayappeartohave

differentsizesandshapes,and

mayevenbeconstructedfrom

differentmaterialsbutin thedays

of computer-aidedengineering,

thisdoesnotrequirea large

designeffort.Therangewillbe

builtusinga selectionof

standardisedsub-assemblies,

mixedandmatchedtoprovidethe

desiredrangeof specifications.

Further,sincetheconnectionsare

electronic,differencesbetween

modelsmayoftensimplybea

matterof firmware.

Astheoverallsizeof the

specialistphotographymarket

contracts,onestrategythat

manufacturerscanadoptis

increasingthenumberof models

tocoverspecialisednichemarkets.

Forthispurpose,themirrorless

cameraarchitectureprovidesa

muchmoreconvenient starting

point than a DSLR.

Forspecialisedphotographymarkets,do mirrorless

cameras have an edge over DSLRs?

TworelatedCanon

cameraswithdifferent

specifications.Since

botharemirrorless,

it mightbethatthey

sharemostoftheir

internal components

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Passionateaboutphotographysince 188

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