Q&A: Canon's camera tech guru Chuck Westfall
LAS VEGAS--Two's company, three's a crowd, and Canon's Chuck Westfall is a lot less lonely these days.
Canon once was the sole camera company offering a digital SLR whose sensor is the size of a full frame of 35mm film, a technology that can increase the performance advantage and price penalty that SLR cameras already have compared with compact cameras. In November, though, Nikon began selling its full-frame rival, the D3, and last week Sony said it will launch its own full-frame competitor by the end of 2008.
Chuck Westfall
(Credit: Canon)Westfall is a camera tech guru and the technical adviser for Canon USA's professional products marketing division. In his 25 years at Canon, he's amassed an encyclopedic knowledge not only of official camera specs but also deeply buried engineering details.
Westfall shared his opinions about the full-frame market and other camera trends during the Photo Marketing Association trade show here. He also discussed fuel cells to replace batteries, flash memory technology, OLED displays, and geotagging.
Talking tech might sound like fun if you represent the company that leads market share both for compact cameras and in the higher-end SLRs, but Westfall also has had to deal with unpleasant autofocus trouble that's afflicted the company's $4,500 photojournalist-oriented EOS-1D Mark III during some shooting conditions. A quality and reputation problem is the last thing a camera maker wants for a model aimed squarely at the professional photographer market that Canon dominates but that Nikon is aggressively courting.
Though Canon is repairing affected 1D Mark III models and has issued a firmware update, the issue still hasn't gone away: Rob Galbraith, the photographer and consultant whose tests brought the problem to light, still believes the 1D Mark III's predecessor has better autofocus, and he reported Monday that Canon is working on yet another fix.
Read on for Westfall's response to the autofocus issue and other thoughts.
CNET News.com: Sony now has said it'll join Canon and Nikon in offering a full-frame camera--its flagship 24.6-megapixel SLR due to launch by the end of the year.
Westfall: It's quite flattering the other companies have recognized what we've known for years--that full-frame is quite a desirable imaging format. I think the full-frame market is set to expand in 2008. There's no doubt about it.
With Nikon and now Sony adding weight to the full-frame market, what role is there for the in-between sensor size, APS-H? (It's about halfway between the full-frame sensors used in the high-end SLRs and the APS-C sensors use in the top-selling models such as the Rebel XTi and 40D. The APS-H is used in the 1D Mark III and its predecessors.)
Westfall: When we introduced APS-H in 2001 with the original EOS-1D, the idea was to compete against other professional DSLRs with APS-C. In that respect it has been extremely successful. At that point it was about what the competition had to offer. It's only been in the last six months that there has been an alternative. We've had a good long run with APS-H.
Going forward, it remains to be seen whether it will continue to be a desirable format. We're not ready to say it's over.
Is there a unique advantage APS-H has over full-frame sensors besides price? Nikon's D3 is a full-frame competitor to the 1D Mark III at about the same cost.
Westfall: At this point, no. Price would be the only thing.
Do you think you've resolved the 1D Mark III autofocus issue?
The hardware fix and firmware update has effectively brought the camera within our design specifications. Under the vast majority of study conditions, the camera is functioning exactly the way we expected it to.
So is it better at autofocus than the 1D Mark II N (the camera's predecessor)?
Westfall: Overall, yes. The system has a lot more to it. There are improvements to the Mark III's autofocus sensor, with 19 cross-type focusing points throughout the frame compared to 7 in the center for the 1D Mark II N. This is an area Rob Galbraith's tests did not address. And there are a lot more customization settings to be able to tweak autofocus accuracy according to the way you shoot--focus priority versus release priority for example.
That said, we are continuing to investigate. We're not disputing anything Rob wrote--he's made a fair and objective test. We have no argument except that the 1D Mark III is a lot closer (to the 1D Mark II N's autofocus performance) in overall performance than his severe tests indicate at first glance and that he doesn't test the full range of conditions. There's more to it.
Geotagging is a hot subject, and much of the discussion at the PMA show seems to have moved from when it will arrive in cameras rather than whether it will. When do you think it will?
Westfall: The desirability of that feature is quite clear. You can see reasons why--classifying, sorting, and searching photos--especially with the advances in technology starting to appear that is taking advantage of the (location) information. That's why we started putting in the optional capability with the wireless transmitters (accessories available for higher-end Canon SLRs).
How far away is the geotagging era?
Westfall: There's no doubt we'll see cameras with built-in GPS within the next two years, possibly sooner. I'm not able to give guidance regarding Canon specifically.
Are you getting pressure to add geotagging support from Web sites such as Google and Yahoo that enable users to make use of geotagged photos?
Westfall: Mostly we're hearing from the vertical markets--professional, commercial, and industrial applications. And the military.
Some envision geotagging as an aspect of "autotagging," in which a rich set of metadata is recorded when the photograph is taken. It might be possible to combine face recognition with autotagging to label photos automatically.
With our PowerShot line, we started autotagging a year ago. We call it "My Category." It has a total of five or six presets and three customizable tags. When you choose a scene mode, it associates for example a "landscape" tag. It can be done in review, too--you can apply it after the fact. For a camera with face recognition, we know when people are present. This will become much more valuable in the future. Facial recognition is a very powerful feature.
Are there any developments in battery technology?
Westfall: Lithium-ion is still dominant. Battery manufacturers have been able to increase the storage density lately. The Canon Rebel XSi battery has a capacity of 1080 milliamp-hours compared to 720 for the Rebel XTi (whose battery is about the same size).
Is there anything more radical on the horizon?
Westfall: Fuel cells. Within the same physical space, you have maybe twice the capacity as lithium-ion batteries. There's a lot of incentive to deliver that. And it's environmentally friendly--it's disposable and refillable.
Samsung is showing its NV24 HD camera, which uses an OLED (organic light-emitting diode) display. Is Canon planning on making that shift?
Westfall: Yes, definitely. We began exploring OLED several years ago. We showed in 2005 a prototype EOS-5D SLR. It was demonstrably brighter, had better color accuracy, and lower power consumption.
A prototype Canon EOS-5D SLR using a OLED display.
(Credit: Canon)It's common knowledge that Canon is investing in OLED manufacturing ability, making big acquisitions last year. We have the infrastructure needed to bring this online.
And unlike with LCDs, it means you have more of the technology that actually ships in a camera under the Canon roof?
Westfall: Right. We're looking to implement OLED in all our consumer products: digital still cameras, camcorders, and inkjet printers.
There's a new version of CompactFlash memory cards under development that uses the Serial ATA technology rather than the current parallel ATA. You guys use CompactFlash in your SLRs. Will that technology catch on?
Westfall: It remains to be seen. What drives the market is cost and performance issues and availability. That's one reason we elected to wait until now to switch to SD (memory cards) for our Rebel line. The availability of SD cards is better now than even a year ago, and people are more comfortable with it.
I was interested that the 1Ds Mark III has an SD card slot in it as well as a CompactFlash slot.
Westfall: We actually started that with the 1D Mark II in 2004. We were able to add a second slot without changing the overall size of the camera. Now you see a second slot capability on other cameras.
What's changing in the compact camera market?
Westfall: The pricing on these cameras will continue to decline. It's become a more commoditized market, but it's bigger. The forecast for the next three years is it will continue to grow. CIPA (the Camera and Imaging Products Association) forecasts global shipments of 126 million units in 2010 compared to 93 million last year. The challenge is to continue to expand the feature set in the face of price erosion while maintaining profitability. We've got good technology and the highest level of profitability in the digital camera market.
Who's the top competitor?
Westfall: Sony is a very strong competitor. Once you get past them, there are a lot of other companies in there.
Are you worried about Sony entering the SLR market, too?
Westfall: Between us and Nikon, we've got 90 percent of the SLR market. Sony is only in the 5 percent range so far.
With pricing pressures, will you outsource more manufacturing to outside companies?
Westfall: That's not for us. We've increased our Japanese facility for better R&D and manufacturing. We have some outside manufacturing, especially in the point-and-shoot cameras. But we doubled the capacity of our main camera plant in the last two years. To control costs, we're developing more automation in manufacturing.
The jump from 2 megapixels to 4 megapixels is significant, but the jump from 10 to 12 is less dramatic. Is the megapixel race over?
Westfall: We're trying to upgrade the entire camera. The megapixels rating is only one thing. When upgrading, you have to look at more aspects.
Update 5:40 p.m. PST: Westfall requested a few minor changes to his quotations for clarity, such as changing "they" to "battery manufacturers," and I obliged.
Update at 8 a.m. PST on February 7: Westfall's title at Canon has changed and been duly noted.
Stephen Shankland writes about a wide range of technology and products, but has a particular focus on browsers and digital photography. He joined CNET News in 1998 and since then also has covered Google, Yahoo, servers, supercomputing, Linux and open-source software, and science. E-mail Stephen, or follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/stshank. 
I have a pretty nice (gasp) Kodak digital camera. One day my friend popped up with the same camera. He said he liked the way mine took pics of him, so he bought it. I, being me, was like surely you jest. Then another friend, took a pic of me with his Canon and a pretty basic one at that.
Initially, I thought all digi cameras were created relatively equal, however, I DID like the way the Canon camera captured me. So now I am considering investing in a Canon because I generally take lots of pics and was wondering if THAT brand just took better photos.
What would make a pic on one camera be better/or not from the same pic on another. Or am I just crazy? You probably think so. But I promise, I'm not.
My Kodak is a Z650 with 10x optical zoom lense and 6.1 megapix... Just to be clear, I'm not talking about the pic's clarity or definition, I'm seriously saying I looked different... same photo captured with two diff cams simultaneously...how can that be?
that it's not something you can single out. It is probably a
combination of things, but the two biggest factors are the way
the camera processes the image and the lens quality. Lens
quality is pretty straightforward. Image processing, however,
involves a lot of variables. Each company tweaks the image
differently before the data is turned into a jpeg file that you can
print and view. Some decide to increase the contrast or make
the colors pop more, and others may wipe out all image noise at
the expense of detail. The best thing you can do to insure good
image quality is to learn about all your cameras setting and the differences they makes in images, and keep the ISO speed as
low as possible.
Hopefully this answers your question.
other two comments. Post image capture processing is a key
factor in how images look. It's interesting to note that for skin
tone specifically and portraits in general, Fuji and Olympus are very
pleasing, Nikon and Canon less and Kodak images quite often
seem over-processed (as if the images have been heavily
"photoshoped" in the camera!). Your question is important for
those about to purchase a camera at any level, consumer or pro.
be captured after you push the button. You don't want the
frustration of a lot of missed shots.
Between the following web sites and Consumer Reports, you can
come up with a pretty good choice.
http://www.dpreview.com/
http://www.steves-digicams.com/hardware_reviews.html
After doing my homework before Christmas, I concluded that
the best point-and-shoot option for my wife was a Fuji FinePix
F40fd, reviewed here:
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/fuji/finepix_f40fd-review/
I hate shutter lag, which all the point-and-shoot cams suffer
from, so I use an SLR. If you are willing to deal with a larger
camera and can spend more money, an SLR is a better choice.
Next the lens makes a significant difference, followed by the processing. You may need to take a look at the pictures and see which is pleasing and which is true to life - often the two are different
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/
http://www.steves-digicams.com/
http://www.dcresource.com/
http://www.imaging-resource.com/
There are differences in quality of the image like optics, sensor quality and other things but you, the user, is the one that needs to decide which one will work for you. These are websites shows each camera in the same light so you can compare them side be side.
BTW, I have had an Canon PowerShot S1 IS digital camera and it started to exhibit some some strange behavior where the image was scrambled and contact Canon and I had the camera returned for refurbished Canon PowerShot S2 IS. Here is the Canon URL for this recall:
http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=PgComSmModDisplayAct&keycode=2112&fcategoryid=223&modelid=9824
I wish that Canon and other companies would know and allow devices that are out of warranty that have a known defects in manufacturing to be recalled and exchanged for a new or refurbished device. I see the previous comments about Canon and I understand why feel the way they feel if any companies wants to keep their customers they need to listen to their customers.
*sigh*
Dan
proles who have spent money on very expensive lenses which work
only with SLRs with doomed partial-frame sensors. Will there be no
future for that $700 wide angle Canon lens I bought?
If you're the kind of person who's considering upgrading to a full-frame camera in the future, though, think twice before buying Canon EF-S lenses such as the 10-22mm I presume you purchased or the 17-55mm or the 17-85mm or the 60mm macro. They won't work on a full-frame Canon that accepts only EF lenses. Of course, if you need a wide-angle lens now on your APS-C-based camera, then you pretty much have to buy one that may become obsolete to you later. You can always resell it, but that's small consolation, I know.
Here's are two blog postings I wrote earlier on the subject:
How Nikon bettered Canon with full-frame SLRs
http://www.news.com/8301-13580_3-9834860-39.html
Full-frame camera sensors: a tough technology
http://www.news.com/8301-13580_3-9765820-39.html
Nikon isn't much better.
Robert
As the previous poster suggested, it isn't about sheer innovation, it's about quality and usability. Canon does not provide the best they can, I think everyone recognizes that, but they make a very good product and the 5d brought affordable full frame performance to the masses. Other than that, Canon has rested on its laurels and done very little.
Nikon has not produced anything innovative until the D3; the rest, including the D300, are simply not anything to get excited about for almost 4 years.
Sensor image stabilization: Minolta (before Sony acq)
Paired pixels for better dynamic range: Fuji
Hex pixel geometry (for reduced aliasing): Fuji
UV - IR sensitive camera: Fuji
Foveon image sensor: Sigma
There is innovation out there - as usual it comes from the smaller players.
of a GREAT digital SLR's lies in the ability of 3 parameters, ISO,
Aperture, and shutter speed. A camera with a high ISO, aka the 1D
Mark III with an ISO up to 6400, and 16,000 colors per pixel, is far
more important than pixel's, aka 10 or 12 mega pix.
I contacted Canon and promptly got blown off with a reply essentially stating that such equipment has a limited life span and was not even supported after 7 years. I decided on a Sony Super-8, which has served me well for the last ten years. I also own a five-year old Sony DSC-F717 which developed imaging problem, but that was recalled by Sony, repaired, and sent back, all on their nickel, in less than two weeks. Now that is what I call SUPPORT!
By the way, I was given a Ross Electronics AM-FM radio in 1954, which is probably one of the first consumer applications of the transistor, and IT STILL WORKS! My Zenith TransOceanic 7000 (40 years old) is also doing well, thank you. What is Canon's problem?!
I would love to upgrade to one of the new SLR's if and when the budget permits. My choice will be either the Nikon or the Sony, but Canon will never see the inside of my camera bag again.
Walt.
Many thanks for your article. I had a similar experience with Canon when I complained about the E18 error that my Power Shot A70 developed. Canon doesn't want to admit that there is a flaw with the camera design! I loved my A70 but it lasted only 3.5 years before it became totally useless. My wife paid over $400 for it as it had just been put on the market and was touted to be "the best you can buy for the money". Anyway, I am bitter over the whole experience and I have vowed NEVER to buy a Canon again. Had the company admitted to existance of the problem and make available some kind of free or inexpensive repair service then I would probably be a loyal customer but they just don't seem to care. So Nikon, Panasonic or Sony, HERE I COME!!
Best regards.
Doug Mein
near Toronto, Ontario
sells more in the pro market, but overall DSLR numbers goes to
Nikon. This is a long-standing misstatement of fact that people
have just assumed to be true. But the fact is, Nikon sells so
many more amateur and prosumer cameras than Canon that the
overall DSLR crown goes to them, not Canon.
So if Canon leads in numbers of cameras sold, it's because they
sell more PHd (push here dummy) cameras, not DSLRs.
Other makers made the effort to make their lenses compatible.
I will NEVER buy or recommend Canon cameras.
What they did once they could do again.
frame digital? I can tell you explicitly that it will never happen.
Why? Because not even Leica could turn their R8 and R9 (which
were designed to take a digital back) into full frame bodies with
a dedicated digital back for them. Film cameras are just built in
a way that makes it impossible to put a sensor in there that's
full frame and leave the camera in a workable state.
Not only that, the FT has no provision (i.e. room) for electronics,
RAM or whatnot. And don't get your hopes up for that
vaporware digital camera inside a film canister that was going
around the Internet for years. It's to small. No room for
electronics and RAM. Handling would be a nightmare. It was
never going to happen. It was simply an impossible concept on
paper with no hope of ever working any time soon.
Besides, if they could add digital to your camera, it would
probably cost more than it would be for you to get a new full
frame digital camera.
It would also be really cool to do a focus lock, and then have the
hyperfocal distance range display.
The focus distance is not universally supported by all lenses with
respect to EXIF data, and the utilities to extract this data are of the
command line variety.
- Eye Activated Focus
- by P. Boone February 29, 2008 7:08 AM PST
- I've been holding out for an EYE Activated Focus digital Canon, like my old ElanIIE.
- Reply to this comment
-
(33 Comments)How much longer do I have to wait? (I'm dying here!)