One of the most noticeable differences between film-based cameras and the new breed of digital SLRs from Canon, Fuji, Nikon, and Sigma is the so-called 'magnification factor.' Other than the Canon EOS 1Ds and Kodak DCS Pro 14n all of these cameras have imaging chips that are noticeably smaller than the 24x36mm format used by 35mm cameras. (The Contax N Digital that used a 24x36mm imaging chip has recently been discontinued.) That difference shows up in a magnification factor or ratio that turns a 50mm 'normal' lens into something longer. How much depends on the camera.

The Nikon D1H, D1X, and D100 have a factor of 1.5. The Canon EOS 1D has a factor of 1.3, while the EOS D60 and 10D is 1.6. This means a 50mm lens on my D60 shows the equivalent area of a 80mm lens, but it's important to realize that I haven't attached a teleconverter - the focal length of the lens remains the same. The difference in the viewfinder is that the image looks like a 50mm shot that was cropped into the angle-of-view of an 80mm lens. If you're a wildlife photographer salivating at the prospect of turning your 400mm lens into a 640mm keep in mind that your subject is still going to be the same size, just cropped tighter. My favorite lens for available light fashion indoors is the 85mm f/1.8 but in order to keep the perspective the same I've got to back up to fill the frame the way I do with my EOS 1N.

As this story is being finished, Olympus announced that it will be launching a new digital SLR with a chip smaller than 24x36mm but built around a brand-new series of lenses designed not just for this smaller sized-chip but also designed specifically for imaging onto a chip not film. I hope to be able to post some early impressions of this new camera on GlamourModels.com along with the first glamour images made with this new camera to be published anywhere.