Hotwire-Digital :: Get the Best from the Experts

Are you considering a new camera system to replace or bolster your aging equipment, perhaps to grow your business by delivering better, higher-quality images than your competitors or do you simply want the benefits of a newer, more capable system to increase your personal productivity or enjoyment?

Heard and read about the advantages of a DSLR system but spooked by the rhetoric of warnings of a "closed-system" and so forth? Venture into your research and discover for yourself if the "closed-system" myth is indeed a truthful message or otherwise.

Let's begin by examining the definition of "open-system"and "closed-system" so we can use common terms that make sense beyond the lexicon of sales and marketing teams.

Closed-systems indicate that no other components will work other than those designed exclusively for the system, including software and hardware.

Open-systems indicate that any component (of compatible nature, least we have corn and carrots attempting to masquerade as beef and brisket) can be exchanged for any other similar component without compromise to the system. In the scope of this argument, let's consider related camera items such as lenses, viewfinders, digital recorders, and software to be natural system compatibility components.

Okay, that was easy, now what? 

If we examine the tools used by the modern professional or advanced amateur photographer, it is easy to conclude that among the most popular equipment likely to be found is a digital 35mm DSLR, of which the majority of global marketshare is divided between Canon and Nikon (yes, there are others but we are referring to the majority.)

For those who need or desire performance beyond the capability of the most advanced 35mm systems available, medium-format digital supplies more than the extra megapixel count, but also a substantial latitude of color fidelity and expansion of dynamic range associated with the increase in power of sensors, related electronics and better optics.

Regardless of format, lenses are an essential component to the quality of the final image and cannot be forsaken; a poor lens will weaken the system and we know you cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear, despite our most earnest wish.

Fine. I get it. What about open, modular systems and DSLRs, already?

Let's look at the camera system, compatible lenses, software that can process the RAW camera file, and the ability to be used in various configurations.

Performance issue	Canon	Nikon	Hasselblad
Body uses interchangeable lenses	Yes	Yes	Yes
Can use lenses made by competitive camera  manufacturer	No	No	No
Can use lenses by same manufacturer but for different model	Yes	Yes	Yes
Can exchange digital sensor unit with any other manufacturer	No	No	No*
Can exchange viewfinder with any other manufacturer	No	No	No
Can open and process files with publicly available, most popular software other than manufacturer software	Yes	Yes	Yes
Can operate equally in Windows and Mac operating system environments	Yes	Yes	Yes

Would you consider Canon, Nikon, or Hasselblad to be "open" or "closed" systems? 

Modular systems are prized for their interoperability, but that convenience comes at a price. DSLR's offer an advantage of a system that is integrated such that the system is designed to work as a single unit at a level of precision that is simply not available in a modular configuration. Imagine if the sensor plane was within a tolerance of +/- 5 millimeters -that's pretty good, yes? But just not as good as a sensor plane within a tolerance of +/- 1 millimeter, the latter offering an image that is superior in terms of focus and detail.

Do your research and challenge the information from various sources (here, blogs, online groups, favorite sites) and compare it with what you know to be true to determine if the "Closed-System" myth is true or otherwise.

Consider the benefits of a hands-on demonstration using your shooting style inclusive of your workflow method, and the objective results of the performance under your conditions for the definitive solution.