EOS DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY
paths, it is difficult to combine them to form large sensors without
affecting their charge transfer
characteristics. CMOS sensors, however, can be combined easily because their vertical and horizontal wiring points simply have to be connected electronically.
original data captured by digital cameras. At the same time, JPEG files are convenient to use while preserving high image quality. With an eye to the future of digital photography, Canon is convinced that the further development of RAW and JPEG technologies will enable digital photographers of the future to have the highest quality images possible. Bearing that in mind, all of Canon’s digital EOS SLRs can record JPEG and RAW files simultaneously.
EOSEOS CAMERASCAMERAS
EF LENSES
No matter how advanced the sensor, metering or lens of your SLR, the backbone of a good digital camera is the signal processing technology that renders and writes your image to your card. Developed to maximise performance between the capture and recording aspects of digital
Often referred to as “digital negatives”, RAW files are no-compromise, reversible compression, full resolution files with minimal in-camera processing; essentially, they are unaltered raw image data. Properly post processed, RAWs provide the highest possible
Camera: EOS-1D Mark II, Lens: EF 17-35mm f/2.8L USM, Width: 2464 pixels, Height: 1648 pixels,
ISO Speed: 200, Aperture: f/11, Shutter: 60, Exposure Mode: Aperture-priority AE, Drive Mode: Single,
White Balance: Auto
Camera: EOS-1D, Lens: 24-70mm f/2.8L, ISO Speed: 100, Aperture: f/8.0, Shutter: 1/250, White Balance Natural Sunlight
Canon Image Rendering
As the only company in the world that designs, develops and manufactures its own cameras, lenses, image sensors and image processors, Canon brings an unrivalled level of technological know-how to the digital SLR world. By sharing research and information among development teams, and keeping the entire creation and production of a product in-house, Canon is able to create technologically advanced products faster than any other company. Only Canon EOS digital SLRs benefit from Canon’s decades of innovation in both the consumer and professional markets.
Canon digital SLRs utilise the latest in sensor and processor technology to ensure the purest, highest quality images available today. All EOS digital SLRs provide the user with quick operation, virtually identical to that of a traditional 35mm SLR, so that users will feel no compromise in working with digital photography.
Innovations like Canon’s CMOS Sensor and DiG!C Imaging Processor, combined with Canon’s years of experience in making industry-leading EOS cameras and lenses, have kept Canon Digital SLRs leaps ahead of the competition.
Canon’s CMOS sensors incorporate a unique on-chip noise reduction technology to deal with both fixed-pattern and random noise, resulting in silky-smooth, film-like images, with limited power consumption, at breathtaking speed. In addition, a multi-layer low-pass filter is placed in front of the sensor in order to isolate false colours that the sensor may detect. Then, Canon’s proprietary imaging engine processes the image to eliminate the false colours while retaining full detail.
photography, Canon’s DiG!C (Digital Imaging Integrated Circuit) chip enhances the signal-processing algorithms associated with image capture, resulting in improved image quality and a more intuitive, responsive camera. This ultra-high- performance imaging engine speeds up the processing, compression, display and write times for
each image, all with low power consumption, saving valuable battery power. The latest-generation DiG!C II Imaging Processor works in concert with Canon’s newest CMOS sensor to achieve even higher levels of performance. New signal processing algorithms work with the multi-channel signal from the sensor and the high-speed DDR-SDRAM (Double Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory) buffer to deliver dramatically improved camera response. Power consumption has
image quality from a digital SLR. Using software bundled with the camera, users can preview RAW files, adjust settings like colour balance, saturation, sharpness and exposure compensation, and save final images in other file formats.
preview display
colour, tone and white balance settings as recorded by the camera. Taking up less storage space, JPEGs are often more immediately pleasing to the eye, and, thanks to the high-quality signal processing applied by Canon’s image processor, can withstand significant retouching with virtually no loss in quality. In-camera JPEGs are also convenient for immediate usage
in a wide variety of applications, such as e-mail, Web galleries, and office-related applications such as word processors and presentation software.
COLOUR MANAGEMENT
At every step of the design and manufacturing process Canon ensures that your SLR, lens and computer will work together seamlessly resulting in colour that is both sharp, accurate and
captures an even wider gamut of colours than your computer is capable of recognising and, through complex operations, the processor ensures that whether you’re shooting
in sRGB for the web, or in Adobe® RGB colour space for commercial applications, your colours will turn out just right. Beyond what your EOS SLR does on its own, advanced users can set their own white balance, colour temperature, saturation and much more.
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ACCESSORIES | DIGITAL |
A Closer Look at Canon Digital SLR Technologies
CMOS SENSORS
A good digital image sensor must meet or exceed a photographer’s requirement for film. It must work well in low light, with a good signal-to-noise ratio, yet must have a broad dynamic range for use in bright light.
CMOS sensor
It must be large enough to ensure wide depth of field, as in traditional photography, but must also be efficient, or the photographer will have to change batteries all day long.
Bearing this in mind, Canon developed its own CMOS (complementary metal- oxide semiconductor) sensor to record digital images, taking advantage of proprietary know-how gained during the development and manufacturing of its renowned autofocus sensors and semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Compared with CCD sensors which amplify signals only after they have been transferred to an image processor, CMOS sensors convert and amplify signals before they
are transferred. Using this method together with additional proprietary technology, Canon’s CMOS sensors produce a cleaner signal from the beginning. At the same time, power consumption is reduced by up to
90% compared with CCDs, and data transfer speeds can be significantly increased via multi-channel readouts.
To mirror the characteristics of 35mm cameras, CMOS sensors can easily be built as full-frame 35mm sensors, something that is difficult, if not impossible, with CCD sensors.
To fabricate a full-frame 35mm sensor, the manufacturing equipment must produce “adjoining exposures”.
Since CCDs have both vertical and horizontal electrical charge transfer
with anti-noise Processing
without anti-noise Processing
been further reduced for even longer battery life. Colour reproduction, too, is significantly better, with more natural rendition of bright, high-saturation subjects and more precise auto white balance. Colour accuracy and noise performance in low light have also been much improved.
thumbnail display
In post processing, it’s possible to find and extract highlight and shadow detail from RAW images, extending the dynamic range of your digital SLR, often exceeding the range of 35mm slide film. Additionally, RAW files are the best way to store your unaltered image data for use in the future. JPEG images created by Canon digital SLRs are compressed files, processed to reflect the sharpness,
pleasing to the eye.
Canon’s proprietary image rendering processes utilise numerous data for colour rendition. The sensor
Canon digital camera colour space
