Digital SLRs, Over-the-Air HDTV Reception
Published November 2, 2002
Q: I want to get a digital camera, but I want one like my friend’s old Canon F-1 where you look through the lens and adjust everything yourself. Do they make them like that?
-Mitch Bell
A: What you are referring to is a single lens reflex (SLR) camera. SLRs have a single lens used for both composing the picture and taking it. You look the the lens with a mirror that flips out of the way through reflex action. Hence the SLR appellation.
Digital SLRs with interchangeable lenses are available, but are quite expensive for most casual users. The camera bodies cost between $1,999 for the 6 megapixel Nikon D100 to $7,999 for the new 11 megapixel Canon 1Ds. (CQ-small s is correct) These prices do not include a lens. Once you include the professional quality zoom lens that these camera deserve, you are at $3,000 and climbing fast. Generally only a serious amateur or professional are willing to spend that kind of money on these expensive, though excellent tools.
Before you roll your eyes and think, “well, forget about that!” there is a camera that will fit your needs at a much lower price. The Olympus
E-20N is a 5.0 megapixel SLR camera with a professional quality lens that corresponds to a 35mm-140mm on a 35mm camera. You cannot change the lens, but this range will take you from a moderate wide angle for small groups and landscapes to an appreciable telephoto for portraiture and far-away subjects. It has a full range of manual controls, the autofocus is extremely fast, and image quality is excellent up to 11″x14″ and even beyond. (Many wedding photographers use the E-20N to supplement their film cameras.) It’s not inexpensive at around $1,300, but it could be the last camera you purchase for a very long time. You will also save a lot on film, and you may find yourself using the camera much more often than you would if you had to buy film and process it. A more detailed review of the Olympus E-20N will appear on my upcoming multimediaanswers.com website. You may want to check it in a month or so.
Q: I recently moved to Findlay Township (near Pgh. airport) and I now have AT&T as my cable TV provider. QUESTION: Do I need to subscribe to their AT&T Broadband Digital to obtain HDTV broadcasts via cable or will the “regular” cable work too? I just ordered a new 65″ Sony XBR integrated HDTV (never had one before) and was wondering which of AT&T’s cable choices I needed to get to utilize the HDTV technology.
-Scott McCracken
A: HDTV programming is unavailable from either of AT&T’s cable offerings in Pittsburgh. Fortunately, with your integrated TV, you can receive over-the-air (OTA) broadcasts from the networks with an antenna. In Pittsburgh’s hilly terrain, I would strongly recommend you bypass the rabbit ears and amplified $99 antennas and go straight for a professionally installed UHF antenna with a rotor. This will cost around $300 from a good installer. Fortunately, most HDTV programming is free through local broadcast. If you are interested in other HDTV offerings beyond the five networks, you will have to use a satellite service, which offer HDNet, Discovery HD Theater, ShowtimeHD, HBO HD, and HDTV pay-per-view.
Great choice of television in that 65″ Sony XBR, Scott… it’s one of the best televisions on the market. You are in for a treat when you see HDTV at home for the first time! Be sure to visit www.titantv.com for a daily HDTV programming schedule.
