Contax N Digital

For some time, the digital photography world has waited for a digital SLR that uses a 24 x 36mm sensor - the equivalent of a 35mm film frame. For anyone involved in professional and high-end digital work, this is a fundamental feature. But now the wait is finally over. The Contax N Digital is the first and so far only announced full-frame camera. However, such luxury doesn't come cheap, as Contax expects the N Digital to retail for £5,106 for the body alone.

Like the Canon EOS D60, the N Digital is a 6 million pixel device, using a CCD developed specifically for it by Philips. However, one consequence of the larger CCD size is that the pixels are bigger compared to other 6-megapixel cameras. This has both advantages and disadvantages.

The principle disadvantage is that, strictly speaking, the basic resolution may not be as high over a given area - a little like comparing film grain size from different speeds. That said, Contax has become adept at squeezing every last ounce of quality out of the Carl Zeiss lenses. This in itself is a guarantee of sharp resolution, smooth tonal range and what we consider to be the best colour balance across the system.

The advantage of larger pixels would normally be a greater sensitivity and, hence, higher ISO rating. But, interestingly, the parent company (Kyocera) has decided to limit this to a 25-400 ISO range. Kyocera has done this for reasons of maintaining quality, stating that a wider ISO range would lead to increased noise. However, our results showed that even at 400 ISO the N Digital performs better than most. And at slower ratings, it gives excellent quality. Our results showed that the N Digital recorded a superb tonal range, giving highlight to shadow details with plenty of tones in between. These are the best results we've ever seen from an SLR-type digital.

The lack of faster ISO ratings, combined with a three-frames-per-second (first second only) capture rate, discounts N Digital as an action camera. Instead, it's designed to suit a photographer who traditionally shoots social and commercial images on small format film. To use a real-world example, it should capture fine detail and highlights in a wedding dress, and detail in much darker materials, without much post-production work. Usually, digital cameras don't do so well at this job.

Power comes from four AA cells, and eight NiMH batteries are supplied along with a charger. Battery life isn't as good as might be expected, even allowing for periods where the camera is left on but idle. The supplied mains adaptor and charger are a better option when the situation allows.

From a handling perspective, the N Digital is very traditional. If you prefer a shutter dial and similar controls, you have them. A clever design means some functions such as shutter speeds and auto-exposure compensation can be operated from a front command dial. A second dial on the rear sets the digital controls. There are also appropriate sealants to provide the required protection against moisture, as demanded by a top professional-level camera.

There are a few other buttons on the rear too, which play various roles in configuring the camera and adjusting settings. It's all straightforward, and there's a short learning curve before everything becomes natural. It's refreshing to find a camera that offers both great handling and intuitive controls. That said, some will be disappointed by the inability to instantly return to capture mode when in the review mode.