WITH THE NEW CANON 1D MkIV and NIKON D3S just around the corner, I got to thinking about the real need for 10+ frames per second.

These machines have the ability to produce 100 images in 10 seconds, allowing users to burn through 4 gigabytes of data every 5 minutes.

Having been involved in sports photography, I could imagine that being guaranteed those elusive shots that somehow slip by the 5 frame /second cameras would be handy. But all I really seem to envisage is never-ending searches through thousands of JPEGs.

Isn’t technology meant to make us more time efficient? Shouldn’t the latest camera help us create better images and, in general, make life as photographer a little easier?

Consider this scenario: two freelance photojournalists ─ one has a 1DMkIV, the other a 50D. Both exit the media scrum at the same time, rushing to start downloading.

The 50D user finishes downloading, chooses the best images and uploads them for viewing by the editor. Thanks to the amount of images shot, along with their larger file sizes, the 1DmkIV user is still waiting for his download to complete.

Now newspapers and internet sites need images asap. Who do you think will get more exposure?

At the risk of sounding ungrateful for these two amazing pieces of equipment, as a photographer, I would love for someone to come up with a really solid DSLR… one that leaves out the dollar-grabber video bells and whistles, incorporates a battery grip, and simply excels at shooting still photos.

I’m not alone here. Not a day goes by without someone expressing to me their lack of enthusiasm for DSLR video functions. They just want to take great photos.

Technology is moving so fast in the world of digital photography, I just hope we’re not getting ahead of ourselves.

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