Imacon Press Release 16/02/04

Imacon enter market with Ixpress 528C digital camera back - 16 Feb 2004
 
The new back, capable of shooting raw uninterpolated images of up to 528Mb using Imacon’s unique micro-step 4*Res capture process, completes the company’s successful Ixpress digital camera back family, which has made Imacon one of the world leaders in high-end digital camera back manufacturers in terms of both technology and sales.

Says Christian Poulsen, founder and managing director, Imacon: “We have been immensely encouraged by market interest in, and sales of, our range of digital backs over the past two years. Even we at Imacon underestimated the depth to which the market would embrace our technology. The launch of the new Ixpress 528C is the next step in our concept of ‘Unlimited Photography.”

“With the introduction of our Ixpress 528C and its unique 4*Res module (patent pending) - a major technological advance for the industry - we are now providing the photographer with even greater flexibility, and once again proving Imacon is at the cutting edge of digital back technology.

“There have been questions posed as to whether there is an industry need for a 528 MB digital back. However, we believe in developing technology that suits not only today’s requirements, but those of the future. What we have developed with the 528C is a virtually future-proof digital back.”

The 528C offers three capture modes (one, four and 16 shot) and joins the Ixpress single-shot digital backs in offering the highest level of flexibility, portability and digital image quality available in the market. It is able to shoot a full 16-bit colour 132MB image in single-shot mode, and 132 and 528MB images in four and 16 shot modes respectively, straight to disc, including preview, every two seconds in sequence up to 850 images and has a maximum exposure time of 32 seconds. The new camera back incorporates a Kodak 22 million, nine-micron pixel sensor and Imacon’s revolutionary new sensor control - Double Duration Circuit (DDC) - to ensure the highest image quality.

Imacon i-Adaptor
An integral part of the Ixpress 528C is its open adaptability to camera platforms spanning view cameras and range of popular medium format and auto focus cameras. “We call it the i-Adaptor concept,” continues Christian. “Launched in 2003, the i-Adaptor is compatible a wide range of leading cameras. The i-Adaptor allows the photographer himself to interchange the back from one camera to the next by simply undoing four screws. Again, this is about offering the most versatile option to the professional.”

The quality of the image registration is extremely precise, with Imacon’s 4* Res
(four and 16 shot) multiple exposure technique enabling the entire CCD area to capture each colour through piezo-controlled movements - providing maximum resolution, moir? free images without interpolation and free from temperature instability. By shooting the same object more than once, while moving the CCD sensor between the shots, the Imacon multi-shot provides a much higher resolution (up to four times), greatly improving colour quality.

“The Ixpress concept is also the only system on the market that is fully upgradeable from single-shot to multi-shot mode,” Mr Poulsen continues. “This means photographers have the option to either purchase the Ixpress 528C back in the first instance, or buy the Ixpress single-shot back and have the 4*Res add-on module retro-fitted at a later date in the factory achieved through a specially-designed ‘split’ housing unit in the Ixpress, providing ultimate flexibility.

“As with the single-shot model, the Ixpress 528C comes with a compact portable preformatted image bank allowing more than 850 captured raw images to be stored for immediate or future transfer directly to a computer hard disk, maintaining the integrity of the captured image and removing the need for any on-site connection to a laptop. Once an image is captured on the portable Ixpress Image Bank, a 72 dpi preview of each image is generated in an automatic ‘Preview Selection’ for an instant image selection and download to a laptop or for viewing at a later date in the studio.

“The photographer can now view and select any of up to 850 images immediately - without transferring the raw image data. Using Imacon’s unique FlexColor software, incorporating our new 3F (Flexible File Format) application, Imacon’s Ixpress family offers the fastest capture, selection, copying and database storage of captured digital photographic images in the industry.”

Compatible with a wide range of leading auto-focus and view cameras, the Ixpress 528C also offers full functionality across Mac OSX, and PC Windows platforms and connects to the Ixpress Image Bank via a 90cm cable for computer-free operation and a 10m cable for studio operation. Connection from the Ixpress Image Bank to laptop or computer is via Firewire.