Monday, November 12, 2018

BSB Camera: a Bigger Burger Patty for your buck

Photomed has always sold a compact Canon setup for about $1400. Now it's $1500, and the SX470 camera upon which they base it on is $400 at Canon's official store. I realize they provide documentation, loaners and support, but they used to give you a higher line G series camera. I love a lot of their stuff, but I don't like the value proposition here. (and if you are a serious Canon color snob, then you are probably getting a $3000 SLR rig anyways)

For comparison's sake, BlueSkyBio is selling the faster focusing, much larger sensor size Olympus E-PL8 in a nearly identical configuration (camera+diffuser + close up filter for the default lens) for $900. BSB's kit doesn't have the slick one piece magnetic mount. You have to screw on the close up filter and screw on the diffuser panel. But it's $600 less and includes a 4 times larger sensor. I'll take a larger sensor any day of the week.

Remember, sensor size to cameras is like the meat in a hamburger--it's the main driver of cost and the main factor in image quality (besides the lens). Don't pay $15 for a hamburger with a tiny patty found inside $1 hamburgers. BSB's camera is best combo deal you'll find in dental photography. It's like Carl's Jr (Hardees) thickburgers - a restaurant sized patty inside a fast food priced burger. https://blueskybio.com/store/camera

Micro-four thirds is on the smaller size for interchangeable lens cameras, but IMO it's the perfect size for dentistry. Big depth of field yet good detail and more than enough dynamic range when you're using flash. Going bigger in sensor size (like APS-C and 35mm "full frame") in SLR's will not look significantly better for dentistry, yet will require much larger and heavier lenses and bodies to handle the larger sensor. 1" sensor size would still work for dentistry, but unfortunately, there aren't any cameras with lenses that immediately lend themselves to our needs.