It’s finally happened. A digital camera has come along that is close to perfect in specifications and practicality for farm advisors and specialists to use in their work, according to Communication Services Principal Photographer Jack Clark and Media Services Manager Mike Poe. They recommend the Canon EOS Digital Rebel , also called the Canon EOS 300D, as the digital camera of choice. It is a 6-megapixel camera with a professional feel; it accepts the EF and EF-S lenses many people already have for their Canon film cameras; and its settings include the high-quality JPEG and the highest-quality Camera RAW (unprocessed) files format. Clark prefers using the Camera RAW format, “since those digital files have more latitude for adjustment than film for images going into publication.”

Poe offers two reasons why this SLR-type camera is recommended over others. “For one, there is no delay or lag time when you press the shutter release,” he says. “That’s been a real frustration for many people using other digital cameras, especially with moving objects that could be out of frame by the time the photo is taken. The other is the price.” The camera body is $900, plus another $100 for the kit that includes the 18-55mm AF lens made specifically for it.

There is one compatibility drawback to this camera, say Clark and Poe. If you already have a Speedlite external flash for your film camera, you’ll need to replace it with a Speedlite EX series flash for ETTL (evaluative through the lens) operation. You can also use most external flash units with the camera on a manual, less automatic operation. The Digital Rebel also has a built-in flash that pops up.