Why not sensor upgrades?

[Hellashot]

Why doesn't Canon offer sensor upgrades? Users of a 10D that were happy with the 10D body, and buffer could have had the option to send their camera in and have the 20D sensor put in.

Why buy a whole new body when what you're really wanting is an upgrade of the sensor. Seems users could save half the price if they would just replace the sensor. The way they do it now is a good racket for Canon, but bad for users who have to buy a new body when they come out with a new model.

It's odd, Canon seems to leave their 1-series body untouched, yet with the 10D, Drebel, and 20D they keep slightly modifying the body so that grips don't work from one model to the next. Canon seems to be catering to their professional customers and screwing over the amatuer customer.

[jaypie77]

but bad for users who have to buy a new body when they come out with a new model.

Nobody has to buy the new bodies when they come out, the people that upgrade bodies every year aren't getting their arms twisted.

[cactusclay]

Those dirty rotten ***##@**&##*****s. I may go buy a Nikon, oh yea, I forgot, they do the same thing.

[cactusclay]

Actually I've been patiently waiting for the past few years for them to come out with a digital back that can be used on old film cameras. I hear a lot of skuttlebutt about it, but nothing concrete yet. That would be the ticket though huh.

[robertwgross]

Canon could probably manage this, but the service would cost about $1499. It could not be done in the field, because of the precision alignment necessary.

A person asked me this one time: "If they can offer a field firmware upgrade, why can't they upgrade the sensor in the field as well?"

<sheesh>

---Bob Gross---

[Belmondo]

Actually I've been patiently waiting for the past few years for them to come out with a digital back that can be used on old film cameras. I hear a lot of skuttlebutt about it, but nothing concrete yet. That would be the ticket though huh.

Even if such a product was developed, it stands to reason the only people willing to pay the price would be those with professional bodies (1-series, for example). I doubt if anyone would spend thousands to convert an otherwise marginal film body to digital. It just doesn't make sense; the market would be too limited for there to a sufficient demand to allow for efficient production (read: affordable) of such an item..

[cactusclay]

You are probably right Belmondo, but it doesn't hurt to hope.

[ssim]

Interesting concept but one that is highly unlikely to come to fruition. Technically I suppose it might be feasible.

Let's face it the manufacturers, whether it be Canon, Nikon or Joe's Widgets are in the business to make money. They count on alot of us moving up to the next model of camera. They add a few more features, maybe change a style and get us hooked.

I don't agree that they are catering to the professional market. There have been alot of changes in the 1D to 1DMKII cameras. They make look the same but they sure aren't inside. The large camera manufacturers are delivering more options to the market place for the amateur or prosumer markets than they are for the pure pro market.

In the end though, these are all only options and very few of can use the excuse of being forced into buying the latest and greatest.

[pierrot]

Uh, technically I'm afraid it is not feasible: different sensor size, connections, power requirements etc. not to speak of the totally different software and interface. Forget it!
At least until they specifically design a modular basis in which you could change the sensor as you change the processor in a PC (and even so...) :?

[Jesper]

It's not technically unfeasible, digital backs for 35mm cameras already exist! 8)

Actually I've been patiently waiting for the past few years for them to come out with a digital back that can be used on old film cameras. I hear a lot of skuttlebutt about it, but nothing concrete yet. That would be the ticket though huh.
Leica has the 10 megapixel Digital-Module-R (http://www.dcviews.com/press/Leica-Digital-Module-R.htm) but it costs a lot of money - you might as well buy a complete DSLR for the same money.

Or what about this thing: Electronic Film System (http://www.epi-centre.com/reports/9802seyc.html). I think this idea is in practice not as neat as it sounds in theory. You don't have an LCD screen so there's no way you can see your images immediately after taking them. And if the sensor is smaller than 24 x 36mm, in the viewfinder you'd see more than what actually gets on the photo. You'd have to guess what part is going to be cropped off.

[tim]

The 20D has the Digic II processor, which is apparently responsible for a lot of the advances. If you upgrade the sensor and the chip, with labour, you're looking at the cost of a new camera anyway.

[edsarkiss]

It's odd, Canon seems to leave their 1-series body untouched, yet with the 10D, Drebel, and 20D they keep slightly modifying the body so that grips don't work from one model to the next. Canon seems to be catering to their professional customers and screwing over the amatuer customer.

screwing over? stop whining. you are using cutting-edge technology -- that's par for the course. personally, i'm happy with the level of backward-compatability canon builds into their SLRs -- the lens mount. other things are inexpensive, and can benefit from ergonomic and technological improvements.

it's like complaining that you can't put a Pentium 4 chip into your Pentium II motherboard. Product evolution often necessitates breaking compatability at some level...

[Jon]

If you were happy with the 10D's buffer, you wouldn't be after upgrading to a 20% larger sensor. Your buffer would have just become 20% smaller, and the processor would have just become 20% slower, so the buffer wouldn't clear anywhere near as fast.

[Cadwell]

Not really "pie-in-the-sky". Kodak marketed an imager upgrade for their DCS PRO 14n dSLR a year or so ago.

Imager Upgrade (http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/products/cameras/dcsPro14n/upgrade.jhtml?id=0.1.18.22.3.18.28.5&lc=en)

I have no idea how successful it was.

[eosster]

Not really "pie-in-the-sky". Kodak marketed an imager upgrade for their DCS PRO 14n dSLR a year or so ago.

Imager Upgrade (http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/products/cameras/dcsPro14n/upgrade.jhtml?id=0.1.18.22.3.18.28.5&lc=en)

I have no idea how successful it was.
But, it's Kodak.....joking, I've seen that before from another site. It would be nice to upgrade, Canon and Nikon, others know consumer will buy it.

[darkdrakon]

I would be happy with a software upgrade or a hack for the 10d I spent several grand 2 weeks ago and decided to spend the green on some L glass :-) insted of a NEW BODY .
I picked up a 100-400 L and a 200mm 2.8 mk1 and a mr-14 ex and a few more goodies. I figure the 10d is good for a couple of more years.

[Tom W]

I think one of the biggest problems at this point would be upgrading the electronics to go with the sensor. As was pointed out, the 20D has not only the newer sensor, but also a considerably advanced electronic package to go with it. Digic II, E-TTL II, a larger buffer, lots of changes to make the camera work better and faster.

Perhaps some day, this could become more modular, but from what I've seen so far, the electronics is stuffed pretty tight in the 10D and 20D.