Silicon Film EFS-1
Bridging The Gap Between
Future and Current Technologies.
Will digital photography do to traditional photography what CDs did to records, make them a collectors item? Not as far as (e)film creators Silicon Film Technologies is concerned. Rather than making optical cameras a thing of the past, the EFS-1 electronic film system combines the future of digital imagery with the best of conventional photography.
Keenly aware of the importance surrounding the development of a new genre of product aimed at the expert and pro-amateur photographer,
Silicon Film hired product designers IDE to answer the design challenges associated with the EFS-1 system. IDE gave considerable
attention to the user interface, ergonomics, and product form which had to meet the constraints of the host 35mm camera. With
the goal of developing an elegant but sensible design solution, IDE began by conceptualizing the forms of the (e)port carrier
and the (e)box storage module. These concepts quickly progressed from sketches to 3D computer models to physical prototypes.
Consequently, the IDE design team could evaluate the final form resulting in the EFS-1 aesthetic appearance, which complements
its functional features and requirements.
Common Geometry, Uncommon Design Solutions
The (e)film cartridge is designed to fit the top five pro-amateur brand 35mm SLR cameras on the market today. Developing a single
form factor that would fit all five camera bodies was not an easy mechanical design solution to achieve. Silicon Film identified
the five camera models (Canon's EOS 1N and EOS A2/5 and Nikon's F5, F3, and N90/F90) by profiling potential customers who visited
their web site. IDE then created an (e)film CNC model for each camera body, insuring that the cartridges fit properly. Next
IDE superimposed the five (e)film CAD models in order to determine their common geometric volume. IDE then modeled a composite
(e)film prototype that represented this common geometry and that was suitable to all five cameras.
The (e)film cartridge uses 64MB of non-volatile flash memory to capture and store up to 24, 36-bit, 1.3 megapixel digital images.
It has its own LED that displays picture count and battery status. The (e)port carrier serves as the (e)film's protective housing.
It comes USB equipped and doubles as a PC-card link to your laptop computer and as a convenient junction to the EFS-1's (e)box
storage module. Flash card compatible, the (e)box adds substantial memory to the system, expandable per flash card capacity.
The (e)film cartridge drops easily into the (e)port carrier for storage and image downloading. With the (e)film cartridge
safely stowed in the (e)port carrier and mated to the (e)box storage module, the result is a compact unit that is comfortable
to hold and easily transportable.
The overall concept behind the EFS-1 system is its ability to coexist with your present 35mm SLR camera, including lenses, flash units, and filters. Thus, expanding a photographers repertoire without negating his or hers current photo investment. It gives the field-based photographer the ability to rotate back and forth between digital photography and conventional film-providing a new standard of photographic versatility. In its entirety, the EFS-1 electronic film system is an integrated, smart design that unfolds like a Russian Doll. All three modules (the (e)film cartridge, (e)port carrier, and (e)box storage module) dock together and separate easily creating a user friendly, comfortable, symbiotic form that is well thought out, highly functional, and attractive.
