Roger Machin, photo video product manager, Canon South Africa.

This month TechSmart is focussing a lot on Digital Imaging. So who better to talk to than the ever-friendly and ?ber-informed Roger Machin, photo video product manager at Canon South Africa.

TechSmart: Full HD video recording with automatic focus is now available on Canon's entry-level 600D dSLR. What will be the next area of improvement?

Roger Machin: Automatic focus with regards to video and dSLR cameras continues to evolve. It is difficult to predict what the future holds, but the auto focus technology on current Canon models is definitely an improvement on previous versions.

Of course the ultimate aim is to have an auto focus system equivalent to, or better than, dedicated video cameras.

TS: 1080p video recording has also arrived on compact cameras. What's next for compacts?

RM: It is difficult to say. As time goes by, more and more digital compact cameras will have full High Definition (HD) as standard.

Auto focus in movie mode is improving all the time and high quality sound is now more possible with stereo microphones and near-silent zooming.

TS: What influence did the recent Japan disasters have on the release of your products in SA?

RM: At this stage we have not been notified of any delays in product releases. Almost all of the products announced earlier this year have shipped to stores in SA.

TS: Should our readers invest in a) a better body, or b) better glass?

RM: It is all about the glass. I have always and will always stand by this. If you have a regular or entry level dSLR camera, rather invest in building up a set of professional lenses instead of upgrading your camera body.

A professional lens on a regular camera body will show a dramatic improvement in quality, where a slight upgrade in body won't show such a large jump.

TS: Any advice for readers who've had an entry-level dSLR for awhile and are thinking of upgrading?

RM: This is an easy answer and its very much the same as the last question. If the reader is serious about doing professional photography, he or she should rather hold on to their regular camera body, but upgrade to professional lenses. The choice of lenses depends on his or her requirements but will always give instant gratification in terms of quality.

However, if the reader requires more functionality, then I would say rather upgrade the older body to a more advanced or current model. It all depends on what end results you want to achieve.

This article first appeared in the May 2011 issue of TechSmart magazine.