As digital photography became more mainstream in the early 1990’s, we began to look at the benefits from a cost and workflow point of view. The market was much smaller back then and there were far fewer resources to draw on to help convert an analogue photographer to digital. In 1994 we purchased our first MegaVision T2 and haven’t looked back.

The in-house photo studios that are part of the Marketing Department at London Drugs Ltd., are responsible for a wide range of projects from bi-weekly flyers to catalogues, point of purchase materials, brochures and whatever else pops up during our hectic schedule. The people behind MegaVision are what differentiates their equipment from other manufacturers. Sure, it is well designed and well thought out from a photographer’s perspective, but having them there to help become a better digital photographer has made the transition to digital an exciting ride. “E-Mug” – the electronic MegaVision user’s group – has been a fabulous resource as well. The opportunity to draw on the experience of hundreds of fellow MegaVision users (and professional photographers) constantly adds another perspective to what we do. As far as I know, this is a unique resource.

This past Fall (2001), we embarked on a major workflow shift in how we produce our flyers. After analyzing a market with a dizzying choice of digital cameras, we choose to purchase two additional MegaVision S3 Pro digital backs to complement our original T2 and a two year old S3. It is more than just pixels that make a digital camera (or back) stand out as a superior piece of equipment. The MegaVision hardware and software allow us to produce top quality work in a very efficient manner.

Because of our wide ranging work, I have come to appreciate the many options with the S3 Pro. A Horseman DigiWide has allowed wide angle interior shots with our S3 Pro. The “Hotlink” box from MegaVision has brought FireWire to the S3 Pro and enabled us to provide our in-house clients the ability to view the shoot live on our Powerbook while on location. Shooting at roughly a frame a second while tethered to our G4 tower in studio seems commonplace, but you need to step back and realize that not all digital cameras offer that kind of workflow and immediate feedback.

Speaking of shooting on location, the BatPac has been an exciting addition to our S3 backs. With virtually no startup time, you are ready to shoot with a minimum of additional equipment and can keep shooting for hours and hours. You can also keep shooting while an assistant is working with the files previously shot that day.

The adjoining images are a selection across a range of projects that travel through the studio in a typical year. Some studio work, some location...some people, some product. They have been shot with our T2, S3 and S3 Pro. In an industry where many people view a two year old computer as outdated or obsolete, our T2 keeps on churning out the images year after year. The single shot backs have been just as reliable.

What more can I say? I’m sure it sounds like we are a completely satisfied MegaVision user and we truly are. I wish all the equipment in our studios had been as reliable and functional. I believe that any photographer considering a digital camera/back should consider the equipment and service from MegaVision. It’s been a success story for us!