It’s refreshing to review an item that has no wires, batteries, or service requirements, and actually fulfills the manufacturer’s claims. I’m referring to Photomed Inc’s Close Up Attachment (CUA) for intra-oral photography.
The world of digital photography has landed with a sharp thud upon our profession—seems as if it’s a perfect fit for what we do. Instant access to digital photos of our patient’s dentition results in chair-side demos like nothing we’ve experienced before, intra-oral video not excluded. As might be expected, much confusion exists when it comes time for the newbie-digital dentist to select equipment suited to dental photography. One variety of camera, the so-called “point and shoots,” are attractively priced and easily found at your local consumer electronics stores. Trouble is, without the right CUA, results will be disappointing. Photomed Inc. recognized this need several years ago and elected to create their own CUA made to pair with the Olympus and Canon point-and-shoot digital camera lines, specifically the Olympus “C” series and the Canon “G” series. Presently, the Canon G5s and G6s are the front runners, followed by the up-and-coming Canon “A” series cameras, owing to their lower price point. An entire “A” series-based kit with CUA can be had from Photomed starting at just under $1,200 (current day prices for A610 outfit). Contrast this to the typical SLR kit starting in the low $2,000s. Additionally, point-and-shoot cameras make great recreational cameras on the weekend.
Photomed’s CUA gizmo consists of a high-quality custom Canon macro lens engaged within a Rube Goldberg-like pretzel of acrylic and mirrors. Also included is an adapter for mating the device to the body of the camera, as well as a thumbscrew that engages the tripod mount of the camera, thus locking it into place. The genius of the device is its ability to harness the camera’s on-board flash and internal light metering capabilities. This enables the dentist to move in close and take properly exposed, crystal-clear dental images. Conveniently, the Photomed CUA is “dismounted” simply by removing the single thumbscrew, readying the camera for portrait photography.
It should be noted that the Photomed CUA relies on manual focusing, by physically moving the camera to and from the subject and using the camera’s zoom feature to frame and compose the image. Proper focus must be determined by viewing the camera’s LCD screen as opposed to its optical viewfinder. This presents a short learning curve when contrasted to the use of an SLR system that can be forced to automatically focus on the fly. On the plus side, the Canon “G” and “A” series cameras possess a “manual focus” aid that presents an enlarged picture-in-picture of one’s subject, thus increasing the likelihood that the image will be in focus. (Word has it that the newer “A” series adaptation has enhanced the camera’s ability to “lock on” focus when using the Photomed attachment.)
As alluded to above, the non-electronic nature of the Photomed device is a rare pleasure, as is its light weight and easy conversion between modes of use. One might also consider the diminutive, non-threatening look of such dental camera systems to be a plus. This system—in various incarnations—has been used in my office for several years with continued success.
All things considered, equipping a Canon or Olympus point-and-shoot camera with Photomed’s CUA may be the perfect blend between affordability, convenience, and image quality. This device may be purchased separately ($699) if you own one of the cameras listed below, or in kit form from Photomed at www.photomed.net.
Note, current models accepting the device are:
Canon:
A-Series: A95, A610, A620
G-Series: G1, G2, G3, G5, G6
Olympus:
C-Series: 2000, 2020, 2040, 3000, 3020, 3030, 3040, 4000, 4040, 5050, 5060
Review Synopsis
Product
PhotoMed Close Up Attachment
The Good
Uses camera's on-board auto functions for easy capture, easy assembly to popular Canon and Olympus cameras, available as complete kit of lens and camera, uses cameras built-in flash
The Bad
Manual focusing requires "human zoom", focus confirmed by visualizing LCD screen on camera
The Bottom Line
An inexpensive and intuitive tool which enables the practitioner to take high quality clinical photos without the bulk and expense of a digital SLR.