The Kodak DCS 300 series comprises two cameras, the DCS 315 and DCS 330. They are professional-level digital SLR cameras built by Eastman Kodak's Kodak Professional Imaging Solutions division. They were based on the Nikon Pronea 6i APS SLR camera and were aimed at a lower price point than other models in the Kodak DCS range.[1] The 1.5 megapixel DCS 315 was launched in 1998, while the 3 megapixel DCS 330 was launched in 1999.The DCS 315 was the first digital SLR camera to incorporate an image preview LCD and inbuilt JPEG processing.
The two cameras have different sized CCD imaging chips, both of which are smaller than either 135 film or APS-C film frames. The 315's imager has a crop factor of 2.6 relative to 135 film ("35mm"), while the 330's is larger, with a factor of 1.9.
The Kodak modification to the Pronea 6i involved removing the camera's film back and mounting a Kodak digital back. This not only covers the back of the camera, but also extends beneath it, approximately doubling the camera's height. This was required to accommodate the large PC cards used as storage media, the six AA batteries required to power the camera, and the circuitry for image processing. The Kodak back has two display screens. The upper is a full-color screen used for viewing taken shots. The lower LCD displays the camera's settings.
An infrared filter is mounted just behind the lens mount. This has to be removed in order to fit certain Nikkor lenses, including the IX-Nikkor lenses designed for the APS format camera.
The DCS 315 is substantially faster than the 330, since only half as much data needs to be stored per shot. The 315 also allows image storage in the smaller JPEG format, while the 330 only allows Kodak's proprietary .TIF RAW format.