Prior to the digital imaging solution, Harbor Branch used 35mm cameras to capture images. The tracking process was time consuming and expensive. Slide images were analyzed and results were entered manually into the archives. For every day in the field, researchers spent two or three days in the lab analyzing and archiving data. Harbor Branch spent three years seeking a better imaging system, evaluating a dozen of them to determine which one best satisfied various challenges.
Dolphins spend little time on the water's surface.
They are elusive and non-directional, making them difficult to photograph. Poor water clarity in the lagoon, the reflection of light off the water, and changing light and water conditions created other documentation problems. Many imaging systems just can't meet all these demands. Canon's image stabilization feature with telephoto lenses is a remarkable breakthrough, and Canon's camera body is the most resilient of all the models tested in environmental extremes. Canon concurred with Harbor Branch that the D2000, a professional digital camera, and the XL1, a broadcast-quality Mini DV camcorder with interchangeable lenses, would produce the best images in the unique environment.