Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/12/17

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: is digital photography for real?
From: Eric Welch <ewelch@ponyexpress.net>
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 23:59:29 -0600

>Its early versions are expensive and grainy. The million-dollar NASA
>digital camera will be bested by $2500 semi-pro models within 5 years.

Not at the rate Kodak is going in the recent past. Their $13,000 cameras
right now can barely touch 400 ISO film at 8x10 inches. And nothing much
has changed in five years. The problem is that making perfect CCDs is a lot
more difficult than people seem to realize. And they have to be perfect to
do still digital. Video no problem. 

And as you say, color isn't good. The DCS520 (Canon DC2000) has color
balance now. It works pretty good. But film itself is getting better too.
There are very few applications that justify digital right now for
professionals at the 35mm SLR equivalent level. Fast turnaround for
newspapers is about it. There is nothing it's better at then film cameras
besides that - speed.
- -- 

Eric Welch
St. Joseph, MO
http://www.ponyexpress.net/~ewelch

We are born naked, wet and hungry. Then things get worse.