Re: [Leica] Is film a thing of the past? Will they be digging up Leicasurus Rangefinderus fossils in a few short years?

[Jim Brick <jim@brick.org>]

I am in the middle of the digital imaging business. At the forefront of
what's happening. Film is indeed going to be around for a very very long
time. Most current LUGgers will be long gone before film is out resolved by
a digital sensor. We just received two of the new Kodak DC260 digital
cameras. Reasonably nice cameras, not intuitive, still 20 to 80 times less
information than available from film (Kodak's words), still a limited
dynamic range, no exposure latitude, impossible to make "Leica" like prints
for anything over 8x10, and that's pushing it. 8x10's are "acceptable".
This camera is $900. I'll take a $900 Summicron any day. And for thousands
and thousands of days to come. Where the DC260 type camera comes in, is in
the P&S market. 4x6 inkjet prints rather than 1hr lab prints. Reasonable
5x7's and 8x10's. APS will be "done in" by the digital camera long, long
before 35/120/4x5/etc. film will be replaced. It will take a quantum
squared leap in technology to design and manufacture a single, fast
scanning, digital sensor, that can compete in resolution, dynamic range,
exposure latitude, etc. with film. The way to get super high resolution
digital images, is to use film, then scan the film on a drum scanner. And
now deal with the 80 to 400 megabyte file. One for each image. Film has an
incredible INCREDIBLE dynamic range, latitude, and information content. To
carry this amount on information around in a digital file, even compressed,
requires a computer and a LOT of storage. If you use the wrong compression,
you lose pixels. Interpolation is NOT a cure for low resolution or lost
pixels. You cannot "create" missing information. Film is the ultimate
hi-res photographic storage medium. Changing analog information to digital
information is a costly process. I'll take film, enlargers, and Ilfochrome
thank you. The Evercolor process produces incredibly beautiful, hi-res,
permanent digital prints from scanned film. The first 20x24 Evercolor print
will set you back close to $2000 by the time all is said and done. And will
take weeks, possibly months. The first Ilfochrome print takes 24hrs from a
local pro lab and is $75. 48hrs, with free test strip in 24hrs. This
includes dodging and burning.

FWIW

Jim

At 09:41 PM 6/24/98 +0800, you wrote:
>Dan,
>
>Here's part of an article (I summarize in parts) in yesterday's Technology
Post
>(South China Morning Post), quoting Mr Patrick Stewart, formerly Kodak's
general
>manager for greater China, now VP in charge of K's professional division:
>
>[He thinks there's still a good future for film:] "I think it's going to
have a
>long tail on it. The overall  colour reversal film market is pretty flat.
It's
>not in free-fall decline, it's just pretty flat. Digital imigaing is
coming up
>very fast, but it's additive. I think it will be a dual market for upwards
of 10
>years".
>