Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/05/06

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: LUGFilm Processor offers scanning, on-line posting as option
From: Andre Jean Quintal <megamax@abacom.com>
Date: Sat, 6 May 2000 12:46:08 -0400
References: <0.1300001572.909169163-212058698-957610959@topica.com>

Eric wrote:
. . .
Second of all, you forgot a qualifier - ugly CHEAP slide prints.

	--> Cibachrome, I assume.
	Or a process mentioned here sometimes, out of reach
	for a lot of people, the name of which I forget right now.
	I was considering the "general public".
	For the "average joe", this is quite a departure from
	the "must have a print in hand" / show it off "Kodak
	Magic Moments" approach.

Print films have come a long way and can match slides for sharpness and are
superior in controlling contrast. But if you're going to project, or
publish, your photos, slides are still a better choice for many reasons.

	--> We agree 100%, no problem.
	I just expect that this "pick from scans" approach
	could generate more business on the slide side of things.
	and enlargements notably, even if of the shoddy mega-store
	cheaper-than-thou variety.
	Definitely not meant to down-rate color print film
	and / or process.

	The more they enlarge, the more they'll want "the good stuff",
	Leica eventually to the lucky ones.

	--> MAGAZINES tend to be supports for advertising dollars.
	In audio, they very seldom direct people to the real
	best purchases, performance wise, from a connoisseur's
	point of view, in all price brackets. (Audio is where I have
	real expertise. I'm leaving photography to you for a more
	"definitive" quality of information.) So a PC magazine
	(what sells more than PC magazines these days?), voicing
	a "best of" opinion remains a PC magazine talking about
	photography, but SELLING photography to the widest
	audience now available this side of TV and FM marketing,
	an affluent audience able to afford a Digilux Zoom, for instance.

	YET, I sort of expect most consumer grade PC (and MAC)
	to be used more and more for "multimedia" purposes.
	We may be witnessing the re-birth of digital photography
	with a more palatable PURCHASE RATIONALE for the
	general public, as the Internet continues to grow.
	So, in this context, PC magazines may wind up with quite
	an increase of percentage of "multimedia" content,
	perhaps as on-line "pay per view" extensions, not so far away.

	To them, film-based photography is only a make-shift
	for digital (photography), their home base market.
	Perhaps do they expect film to go the way of vinyl LPs ... ?
	A narrow, vertical niche market ...

	Unlikely to get an established pro like you excited but very likely
	to provide quite an avenue for newcomers to photography,
	digital photography that is. [ I actually wonder how they're
	going to make their profits without the expensive consumables
	they are used to benefit from, day in, day out: film notably,
	in consumer markets. I still have to read about digital x-rays ...
	yes the Catscans and NMRs are digital media ... ]

	So, in the end, "real" photography may survive because
	PC magazines + technology + general availability (and
	acceptance --> read "excitement" ) of digital photography
	gets more people interested in the whole thing
	and those more demanding from the digital scene
	"convert" to "real" photography as their expectations and
	proficiency keep growing, eventually to become Leicaphiles, too,
	with a new generation of star photographers,
	brought up in "computer art", digital photography and such.

	Have you ever tried "remote viewing" the "new" Leicas,
	10, 15, 20 years from now ?

	AJQ