Re: [Leica] Photokina perspective

["Margaret Jeffcoat" <margaret01@excelonline.com>]

Erwin: You pose a very interesting line ( digital ) for us to ponder. Do you
really think that Kodak would have gone to all of the R&DO to come out with
this wonderful line of Portra films, as well as all of those new slide
films, to let us all high and dry in the next few years??
 I'm primarily in the Portrait business and I must tell you that the ads
that are running now in the states and the quality of the images are really
lacking when they go up against traditional film. Yes there are systems out
there that are really doing a great job, if you have the 50 to 100 thousand
plus to get it up and going. A question that is becoming very common right
now (from clients) "Will this be Digital" We say no! Client says "Oh GOOD! I
don't like that!" We are being forced in some ways to use digital, but it is
the "Hybrid" as you call it. We shoot on 2 1/4 ax 2 3/4 and then do 100 meg.
scan and direct out put printing (both color and black and white). This
really looks good, you really can not tell that it's not film. Why do we do
this, because it's convenient and a more exacting way of doing the finishing
art work that is a part of the portraits we design with our clients. It
allows us to do the art work one time and get very consistent printing
results time after time, regardless of the size of the prints we produce.
But we do a lot of straight printing of "C" prints (maybe 75-80% of our out
put) and I really do not see the death noel of traditional film and
printing, nor do the people that do our printing for us. They tell me that
we will be doing more and more, but that it will be a long time (5-10yrs)
before we are even in the 50/50 film/digital area in order to keep our
businesses going. Look at Fuji and their new slide offerings, and the new
NPC professional film that they just released as well as four layer
technology with their other pro color negative films: these things don't
come down the pike for free. Do you really feel that a giant like Fuji would
not service both of these areas and work to keep film alive. My god man look
at all of those little point and shoot cameras out there, and more coming
everyday. They were made for one thing and one thing only: To sell FILM!!
(sorry I'm getting excited here). I think the rumors of the death of film
are greatly exaggerated. My 2 cents.
Cheers Wilber GFTBEx2
- ----- Original Message -----
From: Erwin Puts <imxputs@knoware.nl>
To: L U G <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Cc: <leica@topica.com>
Sent: Thursday, September 28, 2000 7:11 AM
Subject: [Leica] Photokina perspective


> This year's Photokina is most interesting from a longterm perspective. New
> developments in all areas, of course, but generally the industry now is
> consolidating with gradual improvements. Digital cameras with more pixels,
> higher resolution chips, film with less grain and better color accuracy
etc.
> The important theme, at least in my perspective, is this. Two years ago,
the
> analogue and digital world were nervously watching each other and the long
> term strategy and development and thus future of photography was clouded.
> Now we see several very important trends. Culturally, photography as a
craft
> is widening its scope to an imaging technique, with expanding goals. We
now
> have a seamless integration of imaging technology in the every-day flow of
> actions. Photography has always been conceived as an artform, close in
> character to painting, with its own language and techniques. We see now an
> increasing integration of imaging technology and information technology
> which brings a new way of communication with pictures and new ways of
> producing, manipulating and transforming images. The new
> "pixel-generation"will use a picture like a short note on the famous
yellow
> poste-it pieces. A picture is just a remark or a mental note, but always
> part of everyday life as a pencil is now. Remember, we are not talking
about
> dedicated snapshot photoraphers, we are talking here of the mass of people
> who in the past only took a few pictures at holiday time.
> The future is now undoubtedly digital. Canon in Germany repored that in
> value now digital has more than 50% of photographic turnover and 25% of
the
> number of cameras. Obviously the cheaper P&S cameras are responsible for
> this.
> That is fine. If digital had not arrived, photography woud be on its way
to
> extinction as the 8mm movie cameras and film have become.
> So I am very happy that the widening of scope, thanks to the pixelisation
of
> the picture, has happened. With this momentum, the analogue world can
> survive and prosper in a reduced market area.  If anything is clear at
this
> photokina, after talking to scores of companies in all areas, it it this:
> Digital will be the platform for the future, but analogue will secure its,
> admittedly shrunken, part of the market. Now that digital is the norm,
> analogue can reflect on its differences and strengths and define its own
> value. I am now sure that analogue will be able to profile its strong
points
> and secure interest by some companies. Maybe Kodak will drop analogue in a
> few years, or reduce its commitment to a few best selling films. But
> smaller, special-interest companies will find their very profitable niche
in
> this market and continue to develop new products. The fully digital route
> (capture, manipulation, transfer, distribution), the hybrid route
(analogue
> capture, digital storage and manipulation and printing) and the fully
> analogue route (analogue capture and analogue printing and physical
> distribution) will coexist and be used whenever its particular strengths
are
> required.
> Where does this leaves Leica? For now Leica is happy to provide products
> that can be used in all three routes, with the main theme in analogue and
> hybrid. I still prefer the fully analogue way because of world view,
> philosophy and image quality. I see the convenience of the hybrid way, and
I
> can appreciate the expanding scope of the digital imaging world to pervade
> into everyday life as an alternative way of communicating next to words
and
> language.
> Leica lenses are still best used in the fully analogue route as here they
> can shine with full force. But the rule now is to find your position
> somewhere between absolute excellence and satisfactory imagery. Leica
> supports both and adds emotion.
> More later.
>
> Erwin
>