Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/07/24
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]don't give up on film quite yet, see ten times faster film emulsions page: http://www.cnrs.fr/cw/en/pres/compress/emulsionsphoto.html quote: The yield is then _eff = 2 silver atoms per photon, i.e. 10 times higher than prior yields. The mechanism is such that the number of atoms is proportional to the number of photons in a very wide range of light intensities, including zero or low exposure, and that the sensitivity gain does not suffer from any accompanying fogging effect. endquote: it is also unlikely that future digicams will be able to use much smaller sensors due to issues like wavelengths of light and noise levels, viz: http://www.dpreview.com/news/0009/00091102foveon16mp.asp quote:Mr. Mead said that because of fundamental size limits in the wavelengths of light, it is unlikely that future digital sensors will gain much additional resolution. endquote (Mead developed 16 MP Foveon chip) Assuming that Agfa et. al. come out with 10X faster films as hoped and now evidently technically possible, with better linearity and less fogging, that translates into 3+ stops speed for film, and about equal light efficiency to current CCD sensors (unless you intend to supercool your chips?). Granted, digicams will be able to do software tricks, and image intensifying tubes or technology will be available (but also to film cameras?). But the technology wars aren't over yet, and they aren't so one-sided as many would have us believe ;-) grins bobm * Robert Monaghan POB752182 Dallas Tx 75275-2182 rmonagha@mail.smu.edu * * Third Party 35mm Lenses: http://www.smu.edu/~rmonagha/third/index.html * * Medium Format Cameras: http://www.smu.edu/~rmonagha/mf/index.html megasite*