[Leica] Digital make over: comments?

[Alastair Firkin <firkin@ncable.net.au>]

With all the talk about digital cameras, scanners and printers, I feel 
the
LUG is a good place to ask this question: Advice please. Here is the 
problem:

I am a doctor in my mid 40’s, a family man, well off, and interested in
photography for many years. I have always used slide film to document my
family and holidays, and have a useful array of N---- equipment (manual
bodies in good working order), BUT, I have been lured by the excitement 
and
advertising surrounding digital cameras, the internet and broad band 
access,
and am wanting to fall in to line with the way of consumerism. I would 
like
a total solution, which will allow me to incorporate my old images, and 
I’m
happy to spend a reasonable amount of cash. I have been down to shops 
and
surfed the internet. I’ve been offered film scanners, flat bed scanners,
digital cameras both p & s and high end (and not very much as a trade 
in ;-)
) I have begun the process by aquiring a modern computer and installing
broadband internet access. Where should I go with digital equipment?

My answer was in two parts, one cheaper than the other, and dependent 
on his
desire to use digital cameras.

1. If you want to go digital, and want to have a set up which will rival
your current analog system (in terms of being able to have display 
prints),
you will need to have an slr digital camera with a minimum of 6 
megapixels.
You will probably want to have a smaller compact p & S but I would not
consider anything less than 2 megapixel and would think 3 or 4 would be
smarter. Iff you do not want to print from your digitized slides, you 
will
probably be happy with a top range flat bed reflective/transmissive 
epson
scanner such as the 3200, but if you want to print from the slides, you 
will
have to go to the expense of a film scanner. Nikon make the 4000 and 
there
is a slide feeder, Minolta’s is reported to be almost as good, but I 
don’t
know if they have a feeder. To print, you have two options, make files 
and
take them down to the processor for printing – my option, or and ink jet
printer at home: the later is slow, the consumables are expensive, and 
they
become expensive if you want prints bigger than A4 size. For snap 
shots, I
find it hard to believe that anyone would use an ink jet solution, and
remember, you are busy and do not have much spare time.

2. Keep your film based system, but instead of having prints made, go 
to a Fuji based shop, where they scan the negatives before printing 
anyway. These files are quite good enough for a 10 x 8 print, will 
allow you to catelog your images, and save you a fortune in high end 
digital cameras. Continue using slides on your trips and put the money 
you save into a top film scanner with slide feeder attachment to catch 
up on your previous trips. Get a good 4 to 5 megapixel point and shoot 
compact digital camera, use the lab to print digital files, and try it 
out for 12 to 24 months: if you become a digital sort of guy, you can 
now invest in the digital SLR, which will eventually save you money on 
film anyway.

I'll be there in 2 years, waiting for my digital back to the R8 ;-)

Comments?

Alastair

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