Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/08/22
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Doug Herr wrote: > > Come on, BD - my 400mm Telyt is a 1968 design. My 280mm and 560mm lenses are > 1970 designs. The advances in film emulsions have made the images exposed > with these lenses quite competetive, technically at least. > > A digital capture device is no longer competetive in most respects in a couple > of years and is a very subtantial expense. > > My point is that the old cameras have been improving gradually over the > years at the cost of only a few dollars for another roll of film. > > Good points Doug, what most people overlook is that the camera is just a box that holds and guides the film past the optics. With film the emulsion is like software that is constantly upgraded while the camera can remain the same. In other words you can take a 2003 film emulsion and install it in a 1947 camera and have a state-of-the-art 2003 image. For example this image taken with a 1947 Leica lens and a 1955 M3 using 2003 TriX: http://www.streetphoto.net/images/im147.jpg A 56 year old lens and a 48 year old camera. Will a digital camera made in 2003 still be useable in 50 years? Not very likely. Remember, film is constantly being upgraded just like computer software. sl - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html