Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/06/13
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]B.D. It is not just the spare parts. If you are going to stay in film, then you need to look at the whole food chain. Buggy whips are a pretty simple concept not too dependant on outside parts suppliers. But in film, first you need the film which in 35mm requires film cans and take up spools. Then chemistry which is being more and more regulated not only in manufacture and disposal but also in transportation. If you are going to use an enlarger then what are the key parts that if fail, kill the enterprise. Well, the bulb for one, but also some gears and fasteners. If you use a scanner, will the light source be available in five years? Will dedicated film scanners be available in five years? Will flat bed scanners with film attachments be available in five years? Again, we are not talking about low tech devices that the corner blacksmith can cobble together in a week or so. Larger formats are safer not only because contact prints are an option, but precision throughout the whole food chain is not so demanding. My personal thoughts are that the whole minerature film thing will come to a screeching halt fairly soon. Disposable cameras are keeping local amateur labs open and as the price of digital falls then that niche will fail pretty quickly. In the U.S. there is major talk from the drug chains of dropping C-41 capability and the other large retailers are downsizing their processor capabilities as machines fail. So, for film lovers, have a couple of freezers full of your favorite film. Learn to love stable developers that you can mix yourself. Know the critical parts in your food chain and have several spares. Try to think of some options should a key part of your work flow die. In my case that would be the film scanner: if I upgrade operating systems then the scanner I presently own will not migrate. So, I probably will wait for the new stuff and then for Nikon to upgrade their software on the 5000 to buy one. That should carry me for six or seven years. If you have been with me so far then you realise that there will be very few who will keep this up which will further drive the death of film for all but the most dedicated and the most artistic. When it is really difficult then those who use the rare silver gelatin process and have a good eye will be truly valued as objects d'art. Summarizing, in our complex industrial society, we are so dependant on a whole host of technologies that when a key element is removed, then the whole will be almost impossible to maintain. Don don.dory@gmail.com On 6/13/06, B. D. Colen <bdcolen@comcast.net> wrote: > > Of course it does, Gene - because it's digital. But it's abt the price of > a > Dmr and body, but is built like a tank, isn't retrofitted, has a > full-frame > 16 mgp sensor, full frame viewfinder, and what more do you need to know. > > Besides, Gene...the question isn't whether there are any other over priced > cameras, it's is the MD's price point realistic. ;-) > > But what the heck, you can always just throw some film in your JOBoh! > > Speaking of which...while the announcement says someone will keep > producing > spare parts and tanks, if I was dependant on one of those suckers I'd > stock > up now on spare parts for a lifetime. > > > ...... Original Message ....... > On Tue, 13 Jun 2006 00:02:54 EDT Grduprey@aol.com wrote: > >In a message dated 6/7/2006 11:53:28 AM Central Daylight Time, > >bdcolen@comcast.net writes: > >So when a Canon 5D full-frame camera costs $3.2K, and a 20D is, > >what, $1300, and so on, a price of $5K is insane for what one is buying - > >whether or not it mounts Leica glass > > > > > >And Canon is also selling a pretty fair amount of 1Ds's at $8K also. > Seems > >just as crazy to me. > > > >gene > > > >_______________________________________________ > >Leica Users Group. > >See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > ___ > Sent from handheld device. Please forgive any typos or spelling errors. > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >