Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/06/13
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]No, of course it isn't - it is about the whole food chain, and the food chain is, as you note, breaking up. On 6/13/06 8:53 AM, "Don Dory" <don.dory@gmail.com> wrote: > 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 >> > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information