[Leica] Digital vs film cost

[jayanand at gmail.com (Jayanand Govindaraj)]

Larry,
You have not taken into account the hardware and software required to
process digital images.
Cheers
Jayanand


On Tue, Jul 19, 2011 at 2:33 AM, Lawrence Zeitlin <lrzeitlin at 
gmail.com>wrote:

> Fortunately the cost of film vs. digital for Leica users can be settled
> with
> a sharp pencil and a pocket calculator. Everyone is right. It pays for the
> pros to switch, it is marginal for the advanced amateur, and a poor bargain
> for everyone else.
>
>
> Film cost of each frame including developing (approximate, based on
> Freestyle catalog):
>
> Category 1: B&W, bulk loaded, self processed = $.05
>
> Category 2: B&W, 36 exp. purchased rolls, commercially processed = $.20
>
> Category 3: Color, 36 exp. rolls, commercially processed = $.30
>
>
> Professional photographer:
>
> Has first class film equipment and lenses. Buys new digital body. Shoots
> 200
> frames a day, 40,000 frames per working year. Cost of new Leica or Canon
> body $7000.
>
> Category 1 - Digital break even point in 700 working days (10 years).
>
> Category 2 - Break even point in 175 days (about 6 months).
>
> Category 3 - Break even point in 117 days (about 4 months).
>
>
> Advanced amateur photographer (Typical LUG member)
>
> Has Leica M camera, several lenses. Buys M9 body. Shoots 30 frames a day,
> 9000 per year.
>
> Category 1: Break even point, 15.5 years.
>
> Category 2: Break even point, 3.9 years.
>
> Category 3: Break even point, 2.6 years.
>
>
> Casual Leica shooter, M body, some lenses, shoots 10 frames a day, 3000 per
> year.
>
> Category 1: Break even point, 47 years.
>
> Category 2: Break even point, 12 years.
>
> Category 3: Break even point, 7.8 years.
>
>
> Typical weekend photographer, uses camera on vacations, birthdays and
> holidays, shoots 300 pictures a year.
>
> FUGGEDABOUDIT - you won't live long enough to break even on a digital
> Leica.
> Stick to film.
>
>
> If you are not a pro or a compulsive shooter and you MUST have a digital
> Leica, buy a used M8 or wait to buy your used M9 until after the M10 is
> introduced. Incidentally the cost of a $7000 loan to buy a new camera is
> $420/year at a bank, $1120/year if charged to your credit card.
>
>
> Larry Z
>
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