Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/08/22

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Subject: RE: [Leica] digitalrebel
From: Adam Bridge <abridge@mac.com>
Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2003 11:02:54 -0700

> A 5 mgp camera may enable the photographer to produce technically-competetive 
> images for a year or so but the digital bar keeps getting raised at a rapid 
> pace, making the entire camera technically obsolete.

Unfortunately this agrument will always work as long as the technology improves.

Which would mean that no one would every by a digital camera because at some
point, perhaps tomorrow, perhaps five years from now, there would be a better
camera.

Which is silly. No one would buy a computer or a television if that were true
because there will always be something faster/better/improved which will render
their current purchase "obsolete."

The question is: for your application is the current technology suitable for the
purpose at hand and do you need the benefits of that technology for your
application? If the answer is "yes" then you'd be a dolt not to employ it.

If, on the other hand, it's merely "nice" to have then waiting for the next
product generation will result in something better or the same thing at a
cheaper price.

If you have an old 50mm f2.0 Summicron should you upgrade to the new version?
Perhaps you should. But is the old lens "obsolete"? I don't think so. It still
makes fine images, not as good as the current lens - but if you aren't going to
push the lens to its limit then you might never notice the difference.

Digital is, at once, simple and complex: it eliminates the time consuming and
potentially costly process of developing film and substitutes the time consuming
and potentially costly process of looking through all the images you've shot,
deciding what to archive and how to make that archive.

But a 5 MP digital camera today will make the same image 10 years from now as it
does now. So if you never ask more of it than what it can deliver you will be
just as happy as if you were shooting film. Indeed you will probably be able to
upgrade the firmware and improve your camera for a time.

It's a different world...and the same.

Adam Bridge
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