Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/06/13

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Subject: [Leica] Digital Leica M
From: bdcolen at comcast.net (B. D. Colen)
Date: Tue Jun 13 08:52:05 2006

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.
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>> ___
>> Sent from handheld device. Please forgive any typos or spelling errors.
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
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>> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
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In reply to: Message from don.dory at gmail.com (Don Dory) ([Leica] Digital Leica M)