Hello the list… Fist of all, forgive me for this long post. But I wanted to shere these thoughts with you. I just bought for my Club (an old-timer Car club) a new compact digital camera. Not a reflex, no. Just a standard 4 megapixel camera. A Casio QV4000.
To tell you the truth, I’m totally… surprised. Astonished. Converted ! First of all, I like and practice photography since the late 70’s. My first SLR was a PRAKTIKA MTL3 with a 50mm and a 135mm. Then my first PENTAX was a Me SUPER, bought new in 1981. I stayed with PENTAX since then (do not ask me why, it’s just like this…) and I used several Program A and SUPER A (I still have a SUPER A now), one Z-1 (that I still have), several Zoom 70 R and X (I have a 70-X)… On the lens side, my jewel collection is made of a 17mm f/4, an A 24mm f/2,8, two A 50mm f/1,4 and f/1,7, one A zoom 35-105 f/3,5 and one A 70-210 f/4… Like everyone of us I think, I started with black and white, easily developed in a quickly transformed bathroom. Then I tasted slide photography (with a number of bad photos far more important !). Now 90% of my pictures are colour prints. Since 1996, I scan the best of my prints, to use them for web or to duplicate 10x15cm prints on colour printer. The scanning operation being quite long (with my HP 6300C scanner) I often ask my lab to give me my photos on CD. The offered resolution of 1500 x 1000 pixel is (for my own use) sufficient. Well, for some years now, I practice “digital” photography, but with “classic” equipment. And then came the day when I used an “all digital camera”… and then for me, everything changed ! But what is so different from a 35mm SLR to an all digital camera ? One big only answer : instantaneity ! By viewing the pictures just after taking them, one feel about the same magic as with a Polaroid, but with even faster response, and above that, without the feeling of wasting a print if the shot is not good. What a pleasure to have the possibility to judge a shot immediately… The focus is not good ? One erase the picture and do it again. This part of the picture is too dark ? One re do several shots while overexposing until the right exposure is found. The subject moved or did not keep the pose ? One just has to ask a new second of attention and shoot again… All the tricky photographical situations can be approached without any fear; the photographer is reinsured and never comes back home without a couple of good photos ! Now that I am CERTAIN that digital photography will totally overpass chemical photography in a very short period of time, what an attitude to adopt ? At the date of today, my choice is very basic : either I buy for my personal use, one of these digital cameras, with a more or less futurist look, not often cute (the Casio QV 4000 is ugly!) and I try to resell all my old equipment, either I wait… But to wait for what ? To wait for a solution allowing me to reuse all, or part of my existing equipment. To wait for the successor of the e-film in 24x36mm size for instance, to be able to reuse my SUPER A and my Z-1 and theur accessories… To wait for PENTAX to manufacture 24x36mm digital backs for my SUPER A and my Z-1… Or to wait for PENTAX to make a true 24x36mm digital SLR to be able to reuse all my lenses… Today, to wait corresponds better to my photographer’s aspirations. I think I’m not alone in my case ! And in front of such a situation, what do the camera manufacturers think ? Why a so genius idea like the e-film has not given birth to a sellable product ? Have they received pressures from camera manufacturers ? Why the big manufacturers offer expensive equipment without any real interest for the amateurs ? Do they think they will push us to throw away all our ancient equipment, and buy one of their non finished digital mutants ? When will they offer us the digital equipment we are all waiting for ? A solution which should allow to "digitalise" all the existing park of SLR (like the e-film) would give to its promoters a significant amount of profits for years. An intermediate solution consisting of supplying 24x36mm digital backs, would be very widely acceptable. While the solution consisting of providing 24x36mm digital SLR cameras, where our existing lenses could be used would be acceptable as well. So what do they wait for ? - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
