Dario wrote:
> Your opinions make some sense (except when you say that Hasselbad-Imacon > hasn't the know-how for making digital cameras). But none of these companies can have any hope of making digital solutions that are competitive to the extent that they have any hope of being mass market in any meaning of the word. >However, they are just > respectable opinions and wishes, IMO not so much supported by current market > trends. But "trends" are dependend on price. Further price drop will move the market towards larger sensors. Theres no reason why such tendencises should stop at 35mm. > > It is a fact that when pro DLSR's were around 3-4 Mpix, MF digital backs > sold rather well, while now they no longer do. As I wrote for ages (with > little approval here), in practical use digital APS format replaces 35mm, > while digital 24x36mm replaces MF. Most amateur photographers don't believe > that, while many (not sure if most) pros do that every day. Sure, but this is a description of the situation at a certain point in time. However, due to dropping prices and new technology this state is in constant flux. It may have made sense to buy outrageously priced MF backs when affordable digital cameras had substandard image quality, just like buying a $20 000 Personal Computer once upon a time made (some) sense as well. > So at the end digital MF will be more or less equivalent to film LF, both in > performance and sales. That fully depends on the price. > > I'm afraid that within one year or so most MF makers will be either out of > business or downsized to niche players, selling a few hundred cameras a year > worldwide (just like LF makers were in the past), including those backed up > by strong digital technology (like Hasselblad-Imacon is for sure). Of > course, I can be wrong. We'll check next year. I agree with this. I doubt however that the digital back solution is going to be with us in the future. I see a medium format based DSLR as no different in principle than any other DSLR. In the future some DSLR will have APS sized sensors, oher 35mm sized ones and some larger than 35mm. P�l
