In a message dated 11/14/01 5:47:43 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> I do a monthly 8x10 photo portrait of selected employees for my work, > and the little 9 MB file from my cheap 3.3 map camera makes beautiful > prints. > > Many PJ photographers use 3+ map cameras, and their digital photos are > published regularly. Check out the following link for news for > professional digital photographers: > > http://www.robgalbraith.com/ > > Nothing you report here is untrue. But I would say PJs (even old-timers PJs like me), know their images don't have to be "photorealistic" in that most PJ images, film or digital, are printed on recycled, porous paper. Although most 3.3 Megapixel digitals can and do ultimately produce "viewable" images, they still don't produce "photorealistic" images. And even if they did, how many "Joe Six-packs" have printers*pr* capable of producing "photorealistic" images? *pr* While this debate goes on, the actual number of PCs being sold in declining sharply, indicating the saturation point of PCs is within sight. ***The numbers of PCs being sold to replace older units makes up 40%+ of the PCs being sold. 1. Until small format digital grows to the point an under $100, 6+ Megapixel digital camera can do what a $7.95 one-use or $49.95 P&S film camera can do, small format digital will continue to be what it really is: a worthy (but overpriced) substitute for the "instant gratification" (Polaroid) crowd. 2. Until and unless small format 6+ Megapixel digital is in the hands of "Joe Six-pack" in numbers closely approximating the number of $49.95 P&S small format film cameras out there, small format Digital's future is no brighter than Polaroids. 3. Medium format digital is the only "photorealistic" digital there is, at least at this point in time and into the near (25 year) future. 4. Until and unless ~all~ small format digital images can be made using the variety of lenses in (any) SLR film body, small format digital will always be just a "snapshot" level device. 5. Unless and until small format digital can use "available" light and expose shadow details as well as small format chemical cameras, small format digital will simply continue to be a means for nearly anyone to produce instantly "viewable" images cheaply. 6. Small format digital Vs. medium/large format digital arguments only repeat the argument some small format film advocates have produced in their still vain attempts to "run with the big dogs." 7. Digital imaging is alive and well in medium & 4x5 large format cameras/backs. Even there, the best digital images, from two-page magazine spreads to Blimps, are being produced from medium format film backs, the massive data within the negative being further extrapolated and enhanced by powerful computer imaging techniques. I like digital. It just hasn't arrived in small format digital imaging yet. Mafud [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] - 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 .
