Another Mirage? Digital Insert for Film Cameras

cgw · Oct 7, 2023

Seems to be another version of that fabled vaporware "Silicon Film." Remember?

I guess hitching this stuff to Kickstarter saves face for the developers if the product is ultimately DOA?

A 20MP Sensor In a Film Canister Reinvigorates Vintage Analog Cameras

I'm Back Film enables photographers to convert analog cameras to digital without modification.

petapixel.com

Rickbb · Oct 7, 2023

When digital first became an option, most of the higher end bodies had an option to replace the stock back with a digital. Never took off due to cost and back then the quality of digital was poor.

cgw · Oct 7, 2023

Rickbb said:
When digital first became an option, most of the higher end bodies had an option to replace the stock back with a digital. Never took off due to cost and back then the quality of digital was poor.

Really? Don't recall any other than vaporware that promised that. Nikon? Canon? Show me...
Kodak's Nikon-based proto-DSLR comes to mind--that's it.

Rickbb · Oct 8, 2023

cgw said:
Really? Don't recall any other than vaporware that promised that. Nikon? Canon? Show me...
Kodak's Nikon-based proto-DSLR comes to mind--that's it.

Here's a link to one, high end medium format. Well beyond my budget though. I thought I had seen one for Nikon F bodies some years ago. I'll keep looking.

Hasselblad Digital CFV 50c Back for V-System {50MP} Back Only

www.keh.com

Here is what Wikipedia has to say. Seems they never took off as I mentioned. They mention the one Nikon digital back but was for NASA and not on the commercial market.

Digital camera back - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

cgw · Oct 8, 2023

After Silicon Film rolled out their prototype product around 2001, a parade of "slap a sensor where the 35mm film used to go" products followed--none to my knowledge worked or ever graced a store shelf once the promo hype faded. Digital backs for MF cameras were another matter entirely.

Silicon Film demos EFS-1

PMA 2001: Silicon Film Technologies today conducted the first public demonstration of its Electronic Film System (EFS turns a conventional 35mm SLR into a digital camera) technology to attendees at PMA 2001. They have also now upgraded to a 1.3 million pixel...

www.dpreview.com

vintagesnaps · Oct 8, 2023

This sounds vaguely familiar... I don't remember much about it. I just have digital and film bodies to work with the same lenses, not that hard to switch.