Hi there,
I'm back from the wet rainy hills. Thankfully my view camera didn't short-circuit. Now that I'm cosy and safe behind (or in front of?) my computer screen, I'll have all the time to composite a few terrible images on photoshop in the rain.
Okay...a few responses to your points:
"Wrong! Advances in technology automatically means smaller (or larger), finer and generally better else it would not be an advance"
I wonder if this opinion could be justified. I'd love to hear why it's wrong. What's said is not an argument for technology and quality having any relationship. If defining McDonalds as the epitome of quality works for you, I'll have to leave you to enjoy your beefburger in peace
I just explained why it's wrong, by it's very definition it's not an advance unless something improves.
I don't believe I defined McDonalds as the epitome of quality, you appear to have claimed I did.
The length of this thread is devoted to the question of whether medium and large format cameras are a dying breed: arguing that digital has got to the resolution power of 35mm film
(now that Technical Pan is discontinued?) doesn't address the question of "why" many photographers won't be ditching medium and large format kit. In the example I stated that the new Hasselblad 22megapixel camera still failed to resolve anywhere as close as the detail of medium and large format film using fine grained film which is equivalent to 72Megapixels of camera when drumscanned. That's why I feel "Digital just isn't there yet."
And you're absolutely right!
It may very well be an elitist argument, but it's an unfair world. My camera is way bigger than yours. A heck of a lot bigger. My tripod is way bigger than yours. My film bags are way bigger than yours. And my lenses! Whoo! Don't even try and imagine how big these are! I know it's a paltry male thing to be comparing sizes, but when it comes to quality, the small widdler of a 6MP just doesn't compare. Fancy helping me carry all this heavy kit sometime?
We agree! At present digital can't begin to compare with medium or large format but will it? I bet it will and in the not too distant future.
Look on the brightside, with all that kit you lug around, not only do you get super high resolution images you also get a good work-out!
" Moore's law, simply stated, says that the number of transistors in a microprocessor will double every 18 months."
The problem is that the above is simply stated without thought about the future developmental limitations of digital. Thus far, and no further? Go one step further. The number of transistors doubles and rises exponentially: " technology advances in exponential leaps." And What happens at critical mass? Wake up!
I don't understand what you mean by "critical mass", the number of transistors (or more correctly "switching elements") in a microprocessor has absolutely nothing to do with nuclear fission reactions and your exclamation to "wake up!" smacks of technophobia.
One analogy: cancer cells in an organism can stay undetected for years as their 'growth' doubles over a period of time. At critical mass, a threshold is reached when the organism crumples under the loaded mass of the cancer's exponential growth. TThe organism then deteriorates rapidly. Comparing digital to cancer isn't necessarily a helpful analogy, however the result of exponential development is limited: it is unfounded to believe that technology can keep on developing exponentially without limitations.
Comparing digital to cancer is a ridiculous analogy and another sign of technophobia.
It is logical that technology cannot keep developing exponentially but the limits aren't in sight yet.
"You're correct in that there's always a market for "cheaper" but there's a far greater one for "better".
Young idealism has its virtues, but also needs to believe in progress and improvement in the face of adversity..
Wish I was a young idealist but thanks for the compliment!
History counters us otherwise: 35mm film was invented by Leica for convenience in an era of bulkier, higher quality medium format kit. The marketing was impeccable, and the 6x6cm folding camera died by the late 1950's. Today the marketing is still there: fancy a custom made green alligator skinned Leica MP for a 35mm camera costing a quarter the price of a digital one?
So why didn't it sell? Obviously it didn't meet a market need.
The problem of blowing pixels is never going to affect the majority: just the minority. And the problem will become more apparent over years: something which is inevitable when technological products fail. Trying to get a quote to fix my Kodak 14 megapixel camera for a blown pixel which shows up: the bright spot shows up especially when images are interpolated through enlargement. This isn't an argument against digital: it's a reason to stay with medium or large format which is more reliable out in the hills. The last quote I had for mine was £3000 to repair the sensor (and it wasn't just dust on the sensor either).
"The classic "strawman" argument. How many 6Mp cameras have that problem today (not that you'd notice it anyway)"
I love the agricultural reference; hicks do!
It's not an agricultural reference, check your dictionary.
I'm not doing a survey either. Firstly 6MP cameras aren't medium format quality let alone large format. A snapshooter getting 6x4cm prints from his 6MP won't notice. Once you start wide-format printing 40"x50", 6MP isn't going to fill even the lower bottom corner of your print and hold any quality. I'm thinking too that this point is focussing only on resolution: to say nothing about tonal rendition: colour balance: bokeh and contrast.
Definitely agree that 6Mp doesn't cut it for large high quality prints and even the 14Mp or 22Mp's have their limitations but the day is coming when digital will compete with medium and large format, it's just not there yet.
A 6MP is a fine start for any photographer, but life doesn't end with the number of pixels you have. It's fine to be enthusiastic about the new purchase of a 6MP toy, but think wide: think large. Think large format
"Maybe you're already there? Laughing"
I'm smiling at that
Have a good day too. I'm not out to anti-dgitise anyone btw - I've tried it, but it just doesn't work for me: other medium and large format users reflect the same findings, although the advertising hype to abandon film is very seductive.
Best wishes.
I hope you too have a very good day and enjoy your photography!