A Digital Bessa?

[paxship]

How long do you think it will be before some enterprising soul will figure out how to take a Bessa L, T, R, R2, etc. and ...

1) Place a sensor at the film plane
2) Make/find/get a battery with a form factor similar to a 35mm film can
3) Create the necessary circuit boards and fit hem into voids in the back or into the bottom
4) Figure out where to put a CF slot
5) Place a LCD readout where the film ID window is and add some function buttons

3 months
6 months
a year
never

Why or why not?

 

[fredus]

Well, isn't that a Epson RD-1 ?

Fred

 

[paxship]

Fred --

Yes, but I was thinking about modifying existing Bessa.

 

[gelmir]

That could be done but that's a lot of work. A few things I'm thinking about : buying a sensor (where ?), buying a embedded software development kit (a probe for realtime development costs a lot), design the board (RAM, processor, etc.), coding all the sofware (like adapting the sensibility, writing from the RAM to the CF, synchronizing the capture with the shutter, reading the shutter speed, etc.)
And I don't think there's a development kit associated with a sensor available for amateurs who want to build his own digital camera in his garage 😉

Not impossible but that's a full time job.

 

[aizan]

never. used rd-1 prices will come down and there won't be a point.

 

[TEZillman]

Hi!

This is my first posting. Your thread brought back a memory of a company tht tried to do just what you are suggesting in the late 90s. I wrote an article based on the thought at the time for a financial newsletter. The jist of the article was that the concept would never work as the development cycle for digital imaging was too fast for an undercapitalized company to work in and the companies with the capital wouldn't want to develop a product to be used with old technology. The profits are far greater in offering a new product and the development costs are less. I found a couple old URLs about the company:
http://www.epi-centre.com/reports/imagek.html
http://www.dpreview.com/news/9909/99090501siliconfilm.asp

Tom

 

[Fedzilla_Bob]

1) I suppose someone could canibalize an existing camera to do this
2) Ah, the battery... usually rechargable, bulkier than most since the ccd likely requires more power than the simple meter in something like the bessa. Add an LCD for image review and the requirements get even higher
3) I don't think there are many voids left in something like a Bessa.
4) See #3
5) See #2

I would have to say its not very likely. Which allows me to equivocate-- someone will try, I'm sure. I know that at least one member here as already put out a call for extra parts for such an experiment.

What I would like to see is someone like Canon create something like the Canonet, only digital. It would be a rangefinder focused, fixed lens camera. No need for auto-focus circuitry or the programming to support it. Concievably they could borrow from the dies they already have for the Powershot G6 with limited alteration. A thicker outershell similar to that on the Powershot Pro1 would be desirable as well. The sensor from either the G6 or the Pro1 would also be very nice.

Oh, add a good ttl sensor and match needle metering in the viewfinder, lose the in-body flash and add a good flash shoe like those on the G6 and Pro1. That way it would use the current line of EOS flash units

I also imagine a company like Canon could do this at a much lower price point than Epson. If they did this and succeeded they could follow with a digital version of the canon 7, with a line of lenses that replicate the serenar line. Now that would be sweet.

Bob H

 

[atelier7]

Paxship, i was wondering about the exact same thing ...

 

[paxship]

Using Tzillman's info, I went to the dperview site and followed their link to the Silicon Film site. They are in Illionos and have a working telephone number. It seems that the proof of concept exists.

 

[rich815]

I'll bet there's a non-compete because of the Epson RD-1. If for some reason that partnership falls by the way-side we'd definitely see a digital Bessa.

 

[Fedzilla_Bob]

From what I have heard here, the person at the top of Cosina's camera and lens design team is not a digital fan and that the RD-1 exists merely because they were contracted by Epson to execute the form and manufacturing.

So, I am not so sure that a digital Bessa would happen.

 

[Fedzilla_Bob]

But a digital Argus C-44 that's another story 😀

 

[sychan]

The other day I realized that those old Kodak modified Nikon SLR's would make a good starting point for a camera hacker to see about grafting a digital sensor onto the back of something like a Bessa. I sometimes see just the digital back for the N90x variant selling for something like $200.

Given how big and clunky those backs are, perhaps they should be grafted onto the back of a Fed 5 and not a Bessa...

 

[wlewisiii]

I keep thinking that a Kiev 4 back and a cheap digicam is a match made in heaven...

Well, at least a camera geek's heaven 😀

William

 

[RML]

All elements (sensors, circuitry (sp?), etc) are getting smaller or thinner by the year. Eventually someone will come up with elements small/ thin/ flexible enough that they can be stuffed into a boned RF. Whether it'll be a economically viable project is another matter but technically it'll be possible if not this year than perhaps in another 5 years.