Ironic that a discussion on "Digital Detox" is taking place on an Internet Forum.
digital Detox
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Retro-Grouch
Veteran
But not all digital is toxic, and I don't think RFF is! But so much of what is toxic in our world comes to us exclusively through digital media, so it's easy to feel that everything that reaches us that way is.
My outlet for Digital Detox is to use a lens that was designed without the aid of a computer and to convert it to Leica mount myself.
My optical engineers remarked- "But Brian, computers really did make it easier".
My optical engineers remarked- "But Brian, computers really did make it easier".
Mos6502
Well-known
The basic problem is this: nice, decent people, don't like to boss people around and tell them how to live. Which unfortunately means the world gets run by the worst jerks. It's hard to convince an honest man to get into politics (and even harder to get people to back him) if only to deny that power to some mutated brute who would use it to do evil, but unfortunately that is essentially how it must work, otherwise we see the things we now see happening.
Social media, which specializes in the destruction of nuance, and the development of willful stupidity has certainly pushed things in the wrong direction very quickly. We now live in a factoid and soundbite society, where thinking is evil, compassion is sin, and being stupid and brutish is considered manly.
Social media, which specializes in the destruction of nuance, and the development of willful stupidity has certainly pushed things in the wrong direction very quickly. We now live in a factoid and soundbite society, where thinking is evil, compassion is sin, and being stupid and brutish is considered manly.
JeffS7444
Well-known
I feel like I've been subjected to so much technological + societal change that I have difficulty making sense of it sometimes. But I'm not just talking about the last few months or years: It feels like it's been happening pretty much my entire life. But having said that, I don't see internet, devices and apps being inherently "toxic".
I've got mechanical wristwatches, windup alarm clocks, fountain pens, phonograph records, vacuum tubes and yes, film cameras. But they're there for my amusement, not as a rejection of all things digital.
I've got mechanical wristwatches, windup alarm clocks, fountain pens, phonograph records, vacuum tubes and yes, film cameras. But they're there for my amusement, not as a rejection of all things digital.
DownUnder
Vamoosed (for a while)
Yes and no. We have an ancient Nikon D90 with 16,000 'actuations' still functioning well tho' now and then it starts washing out all the mid tones and I have to do a few resets to put it back on track. Ditto my D700s, one has 130K+ and the other only 9K (it had <5K when I bought it in 2019). Ditto ditto a Panasonic Lumix GF1 from ca 2009 which I've owned for many years, also my D800s which came with <10,000 clicks each. All bought second hand BTW, excepting the D90 which was a new purchase. A Canon 450D kit I had for a year before the D90 is still used by a friend. Those old digital cameras can last, but I'm not so sure about the latest new 'crop'.
All my Nikons have been checked and CLA'd a few times, usually every 4-5 years. I use them solely for on the go photography (= in my Asia travels). I've never made any use of multi images or for that matter video, which the D700s don't have anyway.
To sum all this up, my Nikons have all been 'babied', which may be the way to keep them working long-term.
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Dogman
Veteran
The US Air Force still uses the B-52 Stratofortress. It's almost as old as I am, having been built from 1952-1962. Some things just work and work for a very long time. The B-52 gets updated as necessary and I'm sure the electronics on board these things are a lot more complicated than what's inside my cameras. The aircraft started off in an analog world but it's working fine in the digital age.
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bulevardi
Well-known
Stratofortress, also a song by Stratovarius.
Seen this band a couple of times... 20 years ago.
raydm6
Yay! Cameras! 🙈🙉🙊┌( ಠ_ಠ)┘ [◉"]
Last decade, I worked for a defense subcontractor on an upgrade program for the B-52H (can't get into details).
An amazing aircraft and engineering feat!
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Godfrey
somewhat colored
My Olympus E-1 is a professional grade camera that, body only, cost somewhere near $2500 in 2003, when it was new. I bought it in perfect working order in 2006-2007 for $200 or some such ... It is still in perfect working condition and still does the job it was designed for in 2003 very nicely. It's brilliantly designed, rugged as can be, water resistant, and ergonomically the best SLR I've ever owned. The lenses are outstanding, batteries are available and don't cost a fortune. The downsides are that it's "only" 5Mpixel resolution, the write speed to the card is quite slow (but it buffers up to 12 exposures, so the slow write speed really doesn't get in the way very much), and its LCD display is teensy by modern standards. Twenty-two years old and still working fine ... Nothing in it was meant to crap out in the short term. It has survived a lot of use and abuse well, and looks to keep on going for the foreseeable future.
My modern digital cameras (Leica M and Hasselblad 907x) have a lot more pixel resolution, seem similarly well made (they're much much younger so no test of time yet), and much faster in operation. I doubt they were "meant to crap out sooner or later" either, although they likely will cease to function someday as components age out.
Note that every one of the many mechanical film cameras I've purchased over the past ten years have required a complete service at least and some repairs as well for most of them. They were also not intended to last forever; nothing can be. All of these things, both film and digital cameras, are simply machines with a lifespan. Just like cars, appliances, and everything else made in the world.
If you look at the nonsense gabble of social media and vilify "digital" on that basis, it says more about you and your limits of perception than it does about "digital". Social media is simply very similar to what passes for the news media these days ... forgettable infotainment by clowns on a stage.
G
Out to Lunch
Ventor
The first B-52H was delivered in 1961.
raydm6
Yay! Cameras! 🙈🙉🙊┌( ಠ_ಠ)┘ [◉"]
When I worked on an upgrade program, word was that the B-52H will be decommissioned sometime in the 2040’s. Now it appears they are shooting for the 2050’s which may hit the 100-year mark.
That’s Barnack territory! 🙂
From ChatGPT:
“The U.S. Air Force plans to keep the B-52 Stratofortress in service until at least 2050, nearly 95 years after the aircraft first entered service. This extended service life is made possible through a comprehensive modernization program aimed at updating the bomber's engines, radar, avionics, and weapons systems.(Wikipedia, Air Force Times)
In summary, the B-52 Stratofortress is not being decommissioned in the near future. Instead, it is undergoing significant upgrades to extend its service life well into the second half of the 21st century.”
I always loved this image:
That’s Barnack territory! 🙂
From ChatGPT:
“The U.S. Air Force plans to keep the B-52 Stratofortress in service until at least 2050, nearly 95 years after the aircraft first entered service. This extended service life is made possible through a comprehensive modernization program aimed at updating the bomber's engines, radar, avionics, and weapons systems.(Wikipedia, Air Force Times)
Key Modernization Efforts
- Engine Replacement: The B-52's original Pratt & Whitney TF33 engines, dating back to the 1960s, are being replaced with Rolls-Royce F130 engines under the $2.6 billion Commercial Engine Replacement Program. The first modified B-52s are expected to be delivered by the end of 2028, with the entire fleet upgraded by 2035. (Air Force Times, 19FortyFive)
- Radar and Avionics Upgrades: The B-52 is receiving a new radar system and digital avionics to enhance its capabilities and ensure compatibility with modern weapons systems. However, these upgrades have encountered cost increases and delays, with the radar modernization program's cost estimate growing from $2.3 billion in 2021 to $3.3 billion as of March 2024. (Air Force Times, Air Force Times)
- Crew Reduction: The Air Force is consolidating the roles of the electronic warfare officer and navigator into a single position, reducing the B-52's crew size from five to four. This change is part of the Global Strike Command's B-52 Quad Crew Program and is expected to improve operational efficiency. (L3Harris® Fast. Forward.)
Future Outlook
While the B-52 is expected to remain operational into the 2050s, the Air Force is also developing the B-21 Raider, a next-generation stealth bomber. The B-21 is intended to complement and eventually replace the B-52, but the timeline for this transition remains uncertain. In the meantime, the B-52 continues to play a vital role in the U.S. military's strategic deterrence and global strike capabilities.(U.S. Air Force)In summary, the B-52 Stratofortress is not being decommissioned in the near future. Instead, it is undergoing significant upgrades to extend its service life well into the second half of the 21st century.”
I always loved this image:
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The B-52 originally used Pratt and Whitney J-57 Turbojets. The B-52H used the TF-33 Turbofans.
The J-57 was also used in the F100 Super-Sabre and F-101 Voodoo, andmany more planes of the 1950s.
en.wikipedia.org
The J-57 was also used in the F100 Super-Sabre and F-101 Voodoo, andmany more planes of the 1950s.
Pratt & Whitney J57 - Wikipedia
wlewisiii
Veteran
Now they'll be getting re-engined again with the F130 version of this Rolls-Royce BR700 - Wikipedia and being called the B-52J.
There has been at least one 3rd generation B-52 pilot. I'm waiting to hear of the first 4th generation pilot of one.
There has been at least one 3rd generation B-52 pilot. I'm waiting to hear of the first 4th generation pilot of one.
boojum
Ignoble Miscreant
The B52 has interested me because it has been around for so long. But i is a solution to an engineering problem, and apparently it is a very good solution.
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Rayt
Nonplayer Character
My first digital was the Sony Mavica that took a floppy disc. My son was born two months premature and on my way to the hospital I bought whatever within my budget. I took a beautiful shot of my son cradling on the hand of the er nurse as he was being fed with a tube. I lost the photo unfortunately. My second digital was an Olympus E-1 a truly remarkable camera. I never gave up film and at the moment have an M4 loaded with XP2 on me so back then I really had them for family outings. The CCD sensor on the E-1 reminded me of the M8 I owned later.
AusDLK
Famous Photographer
the FuijiFilm Instax Wide Evo is the perfect new digital-analog dream camera. hard to imagine how it could be any better. my romance with the various new and improved Polaroid SX-70 cameras is over. Fuji Evo is the clear winner and it's not even close. a SX-70 camera is so much retro fun to use but as a reliable picture taking machine in 2025, it totally stinks in comparison. sad but true.
Rayt
Nonplayer Character
Fuji used to make instant pack film that could be used in certain large format film backs. The quality was pretty good.
AusDLK
Famous Photographer
i'm not certain that Fuji makes/made an Instax Wide back but Lomography definitely does. i have one fitted to the back of a Model 180 Land Camera, my only remaining Polaroid.
Rayt
Nonplayer Character
Fuji FP3000b pull apart film for 4x5 film pack holders. There’s a color version FP100c. Both discontinued 2013 or so. This is from Matt Osborn’s (aka Mr Leica) Flickr page:
