My Dad’s M8.2

[RIVI1969]

Thank you Nathan you know from time to time I get in a nostalgic mood and when than happens I simply grab my R-D1 and think I am shooting like in the old film days, besides, working my raw files with care I really don't miss a thing. But going back to the original point of this thread I don't think in 10 years digital cameras as we know them will be around, maybe computers won't have USB ports anymore, maybe only bluetooth capabilities... right now, the RED ONE digital video camera captures HD video with a 4000x3000 pixel sensor, which means it delivers 24 or 30 12MP frames per second, so what could we expect in the future?

 

[biggambi]

I did the maths before I bought mine. Going at this rate, it will have payed for itself in October 2009, when I take film/development costs into the equation. After that I can throw it away and get a new one. Of course, I don't have the pleasure of scanning films, but - hey! - you can't win'em all.

I did the exact same thing, and it made spending the money a lot easier.

 

[biggambi]

The second problem is that electronic components are not meant to be repaired, but replaced. So unlike the repair of mechanical devices, there's never been a culture of fixing circuit boards and other electronic parts. I'm not saying it can't be done; however, keeping any electronic device going over decades would require a whole new cadre of artisans who do these types of repairs. Look around -- there used to be a lot more shops that would fix TVs, radios, and audio components than there are now. The mindset (handed down from the previous generation) was to fix rather than throw away and replace. Electronic devices have come down in price enough that nobody thinks twice about pitching them out. And, most significantly for Leica, manufacturers don't make electronics to last either. So Leica would most definitely be swimming against the tide to create such a camera. Maybe we RFF nuts care about having an "heirloom" camera, but the rest of the world doesn't.

This speaks to part of what I was trying to convey, but I did not elaborate on the point. This problem is beyond throw away attitudes. It is rooted in the change in electronic surface mount technology, micro size components and proprietary chips. There is no inexpensive way to produce a single board for complex components. A simple example is the old electronic kits you could build. It was easy to solder or change a resistor or TRIAC, but things are not so with micro electronics. The best method to avoid difficulties is to limit the electronics and modularize the ones that will effectively alter the image quality. This is where a digital back could really create an easier system to change the most important part in my view - the sensor. Sensor technology will advance, and I will want to be able to address this in the future. If it is modular, it can be easily changed with the progression of technology or due to failure.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
With the recent info on the M8.2 it would appear that Leica has made some important rectifications to the original. But, it has also added features pointed to a less skilled group with the "S" feature. I think they really need to consider the skill level, and the needs of their existing community - build us a MP with a digital back. just white noise...

 

[NathanJD]

This speaks to part of what I was trying to convey, but I did not elaborate on the point. This problem is beyond throw away attitudes. It is rooted in the change in electronic surface mount technology, micro size components and proprietary chips. There is no inexpensive way to produce a single board for complex components. A simple example is the old electronic kits you could build. It was easy to solder or change a resistor or TRIAC, but things are not so with micro electronics. The best method to avoid difficulties is to limit the electronics and modularize the ones that will effectively alter the image quality. This is where a digital back could really create an easier system to change the most important part in my view - the sensor. Sensor technology will advance, and I will want to be able to address this in the future. If it is modular, it can be easily changed with the progression of technology or due to failure.

I love this modular concept – it’s something that has been a part of PCs for a very long time, maybe not on such a fine scale but should you want more power, save the odd sale boosting change in form factor now and again one can always add memory, go the next step up in the CPU, hard drive, sound card, graphics card etc... Wouldn’t it be great if that concept was one day carried over into items like cameras? Sadly I can’t see that happening – the likes of satellite TV boxes and games consoles are a precursor despite becoming more and more like PCs they are being brought out with deliberate restrictions in upgradeability even though their components could be easily modular, it doesn’t serve sales figures in what was until very recently a world where the common man has enough excess spare change to buy new instead of retain and maintain.

Maybe recent winds of economic change will prove me wrong and hit buying habits hard enough to constitute a regression to the latter – lord knows we’re seeing that here in the good old UK from food to houses.

 

[rolo]

Count myself lucky, or not, but i inherited my dad's microwave oven. Very surprised when it didn't hold its price as expected. Works perfectly apart from the interior light coming on. Is this an investment ??