The end of film cameras gets a little closer...
 

Nikon today says it will stop making all but 2 35mm film cameras...

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/01/12/n....ap/index.html

the end of an era is near.

Alex

That's big news. Does this mean that digital is almost magazine quality?

at 10 - 12 megapixels, they have long since gone past magazine quality from a pure pixel standpoint. Remember, 35mm is really only about 3500X2400 points, so I suspect they are pretty much there. Standard magazine print quality isn't all that high... 300dpi means 8 1/2 x 11 pretty much 1 to 1, which gives the good quality. If digital is shooting that high, then there is no issue from pixel count.

There may be issues from the standpoint of color rendition or differences in reaction of film versus digital, etc. That is a seperate issue.

I know that pretty much all newspaper level stuff is done digital now...

Alex

I often wonder when digital will take over the medium format cameras.

I sold all my medium format equipment back in the late nineties before digital made it all nothing but collectors items.

Back when I was still doing computer consulting all the high end studios had already switched to all digital.

I wonder how long it will be before only specialty places will sell film?

I use to have an RB67 man I loved that tank LOL

That is also what I had. I even had the special soft-focus lens for it that came apart in the middle and you put the little discs in it.

Had Polaroid film backs for doing test shots. Mostly used the 55mm lens which is a wild angel on medium format but also had this monster long lens that looked like a bomb and weighed more then my whole camera bag for shooting wildlife. I loved the way the back rotated.

Nothing like lugging a RB67 into the swamp in the middle of August to shoot wildlife. I think my right arm is still bigger then my left from holding that beast.

I hated the darkroom. I hated waiting to see if the film came out correct. There is absolutely nothing that I miss about film.

Yes the rotating backs on the RB's were great stuff :) There was no way to horse that monster around to take a vertical shot LOL

I sold my whole setup for close to what I paid for it new.

They always held there price I bought the one I had in NYC used and it was only a few hundred less than new.

I still have my old M-645 :D