Bob Carnie said:
Hi Ed
Didn't want to burst your bubble but your statements need some clarification
as this thread is getting too long.
Not such thing as "too long a thread" as long as there is content. Its about content, afterall.. and while we have detoured into other terrain I don't think we have hardly left the subject.
Bob Carnie said:
durst usa -does retrofits for 8x10 condenser enlarger, call Jens and he can hook you up
Hardly as I'm in Germany. Jensen has some cool stuff but he's not set to serve the European marketplace. Luckily, however in contrast to North America, we have a very good supply of Durst gear floating around--- one needs to recall that Durst, like many of the other photographic companies in South Tirol, considers themself a German company and they had a very high share of the market (which is also fine given the very good quality).
Bob Carnie said:
durst Italy - produces an unit called a Lambda. We have been putting analog paper (fibre) for two years now elevatordigital.ca (oops a plug)
San Miguel Photo Lab have been using a DEVEERE digital retrofit for the last two years on their enlargers to produce fine art fibre prints
Image Press Germany - have been touting a digital fibre printer ( I don,t speak german but if I did I could tell you which unit they are using.I suspect it is the Mullerston unit which manufactures the Deveere unit.
I would not be suprised that Picto -France and a contender in the UK doesn't buy into this technology.
The trend to digital--- save some of the quad ink-jet stuff that have been penetrating into "Fine art" circles--- is and shall probably remain very much silver-halide based within the current technological horizon. Given, however, the cost of ownership of the technology and the product lifecycles the shift is from in house to services and we've seen a large rush of companies trying their luck.
Bob Carnie said:
To say analog is not vibrant ,is to say the least misleading, maybe in your world and your employees this is so. But not mine.
This is totally off Nicoles original post, but if I listen to you I will quit .
Why. The glory days of portrait photography too are well behind us but there are scores of portrait photographers still supporting their families with the trade--- and some, in fact, able to have a very good standard of living (although I don't quite expect any to the relative level that Richard Beard earned in the 1840s (which was as much as £125/day--- 1840s money-- in a time when the average yearly income was not even as much as £2/Day in 2004 money).
Bob Carnie said:
These advances in technology will require analog materials which will secure a supply of materials for Nicole and other young photographers to use for years to come.
I'd stay off from "will" (to much of a projection into a future of very volatile markets) and keep to "These advances in technology require analog materials ".
Given the low-tech nature of photographic papers and chemistries I see little reason why--- irrespective of the developments in the mainstream-- the "supply of materials for Nicole and other young photographers to use for years to come" should even be questioned. Paper art is not set to vanish and photography is hardly dead. I'm convinced that there is still tremendous potential for money to be made... But the old formulas and business models are finished... and the players all know it.. and given a lack of vision and flexibility of many.. its created a very doomsday feeling. Add the observation that the past Photokina was little more than a Photo-China--- and one considers the total collapse of the information technology markets following a high flying and senseless boom driven by false promises and ignorance-- then there is perhaps good reason to the songs I hear...
Well no kidding... I didn't think of stating the obvious. 
