Nothing new under the sun...

[jjstafford]

Disregarding the recapitulation of photography through the digital movement, I submit that there is Nothing New Under the Sun for conventional photo hardware; we are complete - however there remains an infinite number of photographs yet to be made. It seems the ideal demarcation for mavens in both camps; I remain analog - outside the day job.

Rebuttal, comments.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

We still don't have the Minox view camera. Consider the possibilities!

 

[Donald Qualls]

"Also available (at extra cost): the 20x microscopic reflex viewer -- indispensible for verifying depth of field and Schiempflug movements! Like all accessories for the Minox View, this one is available in International Orange, for those who must work over grass or shag carpet."

 

[phfitz]

Hi there,

Still need a motor drive for my 8X10 Ansco, AE back would be nice too.

Smile.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Hi there,

Still need a motor drive for my 8X10 Ansco, AE back would be nice too.

Smile.

I think the fine folks at Graflex are working on those. You've seen the Grafocus back, yes?--

http://www.graflex.org/articles/auto-focus.html

 

[phfitz]

Hi David,

Nice link but I'm confused. They had auto-diaphrams on the RB series, speed selector on the SpeedGraphics and now an auto focus back. If they can only get Canon on board with image stabilizing software...

Just think of the market for an auto-everything, point and shoot 5X7. If they could get Metz onboard for OTF-TTL flash, it would be the perfect wedding camera.

LOL

 

[shyguy]

how about a flawless zoom for LF from say 90 to 400.

S.

 

[Dan Fromm]

how about a flawless zoom for LF from say 90 to 400.

S.

If you've got the money, honey, I'm sure Zeiss has the time.

 

[Ian Grant]

We still don't have the Minox view camera. Consider the possibilities!

While not a Minox; Ilford sold a 35mm Monorail camera back in the early 1960's.

The camera an Ilford KI Monobar, was manufactured for them by Kennedy Instruments, it offered the technical movements usually featured only on larger format cameras.

Ian

 

[jjstafford]

Hi there,

Still need a motor drive for my 8X10 Ansco, AE back would be nice too.

Smile.

Had 'em in 9x9" aerial recon cameras... talk about a spendy platform.

 

[Dan Fromm]

Had 'em in 9x9" aerial recon cameras... talk about a spendy platform.

Also in smaller ones. The people who use that class of kit don't know the meaning of money.

Cheers,

Dan

 

[jd callow]

a small (as in no larger than needed), handholdable 6x9 RF with interchangable, rf coupled, leaf shutter, lenses in focal lengths of 35 - 180mm and wide apetures of f2,8 or 3,5.

 

[David H. Bebbington]

a small (as in no larger than needed), handholdable 6x9 RF with interchangable, rf coupled, leaf shutter, lenses in focal lengths of 35 - 180mm and wide apetures of f2,8 or 3,5.

I'd like one of these, too, but the demand always seems just a bit too small - witness the demise of the Mamiya Press and the Fuji rangefinders - Mark I (which I've never seen) of the GW690 apparently did have interchangeable lenses, the whole series has of course now been discontinued.

 

[Donald Qualls]

a small (as in no larger than needed), handholdable 6x9 RF with interchangable, rf coupled, leaf shutter, lenses in focal lengths of 35 - 180mm and wide apetures of f2,8 or 3,5.

Sounds like you just described a Miniature Speed Graphic (with either Kalart or top RF; Kalart is more versatile, doesn't require matched cams) -- except that also has the focal plane shutter, in case you need to use a barrel lens or your leaf shutter is too slow. Takes sheet film or rolls with the adapter (the later 23 roll backs even had lever advance and automatic framing). Let's see, that was, what, 1940? Or little earlier?

Well, okay, the Baby Speed doesn't have room in the front standard for big glass, and the bellows will get pretty solid at about 65 mm focal length...

 

[blansky]

I feel that I've added a lot to the field already with my incredible Glowworm as well as the amazing Nutball Filter.

But a weight loss portrait lens would be handly. Takes off the ten pounds that normal photography seems to add, plus an additional ten.

Unfortunately, can't be used with super models or else the image would look like an X-ray.

Michael

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

a small (as in no larger than needed), handholdable 6x9 RF with interchangable, rf coupled, leaf shutter, lenses in focal lengths of 35 - 180mm and wide apetures of f2,8 or 3,5.

Might be hard to find a system with a lens range that wide or that fast, but something like the Linhof Press 70 with the helical focusing lenses, Graflex XL, or Mamiya Press might about fit that description.

 

[Joe Lipka]

As a discussion point, I have drawn the analogy of film cameras to the Cuban automobile market. All the passenger cars that exist in Cuba are already there. Nothing beyond 1958. And they are kept running forever. Same thing with film cameras. With recent announcements on no new development by the major makers, are we in the same situation? All the film cameras made, have been made. Discuss...

 

[alien]

As a discussion point, I have drawn the analogy of film cameras to the Cuban automobile market. All the passenger cars that exist in Cuba are already there. Nothing beyond 1958. And they are kept running forever. Same thing with film cameras. With recent announcements on no new development by the major makers, are we in the same situation? All the film cameras made, have been made. Discuss...

Haven't you just described the problems of the photo industry in a nutshell? Because film cameras have been made to perfection, no real progress could be made - no real market movement any more (well-made cameras last a looong time) - new market is opened (tried different film format first (APS), did't work, but big breakthrough with digital - until there is stagnation because of saturation again.

So, I guess you certainly have a point there....

 

[AllanD]

Apparently, the Nikon F5 contains a database of hundred of typical scenes and can automatically modify its basic exposure, if you point the thing at such a scene. Perhaps this could be extended to include a shutter lock that prohibits any attempt to photograph any kind of "typical scene"

 

[garryl]

..... I submit that there is Nothing New Under the Sun for conventional photo hardware; we are complete -

Rebuttal, comments.

George Eastman said the same thing- and look where he is today!

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

I like that idea!

Probably the only really big innovations since the 1970s in camera and lens design would be matrix metering and image stabilization.

Improvements in wideangle and zoom lens design for 35mm cameras since the 1970s are significant, but might best be regarded as tweaks or the innovations in high-end cine and video lenses filtering down to consumer still cameras, rather than anything revolutionary.

Canon made that diffractive optics lens, which is probably no better than my FD 400/4.5 SSC except for image stabilization, but maybe that might lead to something genuinely interesting in the future.

 

[paul ron]

Binocular grain scope for enlarging?... perhaps one you don't have to stoop to look through?