Digital BW, The Print

>Actually, though, I think Nikon is just blowing smoke to hide 
>something that they are working on right now.  I hope I'm right, 
>for their sake and mine.

Of course they are.  Digital is still young, and development will
continue in the direction of bigger, better, faster, cheaper.  Do you
think Nikon is shutting down their R&D and saying "Ok, this is where
we park from now on" ?

10 years ago PC Ram cost $40/mg and you had to mortgage your house to
get a 100mg hard drive.  Today I can buy 512mg for $65 and 80g for
$90.

3 Months ago a D60 cost $2200 and today a 10D is $1500, with
predictions of $1000 by 2004.   Why won't that trend continue?.

I think Nikon is making small digi lenses because they think there
will be a non-pro market for the smaller sensor bodies, just as Canon
is pushing development of two lines.  The 10D is so good that tons of
users won't feel the need for the 1Ds.  The 10D will be the cash cow
and will justify keeping a high price on the pro model.  

Canon has raised the bar with the 10D and Pentax/Minolta and the rest
MUST follow suit or die in the SLR market.  Pentax has a new smallish
6mpx DSLR scheduled for this summer and I'm real interested to see
what they come up with (and at what price).

This twin track will probably last for 2 or 3 years until they figure
out how to make full frame sensors cheaply.  Then a whole new round of
product cycles will begin.  Sigh.  This camera-of-the-month club is an
expensive membership.  What are you going to do with your new 10D next
fall when they announce a 10Di (or something) that has an even better
sensor for $1000 (just in time for the holiday gift season)?  I'm sure
Nikon will have a full frame body and it's not going to be cheap.

A fun and interesting thread!

Regards,
Clayton


Info on black and white digital printing at    
http://www.cjcom.net/digiprnarts.htm