Digital BW, The Print

Steve Kale wrote:

>
>I don't disagree with your general point here.  The MF backs have a long way
>to go and Canon are certainly trying to nip at their heels.  The question
>though is how much room is there on their respective leashes.  I would argue
>that at 16-22 mp 35mm is running out of room on resolution (the glass is
>already being thoroughly tested) and progress will focus back in on noise.
>At 22mp, the MF boys are just getting going.  They are still using the sweet
>spot of their existing glass and have an inherent workflow advantage when it
>comes to managing noise.  Now is a great time for even the passionate
>hobbyist to be taking up 35mm digital (although it's still not cheap).  In
>645 digital you would need a very healthy cash flow business to ride the
>pace of change we are likely to see in the next three years.  These are
>tough times for the pro MF shooter.  Not only is business generally tough
>but the instrumentation used is going through a substantial transformation
>requiring significant capital expenditure. 
>  
>
A friend/photographer bought a new Sinar back (22 mp) about two years 
ago. He had most of the Sinar stuff and he had already  exchanged some 
of the view lenses for better "digital" ones by Rodenstock + Schneider. 
At the same time he bought a new Hasselblad that was more compatible 
with the Sinar back (but not the H1) and sold the old Hasselblad. Not 
long after that he also bought the Horseman DigiFlex II. Meanwhile he 
had his share of Nikon DSLRs and has the 12 MP now. I don't think he 
will stop investing like he never did before digital appeared but his 
choice of cameras + lenses is quite universal (for studio, art 
photography + bit of reporting) and allows him to use the Sinar back 
with the Sinar view, Zeiss and the Nikon lenses. Before he got the 12 MP 
Nikon some months ago he made the comment that of all his lenses the 
Schneider digital view lenses were the best, I do not know if that's 
still the case. Something that surprised me. I do not think he will 
consider abandoning his Nikon + MF gear and change to Canon despite some 
trouble with Nikon service. Horses for courses + the hybrid sensor/lens 
setups he now has are not compensated by just a bigger sensor in what is 
basically still a 35 mm system. The multiple half a pixel shifts shots 
possible with the MF digital backs have replaced the work done with 4x5. 
Something like that could be done with 35 based DSLRs too to get 645 
output but that didn't happen so far, maybe it is more difficult with 
smaller well sizes (although the Konica-Minolta AS system relies on 
something similar). Competition in MF digital is between Kodak and Dalsa 
(Philips still at the background for Dalsa though), several MF back 
producers, few MF camera manufacturers left and Canon. I think some MF 
manufacturers lean back (if they are part of a bigger group) to see what 
is happening in that market. Some have to get in again at the right 
point: Fuji for example has to get into that market with sensors, 
cameras and lenses again, their part in the Hasselblad, Imacon deal is 
too little and digitising the Fuji 6x8 isn't ideal either considering 
its format and market. Zeiss has to get in for their lens designs and 
lenses with Contax now at the back burner and Hasselblad going Fuji. 
Interesting times.

The vertical market is an interesting one too. The three wafer stepper 
manufacturers ASML (former Philips company), Nikon and Canon are relying 
on resp Zeiss, Nikon and Canon glass in their wafer steppers. Basically 
all the sensors used in digital cameras have seen the best glass 
possible at their birth in the lithographic process :-) The knowledge of 
sensor manufacturing should be available to all the lens manufacturers. 
There's however only one company that makes wafer steppers, the glass 
for wafer steppers, sensors, cameras and the glass for cameras: Canon. 
The rest of the industry has slices of the market vertical or horizontal 
but none as broad as Canon. Nikon could have a place like that in 
digital photography but doesn't so far. Sony talks with KonicaMinolta on 
DSLRs cooperation and not with Nikon. Interesting times.

Ernst