The packaging issues of a 35mm film body went on to be felt by Silicon Film elsewhere, too. Photographer James Jackson discusses his plans to create a digital cartridge for 35mm film cameras, which he claims will work with almost all bodies. Somewhat alarmingly, though, it's suggested that the user will be required to adjust horizontal and vertical alignment themselves to get the sensor positioned appropriately. Recognizing the difficulty of locating the sensor differently depending on the camera body design, Jackson does note that this is being taken into account. The IndieGoGo page makes the surprising claim that the DigiPod will work with "most, if not all 35mm SLR cameras and some. The market for a drop-in digital film cartridge will be much smaller than it was in Silicon Film's day, and the need for broad compatibility so as to try and mop up as many photographers as possible will be even more key. Now, most of us have long since retired our film gear, and many have even moved away from mounts used in the film days, in favor of mirrorless cameras and mounts. Fifteen years ago, film SLRs were still commonplace, and relatively few photographers were shooting with digital SLRs. The DigiPod will face exactly these same issues, but they could prove to be of even greater significance today. Out of the box, the company's potential audience was limited, as it promised compatibility with just six camera bodies: the Canon EOS 1N, EOS A2 and EOS A5 as well as the Nikon F5, N90 and F3. Testing would be required to confirm it would even fit, let alone work in any given camera. That meant that although the cartridge wouldn't be specific just to one single camera model, its makers couldn't promise widespread compatibility, either. The precise dimensions of the film path varied by camera body, and there would also be differences between the cameras' film transport and shutter mechanisms. Silicon Film hence chose the latter route, but this brought its own challenges. Replacing the camera back would increase the cost significantly, because versions of the product would have to be designed and sold for specific camera models.Ĭompatibility. There were essentially two options: create a camera back which would replace the entire rear of the film camera, or create a cartridge which could fit entirely inside the camera body. Perhaps the biggest problems were brought about by the 35mm film form factor, which was never intended to allow digital conversion. Although the lure of a drop-in digital replacement for your 35mm film was strong, the project faced huge issues that would eventually bring about its death.
0 kommentar(er)
