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Would you fund this ?  Rating:  Rating
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Posted by jk: Sat Aug 24th, 2013 07:01 1st Post
I have been interested in this product since its inception back in 1998.
I signed up for the initial testing of the product (Silicon eFilm) but never received a test item.


The history is here:
http://www.f-stopeight.com/converting-film-cameras-to-digital-efs-1-the-technology-that-almost-was/
http://www.dpreview.com/news/2013/08/20/faded-dream-blogger-looks-back-at-the-failure-of-the-silicon-film-project

The latest thoughts and considerations here:
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/digipod



So the question is would you fund this product development or do you think it too risky ?





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Posted by jk: Sat Aug 24th, 2013 07:25 2nd Post
Contributed £10 as a starter.

If he gets 200+ supporters then I will add more.



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Posted by blackfox: Sat Aug 24th, 2013 07:59 3rd Post
hmmm yes it will probably work ,will it take a large share in todays market place no ,will available lenses be up to the job probably not ,a good idea that could /should have been developed 15 years ago developements in technology are far in advance of what we can currently buy .despite what we see for sale .

the market leaders know what we will be using in ten years time and probably already have working models of what we will use in 5 years time ,its just the oldest marketing ploy in the world keep the market ticking over with slight upgrades that pull in a steady income rather than releasing what we have in reserve

i will take nikon as an example .d5000,5100,5200 ,d3000,3100,3200 etc etc though the range when on the m.d's desk is probably a working d6075 due for release in 2019 :doh::doh:



Posted by Eric: Sat Aug 24th, 2013 12:58 4th Post
blackfox wrote: hmmm yes it will probably work ,will it take a large share in todays market place no ,will available lenses be up to the job probably not ,a good idea that could /should have been developed 15 years ago developements in technology are far in advance of what we can currently buy .despite what we see for sale .

the market leaders know what we will be using in ten years time and probably already have working models of what we will use in 5 years time ,its just the oldest marketing ploy in the world keep the market ticking over with slight upgrades that pull in a steady income rather than releasing what we have in reserve

i will take nikon as an example .d5000,5100,5200 ,d3000,3100,3200 etc etc though the range when on the m.d's desk is probably a working d6075 due for release in 2019 :doh::doh:
That may be true to some extent, but Nikon were sure caught out with the high ISO noise issue around the d2X time, when droves left for Canon. It took them 18months to stem the flow, with the D3. Having said that, they clearly went 'over the top' of their phased release strategy, with the launch of the D3 series. We had a long honeymoon period with that and the D300 heading the field.






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Posted by Eric: Sat Aug 24th, 2013 13:00 5th Post
jk wrote: I have been interested in this product since its inception back in 1998.
I signed up for the initial testing of the product (Silicon eFilm) but never received a test item.


The history is here:
http://www.f-stopeight.com/converting-film-cameras-to-digital-efs-1-the-technology-that-almost-was/
http://www.dpreview.com/news/2013/08/20/faded-dream-blogger-looks-back-at-the-failure-of-the-silicon-film-project

The latest thoughts and considerations here:
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/digipod



So the question is would you fund this product development or do you think it too risky ?



Its a complication I can do without!

Besides, I would have to go and buy some film bodies.




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Eric


Posted by jk: Sat Aug 24th, 2013 13:31 6th Post
Biggest problem is that this doesnt aim to provide FX or DX sized sensor so means there is a x4.1 focal length multiplier coming into play.



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Posted by blackfox: Sat Aug 24th, 2013 15:03 7th Post
as i said limited potential market ,yes it will work as he seems to have proved ,but once initial interest is filled it will just fade away ,like 110 film cameras ,and you would look a right gurnard walking around with a camera back at right angles to you o.Oo.O



Posted by amazing50: Sat Aug 24th, 2013 17:32 8th Post
Here's a critique on the project
http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2013/08/20/history-doomed-to-repeat-project-promises-digital-cartridge-for-film-slrs



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Posted by jk: Sun Aug 25th, 2013 04:07 9th Post
I think the IR article is fair comment on the situation but it almost completely misses the point as it is focussed on technology and commercialisation.
This product has to be affordable but that adjective has different meaning to everyone but the article also forgets the nostalgia aspect.

Ok as a scenario. The product is technologically viable but it is not available as there are cheap P'n'S cameras, phones with cameras, DSLRs and mirrorless cameras out and about in the shops so it is seen as not commercially viable. This is horse-feathers!
If people still buy Leica cameras then there is a place for this product but whether it will sell in large numbers is another question. So Jeff's point is very valid. It may launch sell and die after a few years.

If this was sold for $€£100 there would be many Nay-sayers but I personally would pay a premium price say £â‚¬$500 to have such a cartridge for my Nikon F3.
However I am much less keen to pay £10 for a roll of film to put in the same camera. I guess we all have different value assessment criteria.

I guess in a world full of commercialisation, mega-profits, shareholder value and accountants then ROI is more important than someone who produces clever engineering to provide niche solutions for unusual problems for a small number of eager customers.
Well I do, so I look forward to see what happens and if it happens, I hope to be able to buy one.
As JFK set the USA on a 'dream' mission with an impossible target (lol) in the early 1960s, it is good to see that there are still pioneer spirits out there willing to shoot for the stars. The unwillingness to fail and try again leads to a dull existence.



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Posted by blackfox: Sun Aug 25th, 2013 05:41 10th Post
oh i,m all for trying again or using my limited brain power to work around a problem ,but i usually tend to do that with my own money .this guy is obviously british so why not go down the route of dragons den for instance .
i am also doubtfull of the fact that in his video there are lots of distance shots but there is nothing there that convinces me that this is not just a massive fund raising exercise and at the end of the day ,all he has to do is say ah well it didn't work ,then gout out buy a load of new camera gear and jet off for a free holiday .for instance did you actually see through the window and look at the alleged blue car he was taking pics of ,how do you know for instance they were not taken on a camera phone or small compact or even one of those spy cameras taped to the other side of the camera or its wide open back .
having worked in the film special effects industry i know what was achievable to fool people 30/40 years ago in todays market its childs play
sorry to be sceptical but i have met,and been stung by con men all my life .and i go by the old adage if it sounds to good to be true it is .



Posted by jk: Sun Aug 25th, 2013 05:50 11th Post
I agree that this has a way to go to be a working product and whilst I can afford an occasional £10 punt I wont be funding more unless I see that there is at least APS-C (DX) support coming.

I actually dont think that he would be advanced enough to get a FX solution working even at 6MP. Look at the problems Kodak had trying to produce the first FX sized sensor.



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Posted by TomOC: Sun Aug 25th, 2013 15:50 12th Post
I don't think there is any future in that at all.

How many people still have film bodies that really can compete when the digital film is put in them? How many of them already have great digital bodies and won't bother even thinking about it?

When you look at all the improvements in camera bodies since the day of film bodies, you just don't have a competitive concept IMHO.

Tom



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Posted by Eric: Mon Aug 26th, 2013 06:58 13th Post
TomOC wrote: I don't think there is any future in that at all.

How many people still have film bodies that really can compete when the digital film is put in them? How many of them already have great digital bodies and won't bother even thinking about it?

When you look at all the improvements in camera bodies since the day of film bodies, you just don't have a competitive concept IMHO.

Tom
It was  good idea that should have been progressed aggressively back in 2000.

The train has now left the station.



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Eric


Posted by jk: Mon Aug 26th, 2013 07:40 14th Post
Well people still repair, maintain and run vintage cars so I would put this in the same category.

I dont think it is an alternative to a modern DSLRs but a lifeline to allow people to use the old film cameras when they want a nostalgia kick.


If they sell 10000 units I'd be very surprised but who knows. Nowt so strange as folk!!!



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