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Contax Digital in YC Mount

> Austin, could you explain the "misunderstanding"

The general misunderstanding is that what is needed for that film cartridge to work is physically and electronically impossible.

> If Leica/Kodak ISS/Imacon can announce it, why not others? Just in > simple words: Why is this not going to work?

That is entirely different than a drop in film cartridge. Replacing the entire back allows you to supply power, have storage etc. The Leica camera has the electronic contacts on the body to interface to the back, which other cameras do not, unless they are designed for it. So, the bottom line is, a replacement back is entirely different than the "Silicon Film" drop in digital film cartridge.

Regards,

Austin
 
Thanks Lynn, Nucore was obviously the "missing" factor in Don's first post!

If my "source" is correct (have been so far, for years, up to now!), then an announcement is likely in September, or shortly after.

As Austin says in.......

http://www.contaxinfo.com/discus/show.cgi?14047/100190

"but time will tell....".....

and.......

"There is a LOT of hot air in this industry right now
(digital imaging), with people making claims that just make no sense
to people who have been in the industry for a while...almost the same
as with the Internet some 2-4 years ago."

........................

Time will tell, true! I've got my spoon ready to eat Humble Pie if nothing comes of this!

Phew! I'm glad I'm not "in the industry", that rules me out as the source of all this "hot air"! LOL!

Cheers, Bob.
 
Hi Bob, Thanks for the info. Very interesting
happy.gif
I wrote to NuCore last night to ask about this very matter, politely, wondering if they are building anything for Contax/Kyocera. Someone responded within minutes and said that whatever is being built from their product by an OEM is scheduled to be released in September or October of this year. I wrote back to ask who the OEM(s) is/are, however, no response on that. I do wonder. Thanks for the tip. This will be fun to watch. -Lynn PS: Speculation makes the world a bit more exciting.
 
I had a dream, a few years ago now, and certainly months before the announcement of the digital film replacement patent. It went something like this.....

Imagine a cartridge similar to the 126 and 110 format ones from many years ago. In one side is a small rechargeable battery, a memory device for about 30 or 40 images and the necessary electronics. The centre is made up of a thin strip about 1 or 2mm thick so as to fit between the film plane and spring back. It contains a CCD chip that can be moved slightly so as to perfectly align with any 35mm camera’s film plane. The other side has a curved shape so as to fit around the take up spool. More of that part later.

The photographer places this gadget inside his 35mm camera and closes the film back. When he or she winds the film lever or activates the auto wind the part of the device that sits in the take up area senses the sprockets movement and switches on the circuitry. This prepares the CCD for use. On pressing the shutter button the shutter curtain starts to move across the film plane as it does so one of several photo electric cells in that area reacts to the light and activates the CCD into ‘Capture’ mode. When all of the sensors have detected no light – the shutter has completed its travel, the CCD is switched off and the image processing begins. The photographer hears a ‘bleep’ from within the camera and knows that a successful capture was made and the camera is readied for the next shot. If there is no capture made within, say 10 seconds the device will go into ‘Standby’ mode and it will require another prod from the film transport mechanism to wake it up.

When the memory is nearly full further ‘bleeps’ inform the photographer to take out the device and plug it into a portable docking station whereby the images can be downloaded and viewed and the device’s battery re-charged.

Now I know that there are probably good reasons why this is not simple to expedite at the moment. But given the advances of technology that are driven by profit and the millions of film cameras in circulation that will not be thrown away just because their owners have bought a digital SLR, I believe that such a device will be made at some time in the near (within 5 years) future.

Any thoughts from within the industry?

Clive
 
Lynn - Boy! Are you pro-active, or what! I like your style!

I'm not surprised that they won't commit yet, we don't want to spoiled their big party piece, do we? I wish all concerned a grand future. I'm a dedicated C/Y fan and servant to all who are similar!!

Hope you didn't mention my name! But ....well done, anyway! I'd not have dared!

I think FUN is the right word, I find myself having a "laugh a minute" reading some of the threads in the various forum sections.

"Thank you, Ladies and Gentlemen......and in the blue corner, we present, your all-time favourite, 3 times World Heavyweight Ch&ion..........etc etc."

"Your referee tonight is..........(Guess!)"

Speculating.......narrrrr! Not me! Never! (Well, hardly ever!)

"Let the show commence!"

Cheers, Bob.
 
Hi Clive,

> I had a dream, a few years ago now, and certainly months before the > announcement of the digital film replacement patent. It went something > like this.....

Many people have conceived of this for many years, just like Foveon isn't the first to come up with the idea of their sensor, people have bantered this idea around for over a decade. The idea is actually the easy part with devices like this, it's the implementation that is difficult, and why there isn't a film cartridge as Silicon Image tried to come up with, or as you have invisioned.

Don't stop thinking, but realize that many many others have come up with the same, or some variant, probably long before you may have, (not meaning to sound snide, just realistic) and that talk is easier than actually doing.

Now, the comment on your "design", is that there is a lot more to it than what you have invisioned, and some of what you have invisioned won't work. One is that the imaging device captures the image all at once, and typical shutter curtains are only a slit above a certain shutter speed (typically, the flash sync speed). There is also no fixed distance between the film cartridge area and the film plane, and there is also no standardized film gate...so one cartridge will not fit all. Keep in mind that the CCD, plus the anti-aliasing filter plus the Bayer filter has to fit AT the film plane...and not interfere with the shutter. Typically, there is simply not enough room, both in front of the CCD and behind it. That is why a replacement back solves some of these issues, but not all of them.

Regards,

Austin
 
Austin,
Thanks for the inside inormation.

Just to clarify - are you saying 'Never' or 'Not in the forseeable future'?

Clive
 
Thanks Bob. LOL. Never fear, I never mentioned any persons name at all. I didn't think they'd give a OEM name, but never hurts to ask politely does it?
happy.gif
I'm always glad to inquire about nearly anything as long as it is something I feel passionate about (photog, horses, dogs, my work...etc). On the other hand, put me in a room full of people who are talking about something like the latest fashions from Paris, or mutual funds and I'm quiet and shy as a mouse. As for the fun aspect, you've got the right view on it. Life's too short to be cranky and pessimistic all the time. -Lynn
 
Hi Clive,

> Austin, > Thanks for the inside inormation.

I don't know if I'd call it "inside information"...it's just that I've been looking into this stuff (and designing it) for 25+ years, so I'd like to think I have an understanding as to what's possible and what's not. Now, that doesn't mean my speculation is any more founded than yours, but mine may be more technically "aligned".

> Just to clarify - are you saying 'Never' or 'Not in the forseeable > future'?

Not as a generic film cartridge, IMO, never. No need, IMO either. It IS a nice idea though...but I believe it's more practical, simply because of window of opportunity shrinks as time moves on, for manufacturers to simply design digital from the ground up. One interesting thing to note though, is 20 year old film cameras still work just great, and give equal results to today's new film cameras...but not so with digital, and I don't see digital cameras as having any resale value in the future, just think in terms of notebook computers and cell phones...disposable for the most part.

Regards,

Austin
 
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