Some history keeps coming back to mind. I've been in computers for a long time now. Since the 70s. In the 80s we were selling daisy wheel printers. Qume Sprint 5, iirc. Then along came 24-pin dot matrix. "Near letter quality" they called it. Our response was derisive -- "That's an apology," we said. Didn't work. Even if it was inferior it gave an adequate result in 1/4 the time. (Never mind ink jet and laser printers.) And when you look @ the output, a nice daisy wheel printer does still look nicer than laser, ink, or dot. But who wants one? They take up lots of space, make lots of noise, and are heavier than a Nikon F. (Making myself reconsider my darkroom. Just a little. Hmmm.)
Roll film of varying formats came out because sheet film and mail-in cameras (yes, in the early 20th century the concept of a disposable camera was already in place) were too much hassle for the consumer. If only film could be as fast and simple as digital ... but it can't be. The 135 format will disappear just like consumer sheet film and daisy wheel printers. Only a few pros and very serious hobbyists will want the hassle. If only a film company will consider films on a break-even basis. Why? To help keep the hobby/craft alive. (Kenwood does that in amateur radio.) Fuji & Kodak would the the ideal prospects and they're somewhat diversified. Ilford will likely fade quickly unless the keep paper alive. Agfa the same. The revolution, in fact, is over. All that's left is the mop-up. Sincerely, C. Brendemuehl ------------------------------------- "Every one of us is, even from his mother's womb, a master craftsman of idols." -- John Calvin (1509-64) _______________________________________________ Join Excite! - http://www.excite.com The most personalized portal on the Web!
