RE: filmscanners: real value?

["Laurie Solomon" <laurie@advancenet.net>]

>I feel strongly that a 10 year prediction is realistic in relation to
>buying kit for personal use.

Of course one cannot argue with feelings so I will only say that while I
feel the ten year prediction is slightly on the optimistic side even for
personal use kits, as you put it in so British a manner.  I can see the
possibility of a situation where your forecast for those personal kits might
come about in ten years, however.  That would be when and if manufacturers
decide that that is where the market is going to be or should be; and they
stop making 35mm consumer photographic equipment altogether and start
distributing only digital products despite the fact that the marketplace
might not be there or even heading in that direction.  That certainly would
force the issue and eliminate any preferences or choices on the part of the
consumer even if the digital stuff turns out to be of a lesser quality and
even undesirable.  We have to remember that companies, despite their chasing
the profit, often structure he marketplace as well as follow it.

>If we ignore the hype and advertising ,check out the spec,s and ensure
>that a product does what you want then it should still be doing that in
>10 years time.

Even if we ignore the hype and advertising, check out the specs, ensure that
a product does what we want, and many more things as well, there are always
unanticipated conditions that could very well manifest themselves in such a
fashion so as to  undermine expectations.  Operating systems could change
dramatically so as to render drivers not only inefficient but totally
obsolete, interface electronic connections may disappear to be replaced with
new ones that will not work with the equipment (e.g., systems using parallel
port connections being replaced by systems that furnish only USB connections
or Firewall connections, computer systems that do not use interchangeable
cards resulting in one not being able to install a SCSI card into an open
slot so as to use SCSI devices, etc.), obsolete software that no longer will
work with contemporary operating systems, new technologies that are
incompatible with the older ones, etc.

One never knows in advance what may happen of the sort described above which
will render all one's planning for nil in 2 or three years - let alone 10
years.

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-filmscanners@halftone.co.uk
[mailto:owner-filmscanners@halftone.co.uk]On Behalf Of Michael Wilkinson
Sent: Tuesday, January 30, 2001 6:09 AM
To: filmscanners@halftone.co.uk
Subject: Re: filmscanners: real value?


Its interesting to look at what the photographic industry is
experimenting with.
Mini Labs can now install a printer than scans the neg ,adjusts the
contrast levels ,colour corrects and then prints using LEDs or Laser
beams and then processes conventionally.
As I understand it the number of prints  output per hour is phenomenal
and the quality breathtaking.
I agree that Inkjet prints have a long way to go before they replace
photo paper.
just this weekend we were looking at old colour photos in our rugby club
showing me with black hair ( those were the days ) ,the colours were
brilliant ,definition superb and they had been hanging on a wall for 20
years,lets see Inkjets like that in 20 years from now,I don't think so !
I feel strongly that a 10 year prediction is realistic in relation to
buying kit for personal use.
If we ignore the hype and advertising ,check out the spec,s and ensure
that a product does what you want then it should still be doing that in
10 years time.
Have you ever watched a chicken eating ?
If you put a heap of top quality grain down it will start to tuck
in,walk a couple of yards away drop some stale rice down and it will
immediately run over to see if it has a better deal.
We consumers are just like that.
That's why I say if you research your needs and what's available first
you don't need to be like a chicken.

Michael Wilkinson. 106 Holyhead Road,Ketley, Telford.Shropshire TF 15 DJ
  michael@infocus-photography.co.uk      www.infocus-photography.co.uk
For Trannies and Negs from Digital Files