Who Fancies a Drop In Digital Sensor?

[h._p.]

<p>Film gave us more than a century of instantly upgradeable sensors but, apart from the ill-fated Silicon Film project, which never got past the prototype stage, the only cameras with upgradeable sensors are the medium format cameras from Hasselblad, etc., for which add on digital backs have been made, or the large format digital backs. Even there, you have to replace the whole back, not just the sensor, so it's not really the same as loading a different film.</p>

<p>Am I alone in thinking that a 35mm format dSLR with modular electronics would find a market? Something where you could replace the sensor and/or the electronics? I accept that this is pipe dream stuff but it appeals to the green side of my soul to think I might buy a high quality mirror box and chassis for which I could choose the sensor that suits me and replace it when I needed something better or simply different.</p>

<p>Anyone else share this impossible dream?</p>

[szrimaging]

<p>*Looks at photo of Hassie with digital back*</p>

<p>No, not impossible. However, to keep the compact feel you are after, i am going to guess that a large amount of engineering is needed. I like it though. Something I could have a color sensor, B&W, and IR sensor would be awesome.</p>

[lex_jenkins]

<p>Ricoh tried it with the GXR modules. It's just successful enough as a cult classic to prove it can be done, but not likely to become widely accepted enough to make it a cost effective alternative.</p>

[phule]

<p>Ricoh already has this. It's called the GXR and is a system of modules that all fit to the same body. There are 6 to-date, including one with an M-mount. </p>

[phule]

<p>I follow Lex everywhere. </p>

[steve m smith]

<p>I change sensors with every shot.</p>

<p>The practicalities are that it would require a new back. The sensitive light collecting surface would need to be in the same place as the film emulsion, therefore the space you have to house the sensor and its electronics must fit into the space currently taken up by the pressure plate unless a new back is made.</p>

[lex_jenkins]

 

<blockquote>

<p>"I follow Lex everywhere."</p>

</blockquote>

<p>So that's why my breadcrumb trails keep disappearing. Dang it, now I'm lost again.</p>

 

[phule]

<p>**nom nom nom**</p>

<p>Wait, those weren't for snacking?? </p>

 

[MichaelChang]

<p>Desktop computers are probably the most modular consumer item there is, and even there its modular design doesn't significantly stretch its useful lifespan, if at all.</p>

<p>Cameras are packaged more akin to laptops making modular designs even more difficult and impractical. It simply makes more sense to make them cheap enough to be disposable. Difficult to accept, but that's the reality unless we slow technological progress. </p>

[luis_g]

<p>On the planet I live on, those who want the apex product immediately upon introduction do pay premium price (and depreciation). Those willing to wait pay less. I have no complaints about Nikon cutting prices. No one "needs" a D600 to photograph their new baby. Want, maybe, need? No.</p>

<p>Why would anyone make modular DSLR sensors when the introduction of any model with 20% more megapixels generates a stampede? </p>

[Dieter Schaefer]

<p>Let's not forget that there actually was a company that tried to transition from film to digital with a replaceable back - anyone remember the digital back for the Leica R8/R9. It's possible. But - there always is a but - recent history shows that technology moves forward not only with a sensor replacement - and replacing the entire processor board etc might exceed what can be done with a "simple" back replacement.</p>

[willis]

<p>Before the dot com crash, the EFS10-SF interchangable back was advertised.<br>

If anyone is interested, I have a pdf file of the unit.<br>

Email me and I will send you a copy</p>

<p>Willis<br>

[starshooter]

<p>I shot film profssionally for over 50 years and never had a camera with an "upgradeale sensor." Sure, some film was slower than others and has less grain but the darn stuff was, well, slower and worked crappy for low light situations. You comprimise between being able to use a higher shutter speed or f stop or not. Like Jim Croce sang "don't spit into the wind..." Or, switch back to film.</p>

[jcuknz]

<p>Does everybody or anybody remember that thread c. April 1st was it last year or the year before about 2,4 and 8 Mp backs for our 35mm film cameras? Looked like a 35mm film can attached to a pressure plate :-) I'd sold my film gear so was saved from trying to buy one.</p>

[dthew]

<blockquote>

<p>Does everybody or anybody remember that thread c. April 1st</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Are you sure it wasn't an April Fool's hoax?</p>

[leicaglow]

I think Lex has always been a shill for Ricoh. I believe it started years ago with their copying machines.

[lex_jenkins]

<p>ı ʇɥıuʞ ןǝx ɥɐs ɐןʍɐʎs qǝǝu ɐ sɥıןן ɟoɹ ɹıɔoɥ˙ ı qǝןıǝʌǝ ıʇ sʇɐɹʇǝp ʎǝɐɹs ɐƃo ʍıʇɥ ʇɥǝıɹ ɔodʎıuƃ ɯɐɔɥıuǝs˙</p>

[MichaelChang]

<p>Good thing I read Japanese. </p>

[h._p.]

<p>Hmm, that last post of Lex's reminds me of the story about the American miner who visits his cousin, also a miner, in the north of England and decides, as the national stereotype has it, to boast.</p>

<p>"In America, Fred, we have mines ten thousand feet deep, what's the deepest mine you have around here?"</p>

<p>"Well, I'm nay sure, bonnie lad," replies Fred with a little smile, "we only works the day shift and the Australians take over at night."</p>

[songtsen]

<blockquote>

<p>There are 6 to-date, including one with an M-mount. <br>

</p>

</blockquote>

<p>With the other 5 modules, you'd have to pay for another copy of the lens if you want to upgrade the sensor (i.e., if/when an updated sensor/lens module is eventually available). </p>

[jens_g.r._benthien]

<p>It's a dream for photographers, but it would be a nightmare for the manufacturers.</p>

<p>Other than that, buy some Fuji Provia 100F, grab your reliable 'outdated' camera, load the film and enjoy your life.</p>

<p>Until today I've never spent a cent for the digital hype and marketing. My cameras are too good to be abandoned.</p>

[jcuknz]

 

<p ><em><a name="00b85S"></a><a href="../photodb/user?user_id=5842514">David Thewlis</a> <a href="../member-status-icons"><img title="Subscriber" src="../v3graphics/member-status-icons/sub3.gif" alt="" /></a>, Dec 14, 2012; 09:38 p.m.</em></p>

 

<blockquote>

<p><em>Does everybody or anybody remember that thread c. April 1st</em></p>

</blockquote>

<p><em>Are you sure it wasn't an April Fool's hoax?</em><br>

Of course it was :-)</p>

 

 

 

[jaydesi]

<p>Imagine all the dirty and scratched sensors if this were ever made affordable. Sounds like a manufacturer's dream come true...incompetence obsolescence. :)</p>

[jeff_sudduth]

<blockquote>

<p>Desktop computers are probably the most modular consumer item there is, and even there its modular design doesn't significantly stretch its useful lifespan, if at all.</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Well it sort of depends how you acquire your computer. If you plan right you most certainly can upgrade it and keep it viable. Get a good case, power supply, HDD/SSD, and graphics card and you can swap out processors, add memory and swap out motherboards for years to come. But that involves buying it with a plan. I bought my computer as a refurb. I moved the whole setup into a new case. I ditched the old power supply and got something beefy. I have added multiple HDD and an SSD. The processor, memory, and MoBo are the same. I partitioned my SSD a while ago and now I have Win 8 and OS X Mountain Lion running on it.</p>

<p>Another thing to consider is what the chip makers are doing with chipsets. If they are making new generations of chips that are compatible with old sockets you are golden. You may not get all the benefits of a new processor/mobo combo but you can still get a substantial boost.</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>Imagine all the dirty and scratched sensors if this were ever made affordable. Sounds like a manufacturer's dream come true...incompetence obsolescence. :)</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Uhhh... yeah. I'll swap out mother boards, graphics cards, and memory sticks in my computer but a sensor?! No way. One slip and your sensor is useless.</p>

<p>Anyway as modular as computers are people just don't like to mess with it.</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>It simply makes more sense to make them cheap enough to be disposable.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>No truer words have been spoken. I love turning my refurbished PC I bought during a fire sale into a top of the line Mac for $30 but I doubt many people would care to put in the effort.</p>

[h._p.]

<blockquote>

<p> No way. One slip and your sensor is useless.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I have to assume that the sensor would be in a sealed package, perhaps with an IR filter made from Gorilla Glass? As for the rest of the electronics, I imagine that the basic shell would house shutter, switches and and a display with a bus running round the shell. A housing for the controller, perhaps in a CF card sized bay, would complete the basics.</p>

<p>I'm not saying it is economic nor marketable but my engineering is not so far out of date that I can't see it would be feasible.</p>