bryce_l.

<p>And for roughly another $100.00 here in Canada could purchase a new D800 right out of the box.<br>

Nice idea but will it sell in sufficient numbers to justify the research to develop such a device?<br>

Kent Staubus is correct. <br>

"I'm almost a "hipster." I regularly use the older Leica IIIc.<br /> I'm not quite cool enough to get an M2 yet. ;-)<br /> Oh yeah--I do shoot with a Rolleiflex too."<br>

and maybe that's all anybody really needs as opposed to want.</p>

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<p><a href="/photodb/user?user_id=1841065">JDM von Weinberg</a> <a href="/member-status-icons"><img title="Subscriber" src="/v3graphics/member-status-icons/sub9.gif" alt="" /><img title="Frequent poster" src="/v3graphics/member-status-icons/3rolls.gif" alt="" /></a>, Nov 04, 2013; 06:09 p.m.<br>

replied to Bryce Lee:</p>

<p>"It's sad that you and your friends feel so, since so many of us, including many as old as anyone still sentient, have found digital work so rewarding and even liberating. Even a bit of dust on the camera sensor hardly ever equals the specks, dust, and general crud that have always come back on the slides we sent in."<br>

>>Sent in?<br>

"I have scanned in tens of thousands of slide taken since the late 50s, and like printing from 35mm negatives - the tedious part of the task is "spotting" just as it was in the pre-digital days.<br>

I loved Kodachrome and other slide films too, but you don't have to be a "rocket scientist" to learn digital. Anyone who can master the arcane black arts of the darkroom can certainly master even Photoshop, not least because so many of the tools are direct analogues of darkroom processes."<br>

My friends have never done darkroom work, as far as I know.<br>

My employment involved extensive photographic work, and yes darkroom work in colour as well as black and white. And too, aside from the Nikon and Kodachrome references my employment involved Hasselblad and view cameras in both educational and commercial fields. My name does not appear anywhere; my employment contracts did not stipulate such. And have learned and have used PhotoShop and its variants. So I understand digital, I just do not enjoy the end result.<br>

What is important, to this discussion is my "love" of transportation devices specifically the steel wheel revolving on the steel rail. The friends of which I speak are interested only in Canadian and yes local (Golden Horseshoe of Ontario) railways. Have followed steam locomotives in any number of ountries when I was much younger and physically able. Have never been to China unlike many of those from the United States to experience the final disappearance of steam, it was not in my cards.<br>

"I shoot lots of film still, because of my interests in old cameras--not film itself. I find that even shooting film, the way to go nowadays is to shoot C/N (or B&W, of course), scan, and then"print" by either manipulation to screen or direct projection. There are decent digital projectors available within the reach of even private owners, and all the more for a group of people in a camera club."<br>

It is not a camera club, however it is a long running (over 40 years) group of individuals who enjoy watching historical and recent colour and black and white slides of railways. Keep in mind the younger generation, and those who are heavily into digital imagery, tend to "compete" to have their images published on any number of internet sites devoted to locomotive and railway happenings. It is almost a race if you wish to beat any other opponent to the punch and being published on the internet. I understand airplane and ship followers are so likewise. I chose a long time ago that competition was not what I was doing, rather recording history, in passing.</p>

<p>Interesting topic. Having just acquired a Nikon F6 because it felt correct to have to accompany my F100, still use slide film. Started in the late 1960's with Pentax and graduated to a used Nikon F as it was time, Pentax simply did not have the range of lenses then required. The ONLY film used was Kodachrome II and then K25, K64 and K200 as required. My cameras never saw anything other than Kodachrome. Now they see Fuji Provia (just purchased 60 rolls 400 ASA) E-6 and the new to me F6 (from an estate sale) shall be used as well with Fuji. If I wanted a colour print as the final result, then digital would be the choice. However colour prints are not my photography, slides forever. Suspect the lack of suitable processing laboratories shall kill my slide photography and then no more. Current price for processing a roll of 36 exposure film is C$23.00 plus 13% tax.<br>

Have many friends younger and older than myself who have always used slide film and I suspect when slide film stops being available, their cameras shall be put on the shelf. For it would never be satisfactory to use that dastardly digital imagery. I've tried it and its nice however definitely not satisfying. Besides when your history is based on Carousel slide projectors and monthly meetings showing your latest efforts to others, what else is there? None of my friends even have or need/require a computer. So digital projection is out and not even part of the equation.</p>

<p>Suspect Ken Staubus has hit the nail on the head (or the hand on the duck {his alter ego is duckgrabber}). The world has changed, and keeps changing pushed by technology moving at a faster rate than any of us could have imagined. Once there was glass plates, then a material to replace those glass plates and then the film negative became smaller as technology improved the method of capture and now, we're down to something that physically does not resemble film or a glass plate and in smaller and smaller physical dimensions. And in with a far better quality of image capture than seen in the past. <br>

Myself have realized after spending far too much money on far too many digital capture cameras for me am too set in my ways, too old in terms of what once made photography viable for me, and yet feel digital is the future, for now. At some point digital shall be the immediate past, similar to film of today. I still use slide film, Provia 400, perhaps the last. Twenty rolls still here, however a period of six or eight weeks can pass before I grap the Nikon F100 and capture an image on film. My last roll of slide film went for processing two weeks ago; it shall be another week and perhaps C$22.00 before i have the mounted slides returned.<br>

Have been reviewing what have photographed in the last 18 months. All digital images with a small Canon point and shoot six megapixels; still don't understand this megapixel terminology as to compared to a piece of 135mm film meant to be projected. The camera uses AA batteries, as does the F100 so for that alone am staying with the cameras. The digital camera though is not the F100 which has "for the era" basic controls; the digital camera is a computer on steroids which also happens to capture images in an electronic form. The device is with me most of the time. I do not own a mobile phone, besides what modible phone that you know of, makes ice cubes for your beverage in a glass? The mobile phones of today can do everything else it seems. <br>

Thus the mad leeming/technology race of photo gear for me, is not my journey. What for me was<br /> is now no more. Photography of railways not, my past is in slides and simialr, my future is of people I know without being obtrusive, and of things that interest me even if it is months between image caputure.</p>

<p>You have not factored in the cost of shipping tothe uK and return.<br>

Postage is now stupid expensive and here in Canada alls uch goods are subject to federal and provincial taxes.<br>

On home ground it may be cheaper, for you but in the long run back and forth,<br>

it is not.</p>

<p>When one has used only film for slides for over 50 years the actual physical cost of continuing makes one pause and think.<br>

The only slide film I'll use is Provia, and have recently purchased what may well be my last rolls of 400X; from B&H as all three of my local dealers were not interested in ordering only 20 rolls of 36 exposure Provia 400X-36<br>

Minimum order with Fuji here in Canada is 100 rolls or so I am told. Don't know if that is all forms of Fuji film or just a particular roll designation.<br>

The roughly $10.00 price per roll after shipping, duty and taxes courtesy of Revenue Canada made it up $15.00/roll. After taking 36 exposures which usually takes me about two months (my photography enjoyment these days is next to zilch) then it's off to the local Black's Cameras now owned by Bell Canada. The dimwit behind the counter knows those little chips go for processing, but what is slide film, and is it different rom colour film?<br>

Having had rolls of slide film processed in C-41 because some idiot did not read or was unable to comprehend the instructions marked in large letters <strong> slide film process E-6</strong> only, am wary.<br>

Two or more weeks later I go to collect the box of slides. The processing charge has gone up, from C$13.99 before tax of 13 percent to now C$21.00/roll plus 13 percent tax of $2.73)<br>

The new grand total is C$15.oo+ C$21.00 + C$2.73 = C$38.73!<br>

Works out to C$1.87/slide give or take.<br>

iOne point one my end. I have lost interest not because of the demise of film.<br>

The paranoia that surrounds taking photogrohs of anything public means railways which I used to photograph are now consider illegal, vessels on the lakes can't be photographed, somebody somewhere will object and I am far too old and too much of a curmudgeon to change. <br>

Besides i like the feel of my F100 as a device, although if it died tomorrow I would stop doing any fancy SLR photography land use only my small film based Olympus Pen camera, and it would then take a year to use a roll of film!<br>

My few remaining older friends not ensconsed in a nursing home or not planted underground still use film. They have not a computer or a cell phone or another else similar. Many are older than my 67 years and they'll keep shooting slides until they can no more.<br>

Maybe that's the idea; for me digital doesn't existence as hard copy; then again suspect the world around us really doesn't give a damn either.</p>

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<p>The quote Nikon Canada gave you is over half the cost of purchasing said lens new, not counting the 13% sales tax!<br>

May I suggest you contact Nortown Photo, 4087 Harvester Road Unit#10g Burlington, ON L7L 5M3 Telephone (905) 634-2221.<br /> If he gives you the same cost factor for repair, you'll know if Nikon Canada is gouging you.<br />Sending the lens into the USA may well not be a good idea; on the return Revenue Canada could well charge you for importing a new lens, even you have sent all the paperwork with the lens at the time.<br>

You probably have a credit card. Look around for the lowest new price on said lens, Toronto is not the cheapest place to purchase same. Henry's used lenses which are more available at their downtown Toronto store on Church below Queen, east side, may well have said lens in stock, or if so ,can bring one in from their warehouse on short order. It is worth a look. <br>

And whenever you place any piece of gear in a bag, put it in some form of well-padded container. Never be in so much of a rush to allow anything to flail about and not be secured. The hardware is your livelihood, treat as if it is your first born and only child.</p>

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