Digital film for standard Leica M?

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Last year I picked up a French photography magazine that featured an article announcing a new "mini digital film" designed for standard 35mm cameras. It looked like a regular roll of film with small photo sensitive leader attached to it. At the time, I thought how fantastic this product would be for those of us who've invested so much in existing photo technology. As in, we get to keep all our cameras and just invest in digital film and download images to our computers. Eurika!!! However, since then, I've yet to read anything about this hybred system in any English language publications. I'm beginning to think I either dreamed this scenario up or it was a cruel hoax on us poor dinosaurs who are not move to jump to digital cameras. Does anyone recall this story or product on the market or was this another "cold fusion" story released on a slow news day? Any news would be welcomed. Thanks

-- Martin (amloft@yahoo.com), February 09, 2002

Answers

Hey Martin- you're not dreaming. I heard about this device. I believe it was just called E-film. My (probably faulty) memory seems to think it was from Applied Science Fiction, the same folks who brought us Digital ICE.

I first saw this device reported in that wonderful photo ad- er, magazine- Shutterbug sometime early last year. They reported on it a couple of times over 2000-2001. The second-to-last time I saw something about this, it was reported to be on the way in December, and would be compatible with only a few cameras- a couple of top Canon EOS cameras and the NikonF5 and F100.

Unfortunately, the last time I saw it reported upon, the FCC (of all people) had a problem with it, some sort of interference issues and this ultimately killed it.

I have been looked a little bit, but can't find it in Shutterbug's on-line archives. I must be remembering some important detail wrong. Anyway, I will keep poking and see what I can find. It's too bad that this thing can't come to market, but it's a good idea, and hopefully somebody will make it happen soon.

-- drew (swordfisher@hotmail.com), February 09, 2002.


The company that was going to produce it (not Applied Science Fiction) ran out of business. No investors. So dream on...

-- Richard (rvle@yahoo.com), February 09, 2002.

Yes, they ran out of $$$. But it was a very tiny chip anyway, so the focal factor was 3x I think. Turned your 21 into a short tele!

;-),

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), February 09, 2002.


They went bankrupt without ever releasing a product (which would only have been 1.3MP in any case):

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=0008BW

The website is still up:

http://www.siliconfilm.com/

-- Richard Williams (richardw@icr.ac.uk), February 09, 2002.


Silicone Film, who tried to bring this doomed design to market, is now out of business. The chip was so small that your 35mm Summicron would become a telephoto lens-and of course you'd have no way of knowing where you're framing. A different "digital film adapter" would also have to be manufactured for each different camera make and model on the market, as the inner dimensions are not the same from even say a Nikon N90s and another Nikon. To me, the worst part of this type of design is you do not have anyway to view what you shot-- which is one of the biggest advantages of digital. I'm afraid you'll have to wait to see if Leica comes out with a "digital M" if you want to use your current lenses. I would hope for a camera body with a full size 24 X 36 pickup that still had an M6 style finder complete with double image and frame lines, with the addition of a LCD screen on the back with some menu buttons and a digital storage drawer of some sort + a battery compartment. Whether the resulting camera body would make the M5 look like a compact camera remains to be seen. The other problem is that the thing will likely cost two to three times more than a film camera body, and good reliability of the Leica's electronics (even though Panasonic or someone else will likely be making them)can't just to be taken for granted.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), February 09, 2002.


FWIW.........look no further than the good ol' USA!!! look up "Silicon Technologies". i hope some sort of bi-usuage is coming..i need low quality for internet.i need the best for 'normal' photos.

-- jason gold (leeu72@hotmail.com), February 09, 2002.

Thanks for all your responses. I'll be checking out the website suggested. BTW. It's too bad this product didn't pan out.

-- Martin (amloft@yahoo.com), February 10, 2002.

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