"Even if digital is close to or surpasses film you would think there would
be some concern about the glass. When did that go away? Or do I just not get
it? :-)"
An interesting point is that, several years ago, about the same time we were
being "educated" about the way light exits a lens, and what is needed for
digital, someone (camera manufacturer, chip manufacturer, or something like
that) was presenting the theory that if a lens is "too sharp" it makes for
bad digital photos. I remember this theory was received with a surprisingly
little raising of eyebrows.
That was then, in the 4-6 megapixel age, and now were on the cusp of 14 (if
Kodak can fill orders), so I don't know if the theory still holds.
Another thing to remember is the changing marketing strategies of the major
manufacturers. Some years ago, the Nikons and Canon's of the world got tired
of people buying their bodies and putting "off-brand" lenses on,as a cost
savings. Now, they all make their own versions of the cheaper
all-polycarbonate lenses. The result is a reduction in the publication of
hard data on quality, previously a big selling point. The part I find
laughable is the changing (I hate this overused word) paradigm of lens
quality. Although the relating of quality to print size is useful to make
concepts relatable to the less technically sophisticated, the 4x6 print is
now the standard. Look at a Pop Photo chart. WOW, this lens will produce a
good 5x7, midrange at f8! Gotta get me one of these!
Whoever (Tris?) commented on the lack of interest in the craft of photos and
digital hit it right on the money. Of course, what can we expect when the
marketing power of the world's most consuming countries has been placed
squarely behind the idea that digital is the ultimate P&S. The sad fact is,
digital is much more like shooting chrome, and not at all like shooting
negatives. when you blow out the highlights, they're, in the words of Ralph
Cramden, to the moon. Ironically, some of the minilabs at PMA this year
featured scene correction methods. A friend returned from there with some
prints made from his own negs, printed on the latest Konica digital minilab
(quite impressive), with and without the correction. It was able to pull out
detail in highlights that was remarkable. The irony is, this feature doesn't
do much, if anything, for digital files.
Bill Pearce
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