The Digital Deception

For me, the jury’s still out on digital photography.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not knocking digital photography. I find it convenient, liberating and am quite enjoying my digital journey. But I must admit, the fascination has worn off a bit. Its superiority to film is debatable, and as time progresses something new is factoring in; planned obsolescence.

All my digital cameras will still be quite useful for some time yet, so I’m not too concerned at the moment. Fortunately, things have have plateaued a bit, giving them a little more longevity than offerings of the past. But ultimately, their days are numbered.

Not so with film cameras. My N80’s usefulness will far outlive my D90’s, as long as 35mm film is still available, and I don’t think I’ll have to worry about that too much in my lifetime. As film improves (and it has, a great deal even since the advent of digital) so does the camera. Not so with digital. It’s always a downhill battle. But it’s not the camera body itself that becomes obsolete, it’s the sensor and digital processing circuitry. Unfortunately, the two are inseparable.

Camera manufacturers could easily build a camera around a modular system whereby the processor and sensor drop into place, and can be swapped out when newer technologies prevail. The Ricoh GXR is like that, but unfortunately it’s not an SLR.

Ricoh GXR Mirrorless Digital Camera

Camera Body

Interchangeable Len/Sensor/Processor Unit

They won’t however, because in order to stay in business, they must continue to sell you a new camera every couple of years. If you’ve decidedly made the switch to digital, never to return to your silver halide roots, then they’ve got you where they want you.

Fortunately, for those of you in the DSLR camp, your lens investment does not degrade quite so quickly. This bodes well for inexpensive bodies that are literally disposable, but not so much for the extreme high end. As always, the middle of the road is best, where features and economy converge.

For me, this realization has become a deciding factor in not abandoning film. Yes, I will be shooting more digital than film, that’s a given. But when it comes to creating an image that’s timeless, it’s very likely I’ll be using equipment that’s equally so.