Bill Coleman

Someone told me recently about a digital adapter for 35mm cameras that was on the market about ten years ago. It is interesting because the sensor was the size of the 35mm film frame. It was taken off the market; I do not know why. I'll post this as a photo topic and see if people can come up with the reason it was not a successful item that stayed available.

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

It was an April Fools Joke and it makes the rounds every 6 months or so.
Theoretically possible but not economical viable apparently.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

It was a good April Fools joke though!

http://www.re35.net/index.html

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

I didn't see this one, but I really fell for a different one.
I think it had the Delkin name on it.

singleviking Loc: Lake Sebu Eco Park, Philippines

Mt,
I do remember that Hassy had a digital back many years ago for their camera and there were attempts to design replacement backs for other cameras, but since the backs of each camera model is significantly different, this concept went the way of the Dodo.

This ad you present is an interesting concept, but to affix individual photocells to make a simple 5 megapixel device and it's interconnect circuitry to any flexible media such as polyimide or something similar, would be excessively time consuming and expensive. Although possible to encapsulate the DSP, buffer, USB interface circuitry and power source inside an enclosure the size of a 35mm film can, it is presently not economically doable nor would such a product compete with even the cheapest of FX format DSLR bodies on the market today. The accuracy of digital shutters and metering systems of present day DSLRs is far more reliable than the mechanical mechanisms of old.
Nice April Fools joke though. Great presentation and I'm sure a lot of forethought went into this.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

It was not an April Fools joke, Leica had a digital back for their 35mm SLR's, but it came with a substantial price tag attached and therefore did not sell all that good, so they quit making it.

Wall-E Loc: Phoenix, AZ

Now, had you been talking about Medium Format cameras, there most definitely are digital backs for those.
http://www.mamiyaleaf.com/

bunuweld Loc: Arizona

An April's fool hoax, but feasible. But who's is going to spend the time and money to save cameras that are obsolete? One could outfit stem locomotives with jet propellers or model T-Fords with hybrid engines if cost is not a barrier. I don't think the market is there, and for good reason.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

I don't think that film cameras are obsolete, film still beats digital hands down - if you want the ultimate in Image Quality, film can't be beat, at least not yet.

bunuweld Loc: Arizona

Agree that film photography is wonderful, but it already is a disappearing act with practically not young followers. When I say obsolete it is not in a derogatory way, just referring to how widely it is being used now and anticipating the future. I did use film for many years and loved it.