repleo Loc: Boston

I think the camera of the future will have the ability to make phone calls, browse the internet, pay for your coffee, have gps navigation, be able to post pictures directly to social media and hold all of your life in its memory. Just imagine if you had all of that in a 3 lb full frame DSLR with a 400mm f1.8 lens you wouldn't have to carry one of those pathetic smart phone thingies.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Uh, MT are you doing quality control for the local Moon Shiner? Or overdosed on Star Trek reruns?

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

I had a vision that showed me the future of photography, and it was very vivid!!!!

Then the heartburn woke be up and I realized it was just that smothered carne asada burrito I had for dinner. Got any Tums? 😵

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Baking Soda will work, if you can force yourself to swallow a couple teaspoons of it. (Well you can be wimp and dissolve it in water and then drink it.)

Shootist Loc: Wyoming

Was reading about a video camera invented in the US and used extensively in China that could see enough detail to recognize people from quite a distance away. I will say 1/4 mile but believe it was much further. There is also the multi-lens cell phone cameras showing some real improvements. These make me believe there will be major breakthroughs in camera technology available to the masses just around the corner. How expensive, don't know but I do know that the technology I hold in my hand every time I shoot an image was not even in my wildest dreams 20 years ago.

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

I don't think that they have been significantly better for some years. I think that they are just like the other products mentioned...little incremental steps designed to part you with your hard earned cash.




Not me, my cameras are all 40+ years old and doing just fine, thank you :)

The thought of shooting digi makes me gag a little.

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

It seems you are falling for the hype that every camera that comes out is a HUGE improvement over the previous model, but that is rarely ever the case. For the most part, improvements from one model to the next are fairly minor. The real race taking place is in marketing; the companies try their best to convince you to abandon your perfectly working camera and replace it with a new one.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

[quote=rpavich]Not me, my cameras are all 40+ years old and doing just fine, thank you :)

The thought of shooting digi makes me gag a little.[/quote
The thought of going back into a darkroom makes my asthma remind me I am not cured, just have it under good control. I do not miss the chemicals or fumes of same.

DAN Phillips Loc: Graysville, GA

And if B>S> was pennies,we'd all be millionaires!

hawleyrw Loc: Dayton, OH

Technology will always advance. I’m in IT also, and I see the turnaround we do in just about everything we touch. We still attain the goal, but get there more efficiently as time moves on (which is the goal of advancement in just about any topic). We know as a thinking entity, that we’ll always to continue to improve what was there. I love the analogy to the car earlier - still gets us there, just more efficiently - at least until we invent time-travel or fold space (yes I still believe in these things). I realize we also can get to a point where the speed of technology and what we’re advancing makes little difference in the final output (photography). No matter what you shoot with, the artist in you is what really sets you apart. NOT how you get there. My opinion.

dcampbell52 Loc: Clearwater Fl

There really is no difference in cameras than any OTHER consumer based product. Look at the Automotive industry.. do you really NEED to trade in that 1, 2, or 3 year old car for the next newest model? Does the car that you own, already get you from point A to point B fairly efficiently and reliably? How about appliances? Are you still using a 1950 fridge? or 1960? or 2000? How about the TV? Radio? Telephone? There is NO difference between camera technology and any of the other consumer products. Camera companies create a product that meets the current need and try to outdo their competitors with bells and whistles. Do you really need a camera that can do everything? or just the essentials? Do you really need to be able to shoot at 1000 of a second at ISO 1 or can you get away with ISO 100? Do you really need a phone that takes pictures like a 35mm camera or will snapshots do? or do you really need a camera phone at all? yes, they are convenient but do you really NEED it or just Want IT?. The point is that ADVERTISING has become a science of creating a NEED AFTER the product has been produced. IT used to be that scientist, and engineers took a perceived need and then worked to provide a product to fill it. Now, the advertising guys define a product that they would like to sell and the engineers and scientist work to create the product.

Why do most of us own automobiles? Many live in cities with mass transit? wouldn't that do? I grew up in Oklahoma City. We had a (loosely called) bus system. However, at that time (in the 1970's 1980's and 1990's) if you were applying for a job and listed public transit as your primary transportation, you would NOT get the job. The bus service there would have had to improve to be terrible. Buses never ran on time if the route ran at all. And they didn't necessarily go where you wanted them to. Employers could NOT count on an employee that listed bus service as their primary transportation, to get to work at all, much less on time. And, the City HAD street cars BUT during WW2 they scrapped the cars and pulled up the tracks to recycle the steel for ships, tanks or whatever. So, this forced residents to buy new or used cars.
There are thousands of people that make their livings insuring that needs can be created for new products. No, in the foreseeable future, technology will not slow.. in fact, it will probably increase as sales people and advertisers develop new needs that the engineers and manufacturers need to meet.

ggenova64

What happens in the PC Arena is computer technology changes every 3 to 6 months. What you are seeing in companies, they are buying the latest technology but it takes up to a year to get them installed.

ELNikkor

Cameras that can do more than the last model are to be expected, but do I need that "more"? Cars that go 0-60 in 3 seconds have become more commonplace, but, to appreciate their abilities, for the most part, one would be breaking the law, and getting low gas mileage everywhere they drive. I was waiting to see if there would be an "upgrade" to the D750, and realized that, probably the D850 was it, but, I don't need all the D850 is capable of, I'd rather have the D750's built-in flash, and the extra expense ruled out the D850. So, I bought the ancient (4 year old tech!) D750, and won't be looking to replace it.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

I am sure once in a while there will be revolutionary advances over the incremental.
DPAF is quite revolutionary that is now incrementally being improved. These sort of advances don't occur every cycle but come out then are incrementally improved.
Others like electronic aperture control on interchangeable lenses, USM in lenses were both cutting edge revolutionary. Now it finally seems like they are universally standard with tweaks occuring.

Toment Loc: FL, IL

Moore’s law at work...