Any one know about the future technology now being worked on for DSLR

[RandyMN]

I have heard that soon all Canons will be large sensor format. I have also read about one pixel systems where the one pixel gets read millions of times.

I remember back when Brown Photo was telling me how they attended a National convention of technology and the latest technology was filmless.

I found that extremely difficult to believe and actually dreaded the fact that I had spent so much time learning film and hearing it was in danger of getting replaced.

What about lenses? Has any new technolgy been dicovered to get us much higher quality and faster glass? It seems like technology mostly improves around coating the glass.

In a recent Canon 50D review it was stated that the megapixels were beginning to get higher than that which the glass can utilize. That means larger sensors or new glass technology.

[Ook]

I wouldn't say "all" or "soon" with the regards to larger sensors. That would mean the entire lens lineup would have to be revamped. Unless you mean 35mm by "large sensor format".

[RandyMN]

Yes, I meant full sensor as compared to 35mm for talk I have already heard. But that doesn't limit what the future may bring as technology improves.

I kind of answered my own question by searching and I found that the technology changing is more along the lines of getting rid of expensive shutters and changing the SLR to higher quality viewfinders that eliminate the prism and mirror.

All this makes for fewer moving parts and cheaper design.

As far as the lenses not having enough resolving power for the higher megapixels, the only options would be to make larger sensors even if that means going medium format. If they can drop the prices of building moving parts then maybe medium format might become a future affordable technology. If that means changing lenses then so be it. You think digital was a small change?

Sometimes technology makes older equipment obsolete. I never thought I would hear of certain companies stopping the production of film camera's. But it's happening.

[Grimes]

Interesting. I would hate to lose that killer "shutter click" though! How will people know when you are firing off at 5+fps ;)

[BrianS]

They'll put a soundbite in that will play the same sound :D

[Ook]

They'll put a soundbite in that will play the same sound :D

Hey, they did it with P&S's!

[sapearl]

Obsolescence is quite an interesting term. Many of the original companies have stopped manufacturing their initial products, but that does not mean the "tools" still will not function.

European, Mexican and S. American firms still produce some film and photographic paper. Their use is not mainstream as it was 10 years ago, but there still is a modest following in the fine art, pro and related communities. One marketting manager's obsolete product is another craftsman's production tool.

I still have my Hasselblad equipment and they will still produce superb images. The body is 10 years old and the lenses even older than that. Is the workflow a bit more cumbersome when compared to digital - yes - but those Zeiss lenses will still knock out some stunning pictures ;). - Stu

....Sometimes technology makes older equipment obsolete. I never thought I would here of certain companies stopping the production of film camera's. But it's happening.

[JeffreyG]

Yes, I meant full sensor as compared to 35mm for talk I have already heard. But that doesn't limit what the future may bring as technology improves.

I kind of answered my own question by searching and I found that the technology changing is more along the lines of getting rid of expensive shutters

Makes sense but hardly new. Some CCD based SLR cameras were shutterless from the start, and I think all the P&S cameras are shutterless. The best part is that this will lift the flash synch speed to the duration of the flash.

and changing the SLR to higher quality viewfinders that eliminate the prism and mirror. All this makes for fewer moving parts and cheaper design.

No thanks. I think they are miles from any kind of EVF that can come anywhere close in quality to a middle of the road VF like the 5D.

As far as the lenses not having enough resolving power for the higher megapixels, the only options would be to make larger sensors even if that means going medium format. If they can drop the prices of building moving parts then maybe medium format might become a future affordable technology. If that means changing lenses then so be it. You think digital was a small change?

I think digital was a smaller change than trying to launch a full line of medium format digital would be. Canon and Nikon were able to preserve their entire lens lines....something like 60-70 lenses in current production for each.

Think about MF for a minute. Not only does this require a totally new lens line and force larger bodies and lenses....what would be the point really? What tiny, tiny fraction of current photographers are making prints that could be improved upon much from the current offerings.

Heck, most of us rarely challenge the quality capability of the FF cameras right now print wise. MF digital has a small demand and that means crazy high prices...and that means even smaller demand.

[RandyMN]

Wel manufacturers don't care too much about my 900.00 CD quality cassette recorder I have, or my 600.00 Music CD recorder that's connected. At least I can still use them but I guess I fit a minority.

I also still have a DAT player and yes I can still buy tapes, but technology has and will continue to change in the future with no gaurentee's that your equipment will always be compatable.

As of today I'd say our current digitals will be a safe bet for at least the next ten years. But what about beyond that?

[sapearl]

Well, it really gets back to the old axiom that people who truly understand a process, be they photographers, musicians or other similar areas, can make their tools perform - they know how to get beautiful results because they understand "how it really works".

It may not be fast, convenient or even efficient but it is still a high quality, professional result.


.....As of today I'd say our current digitals will be a safe bet for at least the next ten years. But what about beyond that?

[FlyingPhotog]

I think the "really out there" technologies will be in the realm of science fiction for a while yet.

One area that I find interesting is fluid lenses. Essentially, glass elements are replaced with fluids that can morph yielding (I guess) nearly limitless possible combinations. People joke about the 10-1000mm f/1.0 lens but some think this could be possible given fluid elements and an adjustable housing that can change length and diameter.

[RandyMN]

I think the "really out there" technologies will be in the realm of science fiction for a while yet.

One area that I find interesting is fluid lenses. Essentially, glass elements are replaced with fluids that can morph yielding (I guess) nearly limitless possible combinations. People joke about the 10-1000mm f/1.0 lens but some think this could be possible given fluid elements and an adjustable housing that can change length and diameter.

Now that is far out!!! Maybe we will be grabbing holograms inside our digital holographic camera's and we'll be call holographers. That will be interesting capturing three dimensional light! And doing it with a 1000 mm lens at 1.0 with no light loss.

[Gentleman Villain]

New technology just creates new problems to overcome....so I don't get all that excited anymore.

For example, I was an early adapter to digital and purchased a 2 megapixel DCS 520 for $20,000. I was all excited to be done with film but then the first few pictures introduced me to this brand new thing called "moire." I was like WTF is that?! :lol: Film doesn't moire so it was a totally new problem I had never seen before and couldn't imagine until encountering it...

Point is, new technology often just trades an old problem for a new problem. Sometimes you don't know what the new problem is gonna be until it sneaks up on you...