Today’s Post by Joe Farace
Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.—George Bernard Shaw
Before digital imaging came along, the introduction of new film-based cameras and photographic technologies was gradual, with each new product building on and backwardly compatible with what has gone before. But not anymore…
Computers, software and computer-related technology are driven by intense competition and the imperative of Moore’s Law. Gordon Moore, one of founders of Intel, predicted that computing power would rise exponentially over time and that “the power of the silicon chip microprocessor will double every eighteen months, with a proportionate decrease in cost.”
In the world of digital photography where we currently reside, translates into camera/product cycles that are measured in months, instead of the years that were previously the norm for developing traditional optical and photo-chemical products. And don’t even get me started on firmware updates…
Welcome to the New Year
What this all means is that the digital camera you purchase today is quickly replaced with a newer model that produces higher quality images and maybe—if you’re lucky—at a lower cost, although this seems to have abated as companies roll out more and more $6000 mirrorless cameras.. For many people, this is the single most frustrating aspect of digital imaging.
Since this trend is not going away in 2025, I would like to offer a few words of advice:
- First, get used to it. The pace of new camera/lens/products may be slower because of the effects of the pandemic and supply chain issues but that may behind us now so I don’t think the pace of change is going to alter any time soon.
- Second, it’s also possible that your favorite camera company may not not be around in the future. Olympus may have survived as OM Systems but it doesn’t seem as vigorous as it once was. I hope I’m wrong about that because I really like and use their products.
- Third, please don’t go broke upgrading to get the latest computer/camera hardware and software unless you can cost justify the purchase through improvements in productivity. If you can’t, save your money for the next upgrade cycle.
- Finally, keep all of these changes in digital image technology in perspective. The single most important photographic accessory remains the person behind the camera.
How I Made this Photograph: I’ve always been a fan of Canon’s Picture Styles and used the Canon EOS Rebel T4i’s Monochrome mode to capture this image of a locomotive’s drivers (they’re not wheels) at the Colorado Railroad Museum. Lens was Tamron’s SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD (at 54mm) and an exposure of 1/50 sec at f/8 and ISO 200.
If you enjoyed today’s blog post and would like to treat me to a cup of Earl Grey tea ($2.50), please click here. And if you do, thanks so much.
My book Creative Digital Monochrome Effects is available from Amazon and (I think, anyway) is a fun read. There’s even a chapter on infrared photography. It’s available for $16.16 but bargain shoppers can pick up used copies starting for around seven bucks. No Kindle version is available at this time.