Digital Fencewalking

Folks are occasionally surprised to hear that I acquired my 35mm Contax G in early 2002, a year after my digital Canon G. I got the digital in the hope of supplanting my 35mm SLRs, but instead found it in turn supplanted by a 35mm rangefinder.

I tried to carry the digital every day — every day I found myself losing shots. Now I carry the Contax every day, and the sense of lost shots is far more rare. It's simply more capable: instant-on, predictable focus, dependable, fast.

I expect to return to the digicam fold sooner or later, of course — fact I get terribly impatient with it. I ran into Eric Cheng over the weekend — was toting-along the current leader of the pack, a Canon D1s with a hefty zoom. It looked reasonably fast, and even pretty quiet. The color from it looks crisp and clear. But it's still huge & costs more than a new Kia. Argh.

C'mon Contax/Minolta/Konica/Nikon, where's that "digital Hexar"????

Ah well, time to stop typing & go get fixer on my fingers.

March 26, 2003

 

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Comments on "Digital Fencewalking"

Chris Pirillo
March 27, 2003 06:03 AM

Canon's cams rock! I fell in love with the G2, then sold it for a G3... and also picked up an S45 (which they just released an update for).

Now, have geekychick redesign this blog. :)

Steve in Chicago
March 31, 2003 03:08 PM

I know how you feel about the G.

I've been 'making do' with a 990 (while pleasing myself with two Contax Aria bodies & a few lenses) but constantly fight instant gratification of an on-screen histogram against the knowledge that somewhere I'm losing detail because I shoot mostly (un)available light interiors on EPN.

Hankering for a D1s but hate to unload the Ziess glass & whatever else I can find a buyer for, knowing only that Moore's Law has applied to cameras for a much longer time than digital stuff has been in existence.

glenbarrington
April 1, 2003 03:50 AM

I know what you mean about the "digital Hexar".

I have been trying to interest people on rec.photo.digital newsgroup on the concept of a digital rangefinder camera. Most have never even HELD a rangefinder camera so their only experience with manual focus is the SLR.

With digital, there is no reason to stick with the SLR format. All the problems that the SLR address can be solved in some other way. (its the old "think outside the box" thing)

Kevin Bjorke
May 6, 2003 06:53 AM

So I tried Chris Pirillo's Canon — to say, the experience is not at all what I would have wished for. Another camera for still lifes — moving, living people. Still hanging with the Old School.

Quincy Ogwin
April 2, 2004 12:18 AM

The new Epson Digi-RF looks interesting, perhaps a better camera than the Digilux II. My dream digital would be akin to a "digital hexar" - a fast 35 or 28 (e.f.l) lens mounted to a hexar sized body and with an APS (or larger sensor)...drool...I'd flog my M6's in a minute. Yes, believe it...and I'm old enough to know "old school".

I'd go for a Digilux II, but I hate that infinte D.O.F you get with a small sensor.

I'd much rather concentrate on the craft than get bogged down processing / scanning film.

 

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