on 2/20/04 1:10 AM, Piers Hemy at piers@xxxxxxxx wrote:
>
> Not so many years ago I saw in the press a preview of a digital insert which
> was the size of a 35mm cassette with protruding sensor like a tongue of 35mm
> film.
>
> I know it never made it to market (I have a feeling that power supply was
> the problem) - but I don't know what happened to the idea. Anyone know?
>
> Piers
Piers - I think you refer to the long-defunct "Silicon Film" which keeps
resurfacing. While such a product would be a real breakthrough, I don't
think it is technically feasible with current know-how. Consider that the
'sensor' would have to fit between the pressure plate and film rails, an
area that is designed to accomodate only film, which is only a few
hundredths of an inch thick (maybe even thinner). A sensor of current
technology is a rigid plane of silicon, one so think would be very delicate.
The power problem is also an issue, given only the volume of a 35mm film
cassette (minus the rewind crank volume inside it) you don't have much room
for fast electronics, power supply, and memory for images. The company seems
to have issued a slew of press releases and never gotten serious about
designing a product... perhaps it was only a scam to scoop up some investors
cash for the "next big thing".
All of the design issues go away if you implement a full replacement back...
there is all the room you need, given that most cameras would still be fully
usable with a back having an extra 1/2" depth or so... and you could
continue the digital back unit's volume forward and underneath in the
fashion of a winder (or the add-on battery packs found for many digital
cameras nowdays).
What would remain and still be usable from your camera would be the manual
focusing, light metering, and apertures and shutter speeds (although I think
in order to work right you'd have to use a focalplane shutter at speeds at
or below the x-synch speed e.g. 1/60 second.) You could also implement an
electronic 'shutter' for higher speeds by reading the sensor for very short
periods. If there was a sensor-size multiplication factor this could be
indicated by a specially scribed focus screen. It really is mostly just a
matter of fitting together all the bits, which all exist now... it needs
just the will and funds to make it so.
--
Jim Brokaw
OM-'s of all sorts, and no OM-oney...
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