Nikon Patents Digital Back for Film Cameras

[mSummers]

Just saw this over on Nikon Rumors:

http://nikonrumors.com/2012/12/17/nikon-patents-a-digital-back-for-35mm-film-slr-cameras.aspx/

Nikon has published a patent they submitted last year for a digital back for 35mm film cameras. ; I'm not sure there is much demand for this application unless this is the first step toward interchangeable digital backs for DSLR's. ; NR also included some reference shots of the first digital back made by Kodak back in 1991, complete with its own tethered digital storage unit.

 

[Roger]

I wouldn't call it the first step. The first step was taken by that vapor ware that would fit in as 35mm film. I see this as the potential for Nikon to stop body development and focus on sensor improvements. Plus you would have the ability to swap out the sensor based on what you are shooting.

Studio portrait? 45 mp FX
Standard stuff? 24 mp FX
Low light? 16mp FX with ISO 256k
BIF? 24mp DX

All with one body. It would change photography again. Remember when you kept a body until the shutter wore out? ; I kind of do.

 

[mSummers]

I see this as the potential for Nikon to stop body development and focus on sensor improvements. Plus you would have the ability to swap out the sensor based on what you are shooting.

I wouldn't have any problem with that. ; The increases in AF performance are incremental at this point and the battery life isn't growing very fast either. ; The only things that are improving quickly are sensors and the processing engines, both of which would have to be swapped out together, but that shouldn't be to difficult to do. ; I would love to be able to swap out the sensor based on what I'm shooting.