Shutterbug Strasse

A photographer's haven for the lastest in digital or traditional film cameras.

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Here's the some of the problems...

Posted by Frunobulax on March 2, 2004 at 10:19:08:
There are several problems. First is the the rear nodal point of the lens to the image plane. Film is very thin, solid-state imaging devices are thick. The image plane is really the surface of the imgager - but, there is usually a piece of glass over the top of the imager (IR filter). This means the imager now sticks out beyond where the film plane is, and can interfere with the rear element on some lenses, and in some cameras interfere with the focal plane shutter. If you move the imager back to get the cover glass out of the way - then the imager surface is no longer at the focal point.
The entire assembly has to be engineered to get the imager at the correct position, keeping it out of the way of the shutter and the rear lens elements. That's why, although many digital SLRs look like a converted film camera, if you examined them closely and did some measurements of internal parts, and distances, you would find out the shutters are not in the same position as their "look-alike" film counterpart.
If you are thinking of a film type cartridge that would slip into the camera in place of film, look on the Internet for a company called "Silicon Film," - which has never gone anywhere in the past 5 years because it's apparently a solution in search of a problem. Or, it really doesn't work as advertised - you'll have to make your own mind up about that.
It's a great idea - I wish the conversion was as easy as just sticking in a solid-state film substitute. Unfortunately it's not that easy as the whole camera has to work as an imaging system. Rumours (don't you love them?) have Nikon introducing the F-6 at some future date with interchangeable film & digital backs like the Leica R-8 & R-9. No reason they can't do it - Leica has proven you can do it.