Originally posted by Uluru 35mm FF digital is totally different from a 35mm film camera economy of 70+ years ago. While the 35mm film was relatively cheap to obtain, and smaller cameras made for it easier to make and carry around, 35mm digital is the opposite of it.
If photography only happened now, and not in the film days, 35mm FF would have zero favours, from manufacturing to marketing, as it would make no sense at all; all very expensive to make, with very little real life benefits.
So we have some kind of reverse logic happening in the current digital camera market, a thought that pushes forward an idea not at all plausible for any other sense than to somehow validate the format from the past. It is not rooted in any economical, technological, informational or ecological benefit — quite the contrary. And is supported by the population group that otherwise also suffers from reverse logic reasoning more than others, finding "justification" and "validation" through the reliance on "past values and heritage" which they pick and choose and then insist upon as a holy relic (men of 45+).
If we analyse the type of cameras most sold today, we see those are the cameras that relish not the past for the sake of it, but are formats which were built with a digital age in mind. Like the 1/1.7" sensor digicams that defined the incredible miniaturisation of the digital photography, and up to APS-C system cameras. ....
Uluru - thank you for a very thoughtful discussion - it needed to be said.
In 2012, it appeared to me that Nikon was posed to take over the photographic world by default. They introduced 4 FF dslrs(counting both the D800e and 800 non-e) and 2 APS dslrs. And i marvelled at what appeared to be a master stroke of combined manufacturing and marketing.
And then in 2013, we got the news that camera shipments had dropped by 43%, ILC shipments had dropped by 18% and even FF shipments had dropped by 8%. Nikon share prices dropped by 33% And so this Nikon swat phalanx of FF models is a bit tarnished in its reputation when even its retail power was less than expected. Nevertheless, NIkon has continued with their emphasis on FF in 2013, issuing 2 new FF DSLR models and 1 APS model.
When even the 3 biggest camera powerhouses (Canon, Nikon and Sony) are unable to predict the marketplace, whats a poor enthusiast like me to do
I'm a bit less pessimistic about FF than Uluru. I think the APS sales will continue to be more important to revenue than FF, FF numbers in 2014 will continue to be less than 10% of the ILC market. There will be an important role for FF cameras, even though they won't be able to claim the majority unit sales crown for the foreseeable future.