[NZ_Ross]

One thing, though: if wearable technology continues to expand into image capture, there’s going to be a reaction from a privacy viewpoint. It’s already happened to a small extent with conventional photography and CCTV, not to mention Google’s (deservedly) ill-fated Glass venture, but more individual intrusion into public and private life will either create a legislated backlash or a significant social revision of the notion of privacy.

I am not sure if you have made any notes about privacy in the past 18 months, but it is disappearing into the sunset, thanks to a global pandemic. Where and how it comes back will be an interesting development to observe.

[Jonathan Mac]

I've no idea and I can't really think where we would go from mirrorless.

At some point there will be a revolution in lenses, most likely flexible elements which change their shape, but that's a long way off still.

For now I still use and enjoy SLRs, DSLRs and mirrorless.

[phat_bog]

Move yourself forward 10 or 20 or 50 years. Ignore all the incremental evolution in cameras and camera systems that has taken place in that time. What is the next big discontinuity in enthusiast/pro photography? Will it be driven by a new technology, or by a change in the way photographers work? Will dedicated cameras survive at all?

Film cameras , film and traditional photographic gear and techniques will survive , like all major forms of arts gear and techniques have survived and will continue to.

[EssJayEff]

What is the next big discontinuity in enthusiast/pro photography?

Perhaps light field imaging? Just read about the K-Lens on dpreview; the kickstarter campaign webpage calls it a "light field lens that captures 3D data for post-capture refocusing."

[RobA_Oz]

Perhaps we’re looking at the wrong end of things, by considering only image capture, rather than display. VR or AR has given us a hint of what’s happening with video capture, in that it’s moving more into the wearable tech space.

Aside from display on a small screen, printing technology has advanced to the point where large prints can be obtained at a low price with a reasonable standard of resolution and colour fidelity, but there’s only so many you can put up on your walls at one time, and then there’s the matter of storage for those that aren’t on display.

Digital picture frames were popular for a time, but they require a continuous power supply. Samsung has made great play of their art TV, but that’s an expensive solution and more so if you hang more than one on your walls. Erasable prints that require no continuous power might be a solution, but I’ve no idea if or how that might occur.

Anyway, the bigger the display, the more important the stand-alone camera becomes, IMO, barring a major sensor breakthrough.

[drache]

I would think a method to do what we current day do with laser scanning, but with color, accuracy and other data. Basically do a 3d scan of the "scene" you want. Probably even 360 degree at some point too. By then, maybe recording smells and sounds also? If power was not an issue, we could have all kinds of magnetically focused or shaped "lenses". I would bet whatever is going to make company A, B and C the most money is what will be developed. So that could be innovative and really cool, or just the most filtery of filters that ever filtered for those super likes on the instabook. sadly.. maybe.

[Wheatfield]

Photography will be telling a computer what sort of picture you want and it will build it from a database of a few billion images that have been programmed into it.
It will be touted as the next big thing because one is no longer limited by what is in front of them to make pictures from.

[BigMackCam]

Photography will be telling a computer what sort of picture you want and it will build it from a database of a few billion images that have been programmed into it.
It will be touted as the next big thing because one is no longer limited by what is in front of them to make pictures from.

All the benefit with none of the effort, challenge or satisfaction... "couch potato" photography. The kids will love it

[RobA_Oz]

All the benefit with none of the effort, challenge or satisfaction... "couch potato" photography. The kids will love it

Many great artists had studios with apprentices doing all the work for them. This is just replacing poorly-paid staff with machines.

[RobA_Oz]

I am not sure if you have made any notes about privacy in the past 18 months, but it is disappearing into the sunset, thanks to a global pandemic. Where and how it comes back will be an interesting development to observe.

I have been making notes from a long time before all this, and frankly, the pandemic has added little to the already long list of privacy intrusions that we all take for granted, now, because they provide some measure of comfort and security in return.

We digress from the topic, though.

[BigMackCam]

Many great artists had studios with apprentices doing all the work for them. This is just replacing poorly-paid staff with machines.

You're right... but then, they'd reached a point in their work where it really was work - i.e. a money-making business. Whilst I question the integrity, I can understand the motive and benefits of efficiency in that approach. But an amateur photographer using automation to make the photo for them? Oh my... Of course, smartphone cameras are already making it much easier to take photos without technical skills. You supply the compositional talent, but the phone mostly does the rest. I sort of got shot down for suggesting this in another thread, but that's how it strikes me... and I speak as one who has finally embraced the smartphone as a valid tool in my kit-bag. Given how clever they already are, Bill might well be right that before long, we won't even need to compose a shot and it'll just be created from scratch on our behalf. When I say "we", I don't - of course - mean "me". I'll be hanging onto my DSLR and mirrorless cameras. In fact, given the direction I'm heading in currently, I'll probably be shooting a box Brownie by that point

[RobA_Oz]

You're right... but then, they'd reached a point in their work where it really was work - i.e. a money-making business. Whilst I question the integrity, I can understand the motive and benefits of efficiency in that approach. But an amateur photographer using automation to make the photo for them? Oh my... Of course, smartphone cameras are already making it much easier to take photos without technical skills. You supply the compositional talent, but the phone mostly does the rest. I sort of got shot down for suggesting this in another thread, but that's how it strikes me... and I speak as one who has finally embraced the smartphone as a valid tool in my kit-bag. Given how clever they already are, Bill might well be right that before long, we won't even need to compose a shot and it'll just be created from scratch on our behalf. When I say "we", I don't - of course - mean "me". I'll be hanging onto my DSLR and mirrorless cameras. In fact, given the direction I'm heading in currently, I'll probably be shooting a box Brownie by that point

You have to admit, though, that it’s very democratic, in the sense of being available to the majority, rather than the elite. A bit like rap or hip-hop music, when you come to think about it. Who needs talent when you’ve got attitude?

And a box Brownie? Pah! Who needs all that modern stuff, when you can make your own glass slides to go with your view camera?

[BigMackCam]

You have to admit, though, that it’s very democratic, in the sense of being available to the majority, rather than the elite. A bit like rap or hip-hop music, when you come to think about it. Who needs talent when you’ve got attitude?

I actually love the concept of anyone, regardless of skill level, being able to take (or produce) the images they want at the press of a button (or, in future, probably just thinking it or asking whoever has replaced Alexa by then ). So long as it doesn't displace my opportunity to do it "the hard way" - because I get a kick out of that - then it's all good. Heck, I don't even mind if their automatically-produced images are better than mine (and they probably would be ). We can go to the better supermarkets now and buy pre- or part-cooked meals that are, in many cases, as good as something you'd get at a mid-range restaurant - and consistently so. I like to cook mine from scratch - not from any sense of superiority, but because I enjoy the challenge and get immense satisfaction from it when the results are what I intended. They're not always as I intended, and then I get frustrated - but when I next succeed, the satisfaction is exponential. I just hope that folks who leverage the technological advances that are coming also understand the difference between these highly automated processes and a much more manual approach, and get the opportunity to try the latter in various forms. I'm sure most will find it too much like hard work, but some will really enjoy it and get the same joy as we do from the challenge...

And a box Brownie? Pah! Who needs all that modern stuff, when you can make your own glass slides to go with your view camera?

Camera? Glass slides? Bloody luxury! When I were a lad we scratched pictures of animals on cave walls...

[Paul the Sunman]

Photography will be telling a computer what sort of picture you want and it will build it from a database of a few billion images that have been programmed into it.
It will be touted as the next big thing because one is no longer limited by what is in front of them to make pictures from.

You're right! Who needs reality?

By the way, isn't there a new Matrix movie coming out in a few weeks?

---------- Post added 11-12-21 at 08:13 AM ----------

Camera? Glass slides? Bloody luxury! When I were a lad we scratched pictures of animals on cave walls...

Are you from Yorkshire by any chance?

[BigMackCam]

Are you from Yorkshire by any chance?

My Dad is Mum's from Sunderland, which is where I hail from too

My Dad... well, he grew up in house... When I were a lad, we lived in a hole in t' ground covered by a piece of tarpaulin... but it were a house to us...

[Anybody unfamiliar with Monty Python now thinks I'm a complete nutter... They may be right ]