[gofour3]

When was the last time you saw a 5 1/4" floppy drive?

I’ve worked in IT since 1978 and we have cabinets of backed up data that we are supposed to keep “forever” that have zero hope of ever being read. These tapes are in an obsolete medium which there is no current h/w or s/w that can read them, provided that the tapes themselves are even still physically readable.

Phil.

[boriscleto]

When was the last time you saw a 5 1/4" floppy drive?

I own several.

When the Syracuse Mac Users Group was still around I helped a SUNY Oswego professor transfer some files from a 3.5" floppy to a CD he could actually use. There are users groups out there for just about every computer ever made. it's just about the only way old data is ever going to be recovered.

[stevebrot]

I own several.

External drives to work with the early Macs, I assume?


Steve

[boriscleto]

External drives to work with the early Macs, I assume?


Steve

Apple II. I have a IIe and a IIgs. My beige PowerMac G3 can handle any 3.5 inch disks. I have several PC 5 1/4 drives as well, but I don't have any old PCs ATM.

[stevebrot]

Apple II. I have a IIe and a IIgs. My beige PowerMac G3 can handle any 3.5 inch disks. I have several PC 5 1/4 drives as well, but I don't have any old PCs ATM.

I had a Blue & White G3 450 for awhile (upgraded memory, added OS-X and donated to a local school). What a great piece of hardware.

I haven't had a 5 1/4" drive in any of my computers since the year 2000. At some time before, I transferred all the old DOS software and data files to the harddrive where it has happily lived ever since.

Steve

[monochrome]

I’ve worked in IT since 1978 and we have cabinets of backed up data that we are supposed to keep “forever” that have zero hope of ever being read. These tapes are in an obsolete medium which there is no current h/w or s/w that can read them, provided that the tapes themselves are even still physically readable.

Phil.

I have kept physically posted (handwritten) business records from 1980 - 2000 in climate-controlled secure storage as a matter of due diligence. Since 2000 all business records have been electronically recorded and archived.

When my predecessor company converted from storage medium 'A' to storage medium 'B', records prior to 12/31/1995 were not read onto the new medium. They claimed that one data tape was corrupted, rendering all prior data tapes useless for our purposes. Furthermore, only a small percentage of the then-current customers had actually still been customers and needed the records.

Though I am personally out-of-pocket for the storage I think I am better protected than my associates. I have on numerous occasions called specific boxes from storage and returned them to storage.

OTOH, I have been accused of actually contemplating whether there should be a hyphen between 'anal' and 'retentive'.

[stevebrot]

Though I am personally out-of-pocket for the storage I think I am better protected than my associates. I have on numerous occasions called specific boxes from storage and returned them to storage.

Have you ever seen the Jack Nicholson movie, "About Schmidt"? There is a plot element regarding extensive paper records.


Steve

[on9ye]

Yes if they update the Z1p + produce battery grip for it

[johnha]

Leica makes 2 film cameras, the retro MP and M7 with aperture priority and all the electronics. You have choice of either.

MP is styled after M3, which many consider the best leica ever made. Mostly because of the high magnification range finder.


Edit: I forgot to mention, Leica does make an accessory crank for MP. Of course it costs fair bit, but compared to price of MP it is nothing:
Leica Camera AG - Photography - REWIND CRANK MP

I don't want the electronics, I want a usable manual film camera that doesn't need an expensive add-on to make it as easy to use as their 10yr older models - it's vanity over functionality. I'm sure purists might comment that the added difficulty in rewinding films improves their photography because it slows them down a little bit more - leaving them more time to contemplate the roll they've just shot and therefore how to make more out of the next roll.

I very nearly bought an M6 several times but couldn't get hold of a 0.58 finder version to try (I wear glasses).

Pentax-wise, if they made a magnesium bodied version of the Z-1 (not the 'p' version) with a modern rechargeable battery (either in the camera or a grip), I'd buy one immediately.

John.

[Andreas51]

I would like something mechanical - or aperture priority automatic plus fully manual. No autofocus required.

[6BQ5]

So how much would anyone be willing to pay for this new film camera? Imagine it has whatever features or specifications you desire.

$30-$80?
$80-$150?
$150-$200?
$200-$300?
$300+?

[JimJohnson]

I think my Super Program with the KA-50 f/1.7 was in the $500+ range when I bought it new in the early 1980's. The LX was outside my budget.

[canonguy]

No I wouldn't......too much great stuff used available.

[monochrome]

I think my Super Program with the KA-50 f/1.7 was in the $500+ range when I bought it new in the early 1980's. The LX was outside my budget.

The LX with ANY accessories at all is still outside my budget

I'd want a very simple film camera along the lines of the KX but we can get that Vivitar already, for $350 or so. What would a Pentax bring to the table for the money?

[rt22306]

So how much would anyone be willing to pay for this new film camera? Imagine it has whatever features or specifications you desire.

$30-$80?
$80-$150?
$150-$200?
$200-$300?
$300+?

For starters, turning the pages of my 1977-78 Sears Camera Catalog a Pentax MX with 50mm f1.7 lens was listed at $299.50 (the Olympus OM-1 with an f1.8 was $5 less). The K-1000 was $154.50 with an f2.0. With a metal body and similar to the MX or OM-1 (I have an OM-1n) feature wise but with 1/2000 top shutter speed, I'd be willing to part with...$500 body only if it were the real deal. Just to get the conversation started.

(I now duck out of the way...)