The Incredible Disappearing APS SLR?

"Axel Farr" <Axel.F@t-online.de
The EOS IX E exists. I always thought it is only available in
Japan, but I've seen a used one in germany recently.

Hu, have you tried to mail order it?

This is definitely true for germany. I've got that information from
Kodak germany by myself.

Hubba Balu..
--
Ceterum censeo Microsoftem esse delandam.

Hello Nomad,

"Nomad" < ...

I did not hear any rumors about Canon bringing out a new APS SLR. It is also
the way that here in Europe, the IX is still available. But APS seems not to
bee that large segment of the fotographic market it once was intended for.
It was not able to cut off so much of trade from the 35mm market, and the
newer digital cameras with 3 and more Megapixels are more interesting for
amateurs who want more "digital integrated" photography than the APS format.
The market of digital cameras has cut much more into the APS market than
into 35mm. The more advance features of Canon's 35mm SLR's like
eye-controlled focus point selection or the large-area AF sensor of the EOS
3 will never manage it to get into an APS SLR because of their costs: The
cheapest "new" SLR with eye-controlled focus is the EOS 30 which costs
around 800 euro, too much for a camera in the APS format (I never saw one
for more than 400 euro). Concerning the other "features" of a modern
Canon-SLR, the IX has them all: E-TTL, improved control of flash lightning,
multiple focus sensors ...

The big disadvantage is the limited selection of films available for APS and
the incompatibility to 35mm: If there was an SLR which could use 35mm AND
APS, then you would not be limited to the small number of available film
emulsions. In the moment, it looks as if Fuji has discontinued the Nexia
F100, my photo shop was not able to get fresh 40 exposure rolls from Fuji
since some months. There are rumors that Kodak will stop their B&W film
(which in reality is a "monochromatic" color film, so you could have the
same results taking B/W prints from your color negatives). Fuji has the only
APS slide film, which has to be processed in Germany and does not seem to be
widely outside Europe.

From 35mm users, you still get to hear that "APS has only 54% the negative
size, so it can not be worth anything". Had they used a LARGER negative size
(and if it was only that 20% that make a H format wider than C format), then
probable all the advanced amateurs and pro's who use 35mm only for it
compactness and HATE the (even there) small negative size compared to medium
format would have bought into APS.

APS was never inteded to be a replacement for 35mm: it was mere an answer of
the "classical" photo industry to the fast growing market of digital
cameras - but that battle was lost before it even started. Many P&S
photographers still buy 35mm, because it is some 10 to 30% cheaper - the
image quality is no discussion for them, only the price. Some of the 35mm
P&S cameras offer a panoramic mode, so even this is no argument for them.
The argument for the smaller negative format was found in that market (the
camera manufacturers WANTED a smaller neg than 35mm, even after the flaw
with 110 format), but it was the higher price of APS products that prevented
its success in that market. That could have changed if the start was more
successful than it came out the last 2 or 3 years.

It is what here in Germany is called a "chicken - egg - problem": You need
cheap prices for a large market, but you would not get the cheap prices in
the beginning, because the market is so small.

APS will continue its base of "electronic integrated" cameras, but I am not
shure if we will see any new APS SLR in 2 or 3 years any more. I am still
shure that the image quality with APS is not less than with 35mm: It is more
or less the limited number of films together with the - to me - unbelievable
"politics" of film manufacturers not to label APS and 35mm films equally. If
I like to photograph on Kodak Gold, so why is the Kodak film labelled
"Advantix" if it is in an APS canister?
What could I do if I know, that Fuji Velvia is a very colorfull slide film -
but it is not available at APS? Why must the only available APS slide film
be develloped here in Germany at Fuji? It is a classical E6 process, so
nearly any lab could do that. The only difference would be, that the
magnetic information of the film could not be read by "classical" 35mm
processors, but any APS negative reader could do that.

With the "old" 110 film format (the pocket format), a lot of people have
started to "selfmade" their films: They use a 120 roll film, cut it into
stripes and feed their 110 canisters with it. With APS, this will never be
possible - the magnetic back lacks conventional films, so an APS camera
(except the very simple ones) would never recognise that there is a film in
the cartridge they can use.

Greetings, Axel

They're still available from ritzcamera.com. Maybe newer models are coming
out?

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