Recently the discussion resurfaced on the future of DSLR via “Photography on the couch” a blog post written in November of 2011. The ideas and thoughts expressed in the post are not new and existed even during the 1970’s and the advent of the compact 35mm camera. What I find interesting is the topic rises to the surface every time there is a significant change in photography. Wet plate, film on acetate then polyester, 35 mm camera, digital camera, mirror-less, and who knows what the next innovation will be. They are all changes. People have a difficult time with change. The artist though is the one who is least affected by change because they look at it as another instrument to use in their repertoire to create.
The art of photography is no longer the primary art form it used to be. The beginning involved chemicals, glass, metal. The photographer was more a chemist that an artist. The advent of film brought a change not only to the photograph itself but to the camera also. The camera evolved from a large wooden box to a light and compact instrument of creation, which evolved even further with the ability to quickly change the lens to a shorter or longer focal lengths. The mirror-less camera is not a new idea, the rangefinder is the birthplace for the idea. So why is there so much hullabaloo over the Nikon, and other mirror-less cameras entering the world. (more…)