No challenger means the end of development

No challenger means the end of development by F. H. Tong Nov. 13, 2005

When everything is easy to get, there will be no more interest because there is no challenge at all.

That has happened some years ago when full automatic had been applied to cameras. There were fewer and fewer shutterbugs and lesser and lesser photo activities.

Too many manufacturers to compete would lead to unhealthy race to add too many functions. With digital imaging that let software application takes the lead, it is already entering a dangerous stage. Software engineers have no photographic concept at all. They produce what they can and such movement would very soon bring down the development.

We may think that when there is no cost like film, people should take more digital photos. It is certain that the increase is from the number of users and not the average number of digital photos taken by one user.

Not long ago, there is a software saying that our digital images can be enlarged without limit. Recently, there is information about a software technique that can focus after capture. These works, if proven true, are great development in term of technology. But such move would lead us to see the end of photography. Digital camera will still be sold and used. Many people would still take some shots. Yet the interest will be gone and the term photography would be shelf.

Earlier this year, I started to estimate when would the sales of digital camera suffer decline. Some even said that camera phone would replace digital camera. Nowadays, when there are still some developing areas offering new markets, the overall increase of sales may not represent the true story. Perhaps it is still a bit too early to confirm.

The last thing to be blamed is the idea of image manipulation. Too many special effects and too many publications and articles to force the message to everyone have made any good digital photo a work of vice.