The black blob goes silver...

you can't anodise plastic, since plastic does not conduct electricity and therefore cannot behave as the anode in an electric circuit.

I totally agree with your second point though, within reason I don't care what colour my camera is but I'd like it to be the same colour it started as after 10,000+ frames.

You are correct that it's NOT strictly the same process as anodising.

However, it is a very similar process wherein the 'silver' is deposited by static electricity onto the plastic. Like anodising the plating 'metal' is only microns thick. Some car parts are made like this. Well done it makes for a very nice looking product but the 'metal' apearance is only cosmetic.

It looks OK but I prefer it in black. I think I would be a little bit worried about scratching the paint finish.

I always preferred black, but in the MX/ME Super days the black finish cost extra. It also wore off after a while unless treated with extreme care. Still, even a black MX with a little "brassing" looks pretty cool.

Chrome finish metal is very hard wearing, but I always thought that silver plastic looked cheap. If we have to have polycarbonate, then black is my choice.

John, yes, I agree,...people of older vintage can remember 'real' cameras and the plastic is a very poor substitute material.

.....Quite apart from the nightmare of handling polycarbonate,...which is a timebomb ticking away at the moment.

"People of older vintage," whatever can viewfinder be saying......

I guess that makes me old too
My C***n AE-1 SLR was chrome metal finish

I had a large Canon FD system with F1 and AE-1 bodies,...I think in fact that the 'chrome' top of AE-1 programme was actually a silver plastic of very high quality,..ie, not plated but the same stuff right thru. I always thought that it was aluminium alloy but the repairer once told me it was actually a plastic.

....But of course they were MUCH nicer cameras to use than the black plastic blob which came later after Luigi Colani showed Canon how cheaply plastic SLR's can be churned out.

Thought so.

I'd like to see a return to proper metal bodies, when I compare the size of a modern DSLR to an MX it makes me wonder just what is taking up all that space?

After all my E50 has several shooting modes, 7meg sensor batteries and a screen, but it's a fraction of the size of my K110d.

Maybe the K-m is going the right way for size.

But a piddly little sensor
Have a Google for images of the inside of dSLRs and you'll get a better appreciation for what's actually in there

One day they'll get smaller...

Matt

Check out: http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-dslr-discussion/48973-k20d-exploded-vi...

and http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-dslr-discussion/48910-pentax-ist-dl-ex...

EDIT: and someone modifying an *ist-DL for IR - http://www.pbase.com/carpents/image/104588664
Most of the bulk presumably is where the image plane is, and the fact that you need a hunk of semiconductors plus LCD to go behind that. Film, in contrast is wafer thin!



Beats me how they manage to design THAT much into it!!!
Matt

What I'm getting at Matt is that the sensor sits where film would, all the electric gubbings should only take up the space of the film cartridge and wind on gear, the mirror box and shutter set up has remained the same size for ages, since the 60s at least.

So why are DSLR's the size of a bus compared to an MX, which seems like a sports car in comparison.

Because the CCD is what, 5mm thick (especially with SR), then there's the LCD panel which is probably another 4 or 5mm thick that has to sit on top of that - and that's without the electronics

And for film you have maybe 3mm for the film and transport back.

Yes, the K10D/K20D are huge in comparison. Actually I like it And then it's weather sealed too. The *ist-D and *ist-Ds are tiny in comparison - still not MX size though.

Digicams are presumably smaller because there's no interchangeable lens and the distance between lens elements and sensor are smaller. Plus a MUCH smaller sensor too.

I've been involved in electronics for well over 20 years, and I am blown away looking at the high levels of integration in these consumer items.

As I said, one day they'll get smaller - but probably not by much if using a 35mm K-mount.

Matt

point taken Matt.

Maybe you should get designing for Pentax!

I quite like the white Km though