Since the dawn of the digital camera, photographers have longed for a way to convert their old film cameras into digital ones. It’s the unicorn of the photography industry, and while there have been attempts in the past, they all turned out to be too expensive, limited to specific camera models, or simply gave up too much in terms of build or image quality to seriously be considered.
Current trends in the industry are igniting a love for film and film cameras in this new generation of photographers, and it has sparked yet another attempt to discover a solution to this conundrum that has long plagued the industry. Pseudo is the name of a new Indiegogo campaign that aims to create a digital film canister that allows you to capture images from your film camera digitally – essentially converting your film camera to digital non-destructively, allowing you to still pop some 35mm film in if you desire.
Now, before you go and get too excited about capturing digital images from your old Canon AE-1 or Nikon F1, there are some things that need to be noted about this Indiegogo campaign. The people behind the project do not have a prototype — they don’t even have a real solution yet. They just have the idea, and they are raising money to pay for the research and development of the project.
So even though you are always risking your money when you contribute to crowdfunding campaigns, in this case, you really are. There is no promise of a discounted product — there is no guarantee they will be able to come up with a solution at all. That said, the campaign is only seeking $2,500, a small price to pay if it means the possibility of finally realizing a film-to-digital conversion solution.
One also has to wonder how far $2,500 will get the project. The campaigner states that the plan is to work non-stop until there is a working prototype, and mentions bringing in additional team members who are more knowledgeable in areas where they are weak. This makes it seem like $2,500 may get burned fairly quickly.
It’s up to you if you think the project has merit, and whether you contribute to the campaign or not, you can follow along with the process over on the Pseudo Film Canister’s Tumbler.
