Formats, fossils and flats

[imomus]

The Dead Formats Society is my new essay (and podcast) on Wired News. It's about seeing your life in terms of archeological layers of defunct audio and video formats, and deciding which memories to transfer from one format to another, and which to consign to the oblivion of obsolescence.



But that's not what I want to talk about today, and nor is this image of me about to be swallowed the other day by a biomorphic sea creature which looks like it's stepped right off a fossil (a way of preserving dead animal formats, I suppose).

No, I want to ask if any of you are in Berlin and know of any good apartments coming up for let, because it's suddenly hit me that I'll be there from this weekend and don't yet have a place to stay! A couple of hopeful-looking leads I was pursuing with the help of my friend Lupo have fallen through. I may be able to be my friend Bernhard Gal's nachmieter. But if you know of any places coming up for let or sublet, or any good websites detailing Berlin apartments, let me know.

Comments

Dead Formats

[svenskasfinx.livejournal.com]

"The Dead Formats Society" is exactly where Half of my techincal education went and very fast after 1997-98: I spent about 3 years learning the tricks of video cameras and those bulky editing suites with 3/4 INCH TAPE..I also have a FILM camera, some older models, and once I even considered buying a Larger format film camera..

Now its gone to "digital photography" (but has been in the workings since before 1990, yes?) Still I await the quality to be competitive with the lenses of the Basic 35 mm, lens, something with F stops between 1.8 to 16 or F 2.0 to F 22, would be kind of nice..but no, they are so minimal in range it drives me crazy.. Another thing is that we have come into the time of "Lossless", WAV. FLAC. RAW. (depending upon your media of course)

But still, as in your essay before when you pointed out the distinctive ideas of techinical evolution mirroring biological evolution (or the theory of it) every new wave of technology seems to show the designs of the past influences. I mean if we look at the motor car, doesn't it too show the same past in its design? Four wheels, and a carriage drawn by a horse or some other type of animal... some of the "dead ends" which pre-date the car are actually intersting to note that they take after the things they were "children of" such as the ships which gave us the these sail driven carriages but they didn't look at all like horse drawn carriages but rather boats..

Beta-3/4-vhs-8 RIP

Re: Dead Formats

[siokaos.livejournal.com]

Right, good glass is important. But then, I have a 50mm f/1.8 on my Rebel XT. Takes better shots than I ever did with my k-1000.

Re: Dead Formats

[svenskasfinx.livejournal.com]

"....I have a 50mm f/1.8 on my Rebel XT. Takes better shots than I ever did with my k-1000."

Because of that statement I just had to look into that Cannon Rebel XT- the 50mm lens with the f/1.8 (1,8 if you are on mainland Europe ;)) and I discover finally yes, it is a decent lens. There was one I found that has f/1.8 to f/16 just like my antiquish pentax spotmatic.. but then I hunted down some information on a lens that was not only was a fast f/1.8 but with a range up to f/22!! Now all I need is the money for the investment ant a total format change to RAW :) Thanks for the information :)

Dorian

Re: Dead Formats

[siokaos.livejournal.com]

The 50/1.8 is great, and costs about $80 new. It works on film bodies as a perfect normal lens. The XT is getting cheap:

http://dealnews.com/digital-cameras/prices/cameras/Canon-EOS-Digital-Rebel-XT/2156.html