# Digital backs for 35mm SLRs

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-backs-for-35mm-slrs/474846>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 28, 2008, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-backs-for-35mm-slrs/474846 "2008-11-28T22:02:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-backs-for-35mm-slrs/474846/1 "2008-11-28T22:02:17Z")

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The camera thread in Café Society prompts me to ask this.

Are there digital backs for 35mm cameras? Particularly the Nikon FM3A or Olympus OM-1N.

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**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-backs-for-35mm-slrs/474846/2 "2008-11-28T22:12:16Z")

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Not that I know of.  
There was a company a few years ago that was trying to develop a digital insert to drop into 35mm cameras in place of film, but they disappeared without a trace. When you think about it, digital cameras are highly integrated - it’s much more than replacing film with a sensor.

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**Author:** ![Rapier42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/90db22/32.png) [@Rapier42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rapier42)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-backs-for-35mm-slrs/474846/3 "2008-11-28T22:13:43Z")

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My photographer father says only for Leica, and they ain’t cheap.

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**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-backs-for-35mm-slrs/474846/4 "2008-11-28T22:25:56Z")

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> [@Rapier42](#):
>
> My photographer father says only for Leica, and they ain’t cheap.

Not just Leica, but many medium-format SLRs. 35 mm digital backs never really got hold because by the time digital imaging technology had improved enough to where it was competitive with small-format film, the prices of DSLRs had dropped to the point where it wasn’t really economical.

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**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\
**Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-backs-for-35mm-slrs/474846/5 "2008-11-28T22:31:11Z")

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[Leica digital back.](http://www.dpreview.com/news/0306/03062502leicadigitalr9.asp)

A dedicated digital camera makes more economical (and practical) sense.

If you’d like to read about the ‘Silicon Film’ vaporware story, [this is a good place to start](http://www.dpreview.com/news/0209/02091903siliconfilmagain.asp).