Sirius posted:
This was really prompted by the recent digital camera
vs. film discussions.
It seems to me that amateur astronomy (and other
hobbies as well) have been seized by what I
call "lastest-and-greatest-itis."
The thinking is that newer technology automatically
MUST be better, and older MUST be obsolete.
Not necessarily, but sometimes newer technology does have some advantages over
older technology.
For instance, DSC's have to be better
than setting circles, right?
Well, maybe yes and maybe no. The DSC's require power and (sometimes) a
little electronic tweaking. Analog setting circles require no power, but can
be hard to read if they aren't large enough or if not illuminated properly.
Naglers, Panoptics, and Radians have to be
better than Orthoscopics, right?
Naglers and Panoptics have better correction over wider fields than the older
Orthoscopics. Radians often have considerably longer eye relief than many
Orthos. Orthoscopics still offer very good performance, but if you need eye
relief or wider well-corrected fields of view, the newer eyepiece designs
might be a somewhat better choice.
Digital cameras & CCD have to be
better than film, right?
In terms of sensitivity, yes. In terms of no chemical "mess" and faster
processing, yes. In terms of reciprocity failure, yes. In resolution, film
still has an edge, although that edge is shrinking noticably over time.
Nobody would want to star-hop when they can
have GPS GoTo, right?
Not exactly, although GoTo is nice to have when you are pressed for time. I
still star-hop, and many people with the more advanced capability still drop
back a bit from time to time.
If newer = better, then one question:
How come the best electric guitar amps
still use vacuum tubes?
Newer does not necessarily mean better, although in some of the above cases
you cite, it can be so. Clear skies to you.
--
David W. Knisely
Prairie Astronomy Club: http://www.prairieastronomyclub.org
Hyde Memorial Observatory:
http://www.hydeobservatory.info/
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