A Viewpoint on the Present Status of the Silver-salt Photosystem

Abstract

Once a germ of new technology is found to have a possibility to embody something new and useful that will break through any technical limits set by other available technologies at that time, then subsequently extensive efforts in the science and engineering is to be carried out in order to cultivate the germ to bloom in the commercial field. These efforts will result in better quality, lower cost of a series of new products, through overcoming many technical difficulties associated with the new technology. Accompanied by these efforts, new systems utilizing the new technology will be developed to broaden the spectrum of the functions of the technology to the human life. The evaluation-software will be another important assets of the technology.
The history of photography based on silver-salts have been showing nothing other than the above-mentioned general situation; the advance in quality and the reduction in cost of the materials lead to the expansion of the system functions. Reaching the matured stage of this technology in these days, we see the improvement of the material being brought much more through fundamental research than ever on one hand, and combined by new hardwares introduced from the related industries, on the other. However, we should be most aware that the general tendency of a system to loose the flexibility may slip in after it has once established.