sepiareverb
genius and moron
Film sucks. I'm sick of the stuff. Give me a glass plate anyday. Dang flimsy plastic stuff isn't worth the minor amount of silver glued to it.
The key words here are SOMEDAY and PRACTICALLY.
Guess again Ray. Nobody would ever lose an SD card, or forget to grab one from the house fire, or dive into the flood? Argument rejected.
Red herring why? Because in the future something better will surely come along? Vermont Historic Preservation requires gelatin silver prints of any Historic registry building that gets altered. No digital prints allowed, no digital files, not even slides. They understand what archival means those historians do. Digital is still elusive, as no physical object exists.
I'll save you the trouble. I'm an idiot, a behind the times stick in the mud with my head up my butt. And I don't much care.
I shoot film because I like the process. I like the rhythm of 36 exposures. I like the physical objects. I like the way my prints look. I like standing in the darkroom to make those prints not sitting at the computer to do it. I like using my hands to dodge and burn. I like the way a silver print takes toner. I like the limitations the chemicals bring, they force me to think and invent and experiment. Paint and brushes are dead, long live Paintshop Pro.
Film is a medium not a convenient way to make pictures.
The key words here are SOMEDAY and PRACTICALLY.
Guess again Ray. Nobody would ever lose an SD card, or forget to grab one from the house fire, or dive into the flood? Argument rejected.
Red herring why? Because in the future something better will surely come along? Vermont Historic Preservation requires gelatin silver prints of any Historic registry building that gets altered. No digital prints allowed, no digital files, not even slides. They understand what archival means those historians do. Digital is still elusive, as no physical object exists.
I'll save you the trouble. I'm an idiot, a behind the times stick in the mud with my head up my butt. And I don't much care.
I shoot film because I like the process. I like the rhythm of 36 exposures. I like the physical objects. I like the way my prints look. I like standing in the darkroom to make those prints not sitting at the computer to do it. I like using my hands to dodge and burn. I like the way a silver print takes toner. I like the limitations the chemicals bring, they force me to think and invent and experiment. Paint and brushes are dead, long live Paintshop Pro.Film is a medium not a convenient way to make pictures.
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Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
I agree and the same people probably ride pushbikes without helmets and use power tools without safety glasses ... there's a lot of people out there smoking cigarettes who know damned well what it's doing to them!
Perhaps a little silver in the bloodstream is the price of art after all!
SolaresLarrave
My M5s need red dots!
Darkroom fumes? Hmmmm... Not a very smart situation.
How about carpal tunner syndrome, reduced vision capacity, and other things that may come from sitting in front of a computer for long periods of time?
No hobby is entirely harmless. Heck, no activity is harmless at all!
How about carpal tunner syndrome, reduced vision capacity, and other things that may come from sitting in front of a computer for long periods of time?
No hobby is entirely harmless. Heck, no activity is harmless at all!
SolaresLarrave
My M5s need red dots!
Keith... out of curiosity... do you still own a Nikon D70? Just wondering about it. IIRC, you used to love that camera, right?
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
I do still own it but haven't used it for a long time ... a friend of mine borrows it and she uses it regularly. In fact she has it at the moment and has had for a month or so!
I have to admit I do love film and digital does leave me a little cold. I also know that I'm one of those people who would happily poison myself in a darkroom ... I still smoke so all the signs are there. And I do use power tools without safety glasses frequently!
sepiareverb
genius and moron
I used to smoke in the darkroom, I even worked in a commercial lab where all us darkroom workers smoked.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
I used to smoke in the darkroom, I even worked in a commercial lab where all us darkroom workers smoked.
My mother used to lock herself in her tiny unventilated darkroom for hours on end with her packet of cigarettes and a bottle of whisky.
She made it to 79 ... amazing!
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35mmdelux
Veni, vidi, vici
"I think that digital cameras will someday be able to imitate all the visual magic that we love about the film image. ... Processing software is becoming more sophisticated in it's ability to imitate the look of different film types. "
The operative word here is "imitate."
Virtual will always be virtual. Here, I will cut my swath with film and have no regrets. Digital has its strength, just as a Timex watch and polyester suits have their purpose.
I have learned a fair amount from digital cameras. But when push goes to shove out comes my M6/MP or my Hasselblad.
The operative word here is "imitate."
Virtual will always be virtual. Here, I will cut my swath with film and have no regrets. Digital has its strength, just as a Timex watch and polyester suits have their purpose.
I have learned a fair amount from digital cameras. But when push goes to shove out comes my M6/MP or my Hasselblad.
FrankS
Registered User
I can freely chose to do what I like best. It's film for me! I simply find it much more satisfying.
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Ray Nalley
Well-known
Like a lot of things, we didn't really know the dangers of long term exposure to developing chemistry when we started in the 50's or 60's. Ventilation? Believe it or not (and this is for the younger folks here), people weren't awash with money back then. Most of us spent years in a darkroom built into whatever space we could shoehorn one into. Had ventilation occurred to us, we couldn't have afforded a darkroom ventilator anyway. So we either worked in tiny, unvented darkrooms or we didn't process film.
I also started shooting seriously back then in competitions. Nobody told us that shooting .45 autos through thousands of rounds would ruin our hearing. Hearing protectors? Nobody had heard of such a thing.
Cut us old guys some slack!
I also started shooting seriously back then in competitions. Nobody told us that shooting .45 autos through thousands of rounds would ruin our hearing. Hearing protectors? Nobody had heard of such a thing.
Cut us old guys some slack!
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
Getting back to topic ... I just don't think that digital's successful future is in imitating fim ... that's in our minds as a perception of how we see success in this medium, which is an incredibly limited outlook.
Digital is growing and changing as it develops into whatever it may become eventually. I love film but the reality is I'm developing my negatives with a chemical formula that was patented in 1891!
Digital is growing and changing as it develops into whatever it may become eventually. I love film but the reality is I'm developing my negatives with a chemical formula that was patented in 1891!
feenej
Well-known
I'll give up photography if I have to give up film.
MCTuomey
Veteran
i shoot youth sports quite a bit, so i appreciate the time that digi saves for large volume shooting. i embrace the technology because it gives me quality, pleases the people i shoot for, and is economical.
when i'm out for myself i like using film. it's that simple. in fact i'm downsizing my RF gear to allow for a 4x5, my first. my own little adventure ... a place where shooting slows down and hopefully i learn a few new things.
when i'm out for myself i like using film. it's that simple. in fact i'm downsizing my RF gear to allow for a 4x5, my first. my own little adventure ... a place where shooting slows down and hopefully i learn a few new things.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
I highly recommend a foray into 4x5 ... had my first one recently and I'm a similar age to you ... late developers obviously!
Now that's film that does things digital can only dream about!
slm
Formerly nextreme
I've come to the conclusion that they are two different beasts. I love film - it's the process, the endless variations you can achieve during that process by changing one variable, or even changing the film itself. Film has had a long time to mature into a very flexible, quality producing technology. Some people don't appreciate this, or they get tired of the process, so digital is there for them. Myself, I doubt I'll ever tire of the process. Too much fun !
I no longer see the question as an either/or situation. Use the one thats appropriate for the given situation. I would have liked if The Online Photographer (Mike Johnston) suggestion to name digital based capture "Digital Imaging" would have caught on. I think the two mediums and "workflow" are different enough to be categorized as such.
I no longer see the question as an either/or situation. Use the one thats appropriate for the given situation. I would have liked if The Online Photographer (Mike Johnston) suggestion to name digital based capture "Digital Imaging" would have caught on. I think the two mediums and "workflow" are different enough to be categorized as such.
Beemermark
Veteran
I tried digital and the only use I have for it is taking pictures of stuff to put on ebay, which I do regularly. I have a fortune in film cameras, Hasselblad, Nikon, Leica, etc and some utterly fantastic lenses as well. What is the rational for buying digital? So I can go to Best Buy and drool over the thousand new plastic pieces of junk that changes daily? So I can hours on the computer downloading thousands of digital pics? Months learning new software that comes out daily to make my life easier? Film and processing is still cheap and while debateable, still better than the vast majority of digital. Why do I see all these Photoshop plugins that try to emulate film? Digital has always been striving to be as good as film and even when it is what is the point? Dump everthing on ebay and then start upgrading plastic figital camera every year and software continously? Digital makes sense for a business and the soccer moms (and dads) but I like what I got and will keep using it until I croak.
One of Herbert Keppler's last columns (I admired his writings to no end) stating (in talking about some classic camera) - who will ever collect digital cameras. Digital camera are like disposable Ploroids.
One of Herbert Keppler's last columns (I admired his writings to no end) stating (in talking about some classic camera) - who will ever collect digital cameras. Digital camera are like disposable Ploroids.
35mmdelux
Veni, vidi, vici
" in fact i'm downsizing my RF gear to allow for a 4x5, my first...."
shooting 4x5 sharpens one's vision. Its like listening to a full orchestra. I recently purchsed my third 4x5 field. These cameras produce fabulous images without having to spend large on lenses.
I have owned two Master Technikas and now a Chinese 4x5. Its light and not expensive. Nikon 4x5 lenses seem to be going at a fire sale (my recent additions Nikkor-W 210mm & Nikkor-W 150mm mint for $299 & $250, respectively).
shooting 4x5 sharpens one's vision. Its like listening to a full orchestra. I recently purchsed my third 4x5 field. These cameras produce fabulous images without having to spend large on lenses.
I have owned two Master Technikas and now a Chinese 4x5. Its light and not expensive. Nikon 4x5 lenses seem to be going at a fire sale (my recent additions Nikkor-W 210mm & Nikkor-W 150mm mint for $299 & $250, respectively).
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maddoc
... likes film again.
Exactly my thoughts, too. Comparing film-based photography and sensor-based digital imaging is like comparing apples and oranges. That the "taking-devices" look similar and use mostly the same lenses doesn't make it similar.
About film, this 4x5 thing is getting more and more interesting ...
dlove5
Established
"I have always thought
in the back of my mind
Cheese and onions"
Or was it the "Yellow Submarine Sandwich?"
Anyway, I must prefer film enough that I had no problem loaning my digital P&S to one daughter and my DSLR to my other one who are both away at college.
My youngest wants some pictures from a soccer match my wife and I are going to this weekend. Has something to do with some guy named Beckham.
My wife was concerned that I won't be able to use my "good" camera. I'm looking forward to using one of my film cameras. I just might be really strange and take a Visoflex setup.
I actually have come to enjoy shooting film even more since I got my K10D earlier this year. There are times where I am glad I have digital, but for me it just isn't as fun and as interesting as film.
"[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]Time goes by, as we all know, naturally
People come and people go, naturally
Let's be natural"
Long live Rutlemania!
[/FONT]
in the back of my mind
Cheese and onions"
Or was it the "Yellow Submarine Sandwich?"
Anyway, I must prefer film enough that I had no problem loaning my digital P&S to one daughter and my DSLR to my other one who are both away at college.
My youngest wants some pictures from a soccer match my wife and I are going to this weekend. Has something to do with some guy named Beckham.
My wife was concerned that I won't be able to use my "good" camera. I'm looking forward to using one of my film cameras. I just might be really strange and take a Visoflex setup.
I actually have come to enjoy shooting film even more since I got my K10D earlier this year. There are times where I am glad I have digital, but for me it just isn't as fun and as interesting as film.
"[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]Time goes by, as we all know, naturally
People come and people go, naturally
Let's be natural"
Long live Rutlemania!
[/FONT]
Joe
Established
can digital emulate film? of course. Can a computer emulate my '59 tweed champ? of course. Is it the same? Never in a million years!