Enough Wallowing about Film

[splitimageview]

One would think the demand for 35mm and 120 would be far greater than sheet film.

I'm curious though, what film does the motion picture industry use?

 

[Gary Briggs]

sazerac....the digital thing has already taken off...
as the phone cameras improve...can you imagine the resolution they will have in a few years?
Film is mostly for us oldsters who love the process of it all, yes the pic is valued but it's the doing, not the having.

 

[bensyverson]

Digitalintrigue, they use unbelievable quantities of 35mm, though it's a slightly different product than what we put in still cameras.

 

[RanceEric]

Film is mostly for us oldsters

I must be an old soul 😉

 

[40oz]

sazerac....the digital thing has already taken off...
as the phone cameras improve...can you imagine the resolution they will have in a few years?
Film is mostly for us oldsters who love the process of it all, yes the pic is valued but it's the doing, not the having.

The resolution of the sensor is a moot point as long as the lens is a plastic lozenge. And the use of a phone as a creative tool is always limited by the lack of control over the aperture and shutter speed.

I'm not saying you can't take good pictures with a camera phone, I'm saying that you cannot control the exposure when the only input is a shutter button.

There was an era where "everybody uses 110" but where is it now? Color film never eliminated B&W. People have been forecasting the ultimate demise of film for over a decade now and counting.

While the local community college has a digital photography course, it's the "Intro to Photography" course that requires a film camera that is difficult to get. Kind of hard to argue that only "oldsters" use film when the demand from young college students makes a film photo class the most desirable.

 

[Trius]

One would think the demand for 35mm and 120 would be far greater than sheet film.

I'm curious though, what film does the motion picture industry use?

A lot of it is Kodak Vision emulsions, and I believe Fuji is still in that business.

 

[Nokton48]

When was the last time anyone here saw someone shooting an 8x10 view camera?

I still use my 8x10 Sinar Norma, it's actually my favorite camera to use. It's like shooting an entire roll of 36 exposures in one click. And the groundglass image looks like a giant TV screen. Just so amazing.

I think my 8x10 work is my strongest.

 

[Keith]

Keith,
I'd rather be a consistent film shooter that will keep using film the rest of my life than a spur of the moment one.
And I strive to instill that to anyone who are intrigued by my still shooting film.

A hundred people shooting one roll a week will be much better than thousands doing rose-tinted, GAS induced, one roll stint to "try" film.

You and I got started almost at the same time, what is your rate these past years? I hope much higher than mine 🙂

I guess overall about the same as you but I tend to fluctuate a lot. That damned X100 I had stopped me from shooting film in a major way for a while but ultimately I get bored with digital output eventually and normal service resumes! 😛

Just got a heap of Ilford in the mail and I now have a camera (F6) begging for attention ... not to mention one with the ability to consume vast amounts of film! 😀

 

[cosmonaut]

I agree with the OP. There are many options. Discontinued films are dicontinued for a reason. I don't shop at WalMart so could care less if they sell film or not.
I quit scanning film when I saw the results from my enlarger. Stock up as time goes on and enjoy.

 

[colyn]

I agree with the OP. There are many options. Discontinued films are dicontinued for a reason. I don't shop at WalMart so could care less if they sell film or not.
I quit scanning film when I saw the results from my enlarger. Stock up as time goes on and enjoy.

All of my film now comes from freestyle. Most film found in Wally World or other dept stores is usually outdated and/or consumer grade..and b&w film is nearly impossible to find at local stores..

 

[Riccis]

When was the last time anyone here saw someone shooting an 8x10 view camera?

Yet, this is still available. Not to mention 70 other sheet film skus at B&H...

Not worried about 35mm film going away.

I do it all the time and actually just shot 44 sheets during my trip to Brazil a month ago. I am slowly getting around to printing the contacts but can see some on my blog now.

Cheers!

 

[splitimageview]

Yes I keep up with your blog. 🙂 Great work!

 

[Riccis]

Film ain't dead. They'll have to kill me (and from what it sounds like) a bunch of other people first. I ain't dead, yet.

Completely agree!

 

[Riccis]

Yes I keep up with your blog. 🙂 Great work!

Thanks, man. I appreciate your words.

 

[semilog]

That's about 60 rolls per year, isn't it?
I have consistently averaged 1 roll per week for the past 5 years.

Yup. ~75 rolls a year (I bulk load 30 exposure rolls) is really more than I have time for, given that I also have a real and relatively demanding job that does not involve film photography. But that seems to be my burn rate over the last 5 years or so. It's also why I've standardized on two emulsions (ACROS and 2TMY) and one developer (XTOL).

 

[cameron.knight]

Well, we just need a hundred more of people like you encouraging others to shoot film. 🙂

Thanks for the inspiring story.

Oh, and get yourself an old 6x4.5 folder so the next time some cocky student came along, you can pull it out, and point to the wall size photo you printed from it. 😎

I think this site is pretty great. Regardless of the demise of film posts, everyone here seems encouraging. It's easy for people to get judgey and over competitive on photo sites. On some, it's seems every other comment is "I could have done better than that."

I want a good folder camera SOOO bad. I have two that are basically non-functioning. A Zeiss 515 6x9 is a fogged/fungusy lens (took it too a local repair guy and he said for the price to fix it I could buy three more). The other is a Kodak Brownie with bellows so holy they belong at church.

Now I'm just too scared to buy another used one. Maybe it's time to bite the bullet.

 

[HHPhoto]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Enough of this mourning about your favorite film being discontinued.
Enough of this complaining about the cost of developing/scanning/etc.
Enough of this worrying about whether we'll have film or not and extrapolating statistics from ebay used camera sales while pontificating about collecting vs using.

Today is a good day for us who love to shoot with film to show that we actually care about film's future. We still have plenty of choices and plenty of film. It is up to us to keep film available, and enjoy it while doing so. I don't know about you, but I have the full intention to let my daughter shoot film when she grew up if she chose to.

If your favorite film disappeared from the market, it's time to try out other emulsions and coming up with a new method to achieve the images you like. Miss Plus-X? Try FP4+, or Adox CHS 100, or the new APX 100. Be creative!

If developing in the labs are expensive with unsatisfactory results, develop yourself at home. It's safe, cheap, and fun. Be daring!

If scanning is expensive when outsourced, get a scanner. Plustek has several new models available, don't sweat the quality differences, get to know your tools and make the best of it. That's how masterpieces came to be. Be resourceful!

If film is expensive in your area, band together like-minded souls in your town/city and order bulk, from USA, from Germany, from Japan, whatever it takes. Be enterprising!

Let's roll!

* forgot to put up a soapbox first. oh well...

Thanks Will, excellent post!!

And to all others here who are permanently crying and saying "film is dead, or will be dead in some years".
You say you like film and want to shoot it.
Then simply do it!
You have wasted dozens of hours here in this or other forums with your doom and gloom posts.
It would have been much much better if you had shot film in this time instead. Then you would have now lots of nice pictures.

And: These doom and gloom threads and posts only have negative effects on film sales, because with these statements you discourage other photographers to start shooting film or return to film.
You are ignoring the fact that lots of generally film interested (younger) photographers are visiting (reading, not registered) forums like this.
Do you really think they will be encouraged by your permanent film is dying talk??
Of course not.

These doom and gloom talk significantly hurts film sales.
Therefore it is hurting us.
It is discouraging other photographers to try film.
It is a completely contra productive and stupid behavier.

Therefore stop it! Don't waste your time with it, go out shooting!
Encourage others to use film.

Feel yourself responsible and act accordingly.

Cheers, Jan

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

I'm so backlogged in developing (not to mention scanning of those which are already developed) film, that I've got lots to last me after the Latter Days of the Filmpocalypse.

 

[HHPhoto]

However, the continued existence of color film hinges on the motion picture industry, so 8x10 is a bit of a red herring.

Sorry, but this is nonsense. An internet myth.
Movie film is not the area in color with biggest production volume.
The biggest segment with the highest volume of coated m² is
color negative RA-4 paper.
And this segment is not only stable, it is indeed a bit growing due to the digital market (most printed digital shots are not on inkjet, but on RA-4 via online services).

And from a technical point of view it is no problem to coat film and paper on the same coating machines. Most manufacturers (Agfa, Ilford, Foma,Fotokemika, Lucky...) have been doing that for decades.
Fact is that even without color movie film there is still a huge mass market filling the capacity of bigger coating machines.

Cheers, Jan

 

[bensyverson]

And from a technical point of view it is no problem to coat film and paper on the same coating machines. Most manufacturers (Agfa, Ilford, Foma,Fotokemika, Lucky...) have been doing that for decades.
Fact is that even without color movie film there is still a huge mass market filling the capacity of bigger coating machines.

Maybe, but Kodak is not set up that way. They have a specialized production line for film. If Hollywood dried up, would they really invest money to retool their paper coaters, for the benefit of a few still photographers? It's an open question.