Here we go again: film vs. digital

[kshapero]

 

[noimmunity]

ROTFL

Different temporalities, for sure. In order to save costs, I was sending rolls of Velvia back to Taiwan in batches to get developed, sometimes adding months to the process, so I can really relate there.

Once I saw the results the DP*Ms could give me, I sold my scanner, unused films, and basically said goodbye to Velvia.

I really get into digital PP (even though I'm a novice), thus extending the length of the whole process.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

LOL, I have shot 10 rolls of film in the last 2 weeks. The million photos of my lunch phenomenon is less a digital camera thing than it is a cell phone camera thing. I know that's digital too, but putting the camera in the phone then having access from the phone to Facebook, Instagram, etc. is what started the whole thing with people shooting tons of photos of stupid crap and posting them online.

 

[tsiklonaut]

Yep, the picture says it all. Especially if you shoot MF and LF. 😀


Offtopic: as of Foveon X3 - I'm a HUGE fan myself and for me it's the über-digital sensor for me. But it just doesn't compare to the medium format E6 through drum scans I do, it's still sterile and digital despite excellent detail, good DR and rich colours. Add B&W negs and color negs also is something Foveon X3 can't emulate to the same "fullness" and "character", no matter how skilled you are in PP thus I'll probably staying with film for a long time to come in artistic photography side I do for my personal work - I think drum scanner forever changed my views of color film photography that I didn't rate so high before. I'm in digital domain as a daily high-output or documenting workhorse when needed though and I'll be waiting for FF Foveon X3 to come out, if it comes. And hoping they don't go pixel-crazy like with the Merrill series - let the pixels be huge like with previous Foveons but improve low light performance and overall rendition of the image, take away that digital "sterility" straight-out-of-camera RAWs and make it film-like rendition (i.e. like Fuji modes on their digital cameras), that'd be my ultimate wish from Sigma/Foveon. They shouldn't join the pointless megapixel war as they did with Merrill, they should keep their own signature - colours, tonality and colour richness where the Foveon X3 can exel at.

 

[ChrisN]

I'm sorting through a box of old slides, covering 1979 to 1983, for scanning. For a one-month trip across the whole of Australia and back in 1980 I have just four rolls! Film and processing was expensive (for me) in those days!

 

[sanmich]

Thanks Akiva, love it 🙂

 

[noimmunity]

Yep, the picture says it all. Especially if you shoot MF and LF. 😀


Offtopic: as of Foveon X3 - I'm a HUGE fan myself and for me it's the über-digital sensor for me. But it just doesn't compare to the medium format E6 through drum scans I do, it's still sterile and digital despite excellent detail, good DR and rich colours. Add B&W negs and color negs also is something Foveon X3 can't emulate to the same "fullness" and "character", no matter how skilled you are in PP thus I'll probably staying with film for a long time to come in artistic photography side I do for my personal work - I think drum scanner forever changed my views of color film photography that I didn't rate so high before. I'm in digital domain as a daily high-output or documenting workhorse when needed though and I'll be waiting for FF Foveon X3 to come out, if it comes. And hoping they don't go pixel-crazy like with the Merrill series - let the pixels be huge like with previous Foveons but improve low light performance and overall rendition of the image, take away that digital "sterility" straight-out-of-camera RAWs and make it film-like rendition (i.e. like Fuji modes on their digital cameras), that'd be my ultimate wish from Sigma/Foveon. They shouldn't join the pointless megapixel war as they did with Merrill, they should keep their own signature - colours, tonality and colour richness where the Foveon X3 can exel at.

Those drumscans must be beautiful!

I'm lucky that my standards aren't as high as yours, and, although I love film, that I don't see such sterility in XF3 images, either.

 

[raid]

I feel like taking 1000 photos on my next trip, so it will be digital.

 

[jcb4718]

The end point of my photos of, say, a trip, are one of the reasons I stick with film. For a week long trek I might shoot 10 rolls of film or 360 photos. About 50% don't make it past 'first view'. The rest I put in an album. Maybe 5-10 I enlarge 10" or 16" width and also put them in my album. 1-2 end up as 20" or even 36" wide prints on my wall. The wall prints are carefully placed so as to avoid window reflections etc. I've even installed ceiling down-lights to increase the contrast and colour saturation. The question of film vs. digital doesn't enter into it. I'm not sure even I could look at more than 150 of my photos at a sitting! My wife bought me a digital album for Xmas and, while it does have it's advantages, the number of prints I can look at in a setting is even less. It's something about the way you tend to look at them one-at-a-time vs. looking at a page in an album (and focussing on those of interest). I'd be interested to hear how you folks view your photography in relation to the way you intend to display (or disseminate) the images.

 

[Mcary]

There's no film vs digital for me its all film and digital these days. As far as which camera to take or use well that really depends on how I'm feeling as its just as easy to pack the Crown Graphic and four or five holders of HP5+ into the small backpack as it is to put the M8 and X100 in the Tamrac shoulder bag.
Once I get home the only difference it whither I start by inserting a memory card into the card reader or start loading sheets of film into a development tank.

 

[Ronald M]

Yep, the picture says it all. Especially if you shoot MF and LF. 😀


Offtopic: as of Foveon X3 - I'm a HUGE fan myself and for me it's the über-digital sensor for me. But it just doesn't compare to the medium format E6 through drum scans I do, it's still sterile and digital despite excellent detail, good DR and rich colours. Add B&W negs and color negs also is something Foveon X3 can't emulate to the same "fullness" and "character", no matter how skilled you are in PP thus I'll probably staying with film for a long time to come in artistic photography side I do for my personal work - I think drum scanner forever changed my views of color film photography that I didn't rate so high before. I'm in digital domain as a daily high-output or documenting workhorse when needed though and I'll be waiting for FF Foveon X3 to come out, if it comes. And hoping they don't go pixel-crazy like with the Merrill series - let the pixels be huge like with previous Foveons but improve low light performance and overall rendition of the image, take away that digital "sterility" straight-out-of-camera RAWs and make it film-like rendition (i.e. like Fuji modes on their digital cameras), that'd be my ultimate wish from Sigma/Foveon. They shouldn't join the pointless megapixel war as they did with Merrill, they should keep their own signature - colours, tonality and colour richness where the Foveon X3 can exel at.

People who say this need to use the curve adjustment layer in Photoshop.
If you do not, the file looks flat and in fact it is by design.

Slide film has the curve built in. Negative films are flat, but the paper emulsion has a curve. Scan it and you need to apply the curve.

If you like grain, ps has that too, mono or multicolored, big or small, smooth or sharp. Use the "blend if" to the grain layer to keep grain from the highlights and shadows. Split the sliders to make smooth transitions.

Write an action to automate and you will not tell it from film.