Is Digital slowly taking over on RRF?

[bmattock]

I want everyone to notice that I have not said anything horrible in this thread.

 

[PMCC]

It's the first of the year and the night is young.

 

[Keith]

Being a dedicated film user is a little like being a part of any extremist group these days ... we flock here because no-one else really wants us. But I agree the flock does appear to be diminishing which is sad!

Conversley I find the enthusiasm for film SLRs here very reassuring and often wonder what has brought this on ... because it wasn't this way in 2006 when I joined?

 

[Frankie]

I want everyone to notice that I have not said anything horrible in this thread.

Say what you mean and mean what you say.

The truth often hurts...

 

[bmattock]

Say what you mean and mean what you say.

I mean to.

The truth often hurts...

If you're doing it right.

 

[Roger Hicks]

It seems that new digital cameras are coming on the market at a much higher rate as film cameras used to in their heyday. Film cameras have pretty much been perfected - when that will happen with digital, who knows. I recall reading somewhere that advances in technology increases exponentially. Something along the order of the new technological advances of one year is equal to the new technologal advances of the previous ten years. Look at the production lifespan of digital camera models compared to the production lifespan of some film cameras.

While this may be true of technology in general, obviously it can't be true for a given technology. If it were, we'd be seeing a new 35mm camera every 30 seconds, given that the first commercially successful 35mm camera was introduced 85 years ago this year.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Roger Hicks]

I have several classic film bodies already. Every time I'm tempted to pick up another I ask myself if I think I can put it to good use. The answer is invariably no. I'm focused on digital these days, and have more than I need for the occasional retro-fling with film. So my $$$'s are now going into digital bodies, and lenses that work with both film and digital.

Dear Ken,

Sort of. I certainly don't need any more junk 35mm cameras -- and 'junk' can include stuff that was expensive and highly desirable when new, like my Zeiss leaf-shutter SLR.

On the other hand, I could certainly find a use for a second MP, and Frances got a Zeiss Ikon SW as a home for her 18mm.

Of course, all our lenses, from the 1930s onwards, work with both film and digital.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Ken Shipman]

...On the other hand, I could certainly find a use for a second MP, and Frances got a Zeiss Ikon SW as a home for her 18mm...

Oh yes, the temptation is mighty sometimes. And there's no end to my rationalizations. Must...be...strong...

 

[Gadge]

Digital will eventually take over here but every time I look at the forum home page, I see lots more people viewing the M forum (21 now) than the M8/8.2/9 Forum. (5 now) and the RD1 with 1 right now. So it doesn't seem to have happened yet!

In the UK, I see film counters in drug stores very well stocked with disposable cameras but less film choice available. What remains is roughly the same cost as the disposables so you can see the attraction. The guys at the film counter tell me that the disposables create much of the processing work now. Who would have thought that these rubbish cameras bought as throw aways for parties/weddings or for one off use by less well off people would help keep film processing supported for more serious amateur use?

I tend to buy, C41 B+W or colour film, on line these days so film supply is not an issue but the tipping point for me would be not being able to get it easily and cost effectively developed/printed and a CD made easily.

 

[Richard G]

From within this forum we could not tell. The enthusiasm for classic photography now takes in the great SLRs as was pointed out above. We may see a wave of young SLR film users shift towards an RF in ten years. Film will not die out and neither will rangefinders in the forseeable future.

 

[Pickett Wilson]

"Conversely I shoot travel images for stock. More and more I see a call for "film images" from the travel mags."

Making a lot from stock, these days?

 

[_mark__]

Dig-it-all

 

[johannielscom]

If getting a top notch scanner is considered 'digital taking over', I will probably be guilty this year.

M8? Been there. Liked the faster process, but my shooting changed into snapping&deleting at the same time, which I did not like.

I've decided to go for 6x9 to get the IQ I'm looking for and have the slower and more considered process.

But, I realise I will be more of a rarity day by day.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Okay- just read the thread.

Most of the members here at RFF use Digital and Film. The "Film Only" zealots moved off to APUG a long time ago. The Digital-only nuts are quickly ganged up on by members that have much more experience using both.

So honestly, sign of the times and that digital cameras have improved in size/weight/handling/resolution that they should be taken seriously. Also a sign of the times that film cameras are often judged to be "passe" by the masses. Most RFF members do not take this attitude as they know better.

 

[denmark.yuzon]

M8? Been there. Liked the faster process, but my shooting changed into snapping&deleting at the same time, which I did not like..

i myself agree to this.. even just shooting with a dslr, makes you lose everything you've earned in shooting film.. shooting becomes a chore, and made me trigger happy, snapping everything...

if kodak and fujifilm decided to end film production.. then digital has taken over..

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I do not believe for a minute that Kodak and Fuji will end film production.

Polaroid ended theirs, and a new company is standing up to take over production.

Does using a DSLR make one lose what they have learned with digital?

I think it depends on the self-discipline of the photographer. Years ago when you could slap a 5FPS motor drive on a Nikon F2 and an MD-11 on an FM , a lot of photographers got trigger happy and snapped everything.

Maybe the buffer-flush rate of the M8 and M9 is a feature, not a flaw. Hmmm... Maybe Cameraquest could market SLOW-WRITE cycle SD cards with an RFF label to prevent snap-happy DRF owners.

 

[Pickett Wilson]

Brian, if you owned a company with a product whose sales continued to drop in double digits, quarter after quarter, how long would you keep producing it? Kodak and Fuji are not benevolent organizations.

 

[David_Manning]

Then again, there are probably a few of us who shoot film as a creative decision. Probably a minority, though...even being creative has it's own costs (both in dollars and in time).

 

[tomnrides]

I have been lurking around getting valuable info from you all, and finally signed up. Here my first big mouth thing is that Digital will not be what it is today in 5 or 10 years. Just witnessed a new iPod Nano (like 2 match book big) has video and sound recording, cell phones can do a lot already and we only need a hawk size eyes and brain to produce quality images. We just cannot retrieve and print what we see directly (bionic eye?). For now we still need a large camera for that (film or digital any format).
I just saw an M2 on Craigs but cannot justify $ for less function than what I have CV R4A, it would be nice to have though. But I should get an iphone instead, that will let me have a lot more pictures

 

[ReeRay]

"Conversely I shoot travel images for stock. More and more I see a call for "film images" from the travel mags."

Making a lot from stock, these days?

I wish. Stock's not what it was and probably never will be again but it pays for my travel, film and the occasional lens so I'm happy.

I'm glad my pension is indexed linked 🙂