Nikon Photo Contest not accepting film scans anymore

[rogue_designer]

So it appears this year's Nikon Photo Contest (NPCI) is not going to accept film scans. Only digitally captured images (including digital MF and LF).

Their entry guidelines:
http://www.nikon-photocontest.com/en/#/entryguidelines

"Categories A and B
Image data files created with digital still cameras (including medium and large-format cameras). Images that have been retouched using software or by other means will be accepted. Both color and monochrome images will be accepted. (Scans of photographs taken by film cameras are not eligible.)"

This is troubling in itself - I guess when Nikon stopped making film scanners, we stopped mattering (or users of their film cameras).

But even more curious is their lead judge. Chris Rainier.
http://www.nikon-photocontest.com/en/#/judge

Chris shoots a LOT of TriX with his Hasselblad. He wouldn't be allowed to enter his best images into the very contest he is judging. I wonder if he knows about the restriction?

Anyway. I hope other contests don't follow suit. This seems to me not only short sighted, but pointless. Why does it matter how it was captured? They are not bothering with making "must have used a nikon camera" as a restriction - so why this one?

 

[mfogiel]

Who cares ? They do not own the universe.

 

[rogue_designer]

I suppose that's true. I'm more worried if it is the beginning of a trend.

 

[dcsang]

I suppose that's true. I'm more worried if it is the beginning of a trend.

I don't enter competitions but I can see how that can be worrisome. With respect to such a competition however, and directly related to not being "allowed" to use film, all the "I wonder if..." scenarios that I could come up with all would have had dead photographers involved - could it be that the medium is dying (or dead) as well?

Regardless we should also look at who is holding the competition - a major camera manufacturer that no longer manufactures film cameras nor film scanners. They are in the business of selling cameras they currently make, not cameras/scanners they may have made in the past. From their perspective, offering prizes to anyone shooting anything on film would be offering prizes to an "outdated" type of technology. . .

Cheers,
Dave

 

[Pickett Wilson]

I think you nailed it, Dave. For Nikon, there is no future in the past.

 

[DominikDUK]

Damn and I thought they still made the F6 a film camera I believe. One of the juror is not even a photographer but a multimedia producer, they also have a movie category. Sorry this is not photo contest but a multimedia contest and therefore it's understandable that they don't want film. But even the digi files they request and judge are to be castrated not full rgb but srgb. It seems that the whole contest is also a marketing gig for the Nikon 1.

Oh how the mighty have fallen.

 

[thegman]

Nikon are in the business of making money, it makes sense for them as a business to write off film, and encourage the purchase of digital cameras.

It's best to not pay to much attention to the actions of companies, as they, quite rightly work in their, and their shareholder's interests. But it is up to us to ignore them.

 

[Michel154]

it is a contest organized buy a company that makes cameras they want to showcase/sell what they make ,it is mostly about promotion and marketing
that said i have seen beautiful photos in it

 

[MartinP]

It's best to not pay to much attention to the actions of companies, as they, quite rightly work in their, and their shareholder's interests.

I last attended any lectures on company law more than a quarter of a century ago, but as I recall companies in UK must act ONLY for the benefit of shareholders - not for the longevity or goodwill of the business. It is likely that these factors will mostly overlap, but not always. The AGM (and EGMs) and shareholders votes decide the membership and actions of the board of directors of the company. It has frequently happened that value has been stripped from a business after a change of share ownership, then the remains have been sold or wound-up.

Hopefully I have mis-remembered.

 

[newsgrunt]

Don't see the big stink over this tbh. Their contest, their rules. Does this mean film is dying ? Hell no and we shouldn't be gnashing our teeth over this and making it more than what it is.

I'll keep on using up my stash of film AND continue to use my iPhone as well lol.

 

[Murchu]

In fairness, the goal of the competition is to find great images shot using Nikkor lenses. Outlawing film scans for the purposes of the competition, only ensures that Nikon is able to enforce their rules, ie that the winning entries have actually been shot using Nikon lenses.

 

[rogue_designer]

I don't see any restriction in there that a nikon camera, or nikon/nikkor lens, must be used. Nor is there the same kind of exif information in most digital MF or LF images that would let them verify that anyway.

 

[michel v]

But even more curious is their lead judge. Chris Rainier.
http://www.nikon-photocontest.com/en/#/judge

Chris shoots a LOT of TriX with his Hasselblad. He wouldn't be allowed to enter his best images into the very contest he is judging. I wonder if he knows about the restriction?

Are you kidding?
If he's a judge, he can't enter his own images. It's a basic contest rule.
So even if he shot digital, that wouldn't make a difference.

 

[rogue_designer]

Ok - obviously - I wasn't suggesting he would be entering. I just think it ironic that he otherwise wouldn't be able to, and that he is lead judge in a contest where his own preferred medium is actively excluded.

 

[Noll]

Well, if nothing else it is certainly poor form to disregard the vast majority of their history and the people who have embraced and continue to do wonderful work with it.

But, their contest, their rules...

 

[zauhar]

I last attended any lectures on company law more than a quarter of a century ago, but as I recall companies in UK must act ONLY for the benefit of shareholders - not for the longevity or goodwill of the business. It is likely that these factors will mostly overlap, but not always. The AGM (and EGMs) and shareholders votes decide the membership and actions of the board of directors of the company. It has frequently happened that value has been stripped from a business after a change of share ownership, then the remains have been sold or wound-up.

Hopefully I have mis-remembered.

I am not sure if that is "law" per se in the US, but that is the expected behavior of corporations, and if their executives were to deviate from that principle they would be gone. Of course, they are never the sort of people who would deviate from that principle.

It would be nice if some notable digital-only photographers blasted Nikon for this, just to make a point. That said, I have no idea how prestigious the Nikon competition is, or if it's just a marketing tool.

Randy

 

[Pherdinand]

so what. Just scan your image and submit it, how will they know for sure it is on film? 🙂
Or look for another contest that is not so pretentious and pointless (in the rules).

 

[sevo]

I last attended any lectures on company law more than a quarter of a century ago, but as I recall companies in UK must act ONLY for the benefit of shareholders - not for the longevity or goodwill of the business.

Stock sales promoters often want to make believe that that is true, but it is about as wrong as possible. Even in the US, obligations to the tax authorities, welfare/public health system, pension funds and creditors (and customers with outstanding warranties or service contracts legally are creditors) are prior to the shareholders - and in the EU, the staff squeezes in between as well. Shareholders have pretty much the lowest priority in a companies obligations, as any shareholder in a bankrupt company will discover - they may even be obliged to feed cash into the company or, on refusal, accept the devaluation of their shares.

What is true is that the board represents the shareholders, and has to act solely in their interest - but the board is merely supervising, not managing the company.

 

[valdas]

And what if I capture my "digital image" from the film negative using DSLR as a scanner?

 

[emraphoto]

any of the competitions that really matter have no such rules and i suspect won't for a LONG time.

some recently celebrated photographers, Chloe Dewey Mathews to start, are shooting a variety of mediums, including medium format film.

film is very entrenched in some of the work you are seeing, the photographers don't feel the need to jump into the past/future film/digital nonsense.