on digiatl rants (my own rant)

[gns]

Does anyone else find the "Holier-than-thou" attitude of some of these anti-digital posts a bit comical? I for one, am interested in pictures more than in how they are made, and there are no rules about how to make good ones. I've seen interesting work done with digital (even P&S cameras), and I've seen plenty of crap done with the most expensive film cameras.

Good, real, interesting (whatever) photography is not about the gear. it is about seeing.

Just had to get that out.

Cheers.

 

[GeneW]

Well, there's certainly a strong film bias on RFF and to listen you'd think a P&S digital was the Devil's Own ...

But ... it's no worse than the anti-film bias in places like dpreview.com

I'm happy with all my cams -- film and digital (incl a couple really effective and nice P&S digitals)

Gene

 

[wlewisiii]

I've mentioned it before, but I think that the cell phone cam is the most important thing to happen to photography since the first Brownie and for the same basic reason - it gets a camera (even if quite a limited one) into peoples hands where they are likely to use it. And, well, for many that first taste is close enough to free... 😀

I like my film and overall there is a bit of a pro-film attitude here. But I come away from the other posts with a "yep, I've had those kind of people annoy me too" feeling rather than any anti-digital message.

William

 

[Socke]

When I look at the pictures a freind took whith her 3MPixel Konika P&S and later with a Sanyo Xacti I'm certain that P&S, whether digital or film, are not what makes a picture 🙂

Here is an example, somewhere in Thailand, February 2003

 

[wblanchard]

One reason I enjoy this site so much is because I get slammed on other forums for bringing up "film" or get messages from the masses trying to convert me from being so-called "one dimensional." This happens on DPreview and Fred M's site. It's quite frustrating for me, because as a pro who earns his bread and butter from weddings and other photo gigs, I go to those sites to have conversations with others in my profession and cannot find anything of value in their posts that help my situations with film. It's always the same answer..."you should invest in digital." They don't take the time to get to know someone like me or the others who are in the "post digital" stage of our careers. I had all the top toys and went back to film. I guess to them i'm like an ancient dinosaur that just unthawed.

The RFF site has the best people who don't ridicule, judge, or try to convert you. We all coexist and share techniques and life experiences. Sure, I enjoy the film talk more than anything here, but seeing some digital pics here and there doesn't bother me. I just don't want to see a huge percentage of digital in the galleries, because I like to learn what film and dark room technique they used. I think it's cool that the Dslrxchange was createed and I do look in on that forum every now and then.

 

[DougK]

I guess I'm a bit wishy-washy on the whole issue.

I love film, there's no beating projecting a slide onto a big screen for giving you a warm fuzzy feeling. There's no beating the feel of shooting a nice film camera either: smooth analog controls, pleasing mechanical sounds... I could go on.

However, I also love digital and it is a far more convenient medium to work with than film. If I had not had a good digicam (Minolta Dimage 7i, RIP), I would not have felt the freedom to shoot as many photos as I needed to improve my photographic skills to the point where I felt confident that I could shoot film and get the shot I wanted. Digital is a fabulous confidence builder and learning tool. Given good quality equipment, you can also produce some darn fine images.

I find the attitudes of some folks on either side more objectionable than the medium in use. I have framed shots from digital and film cameras hanging on my walls and in my friends' homes. They never asked how I took it or how I printed it.

Shoot the damn picture and be done with it 🙂.

 

[FrankS]

You may find a pro-film bias here, but that's because this is the Rangefinder Forum. Heck, just from the name you should be able to tell that most of us prefer 50 year-old rangefinders to modern auto-everything SLRs. The pro-film bias should not come as a surprise to you. On the other hand, most folks here are very open-minded and tolerant of all forms of photography.

 

[dmr]

Does anyone else find the "Holier-than-thou" attitude of some of these anti-digital posts a bit comical?.

I don't find it comical, just part of human nature.

Many people think that their way of doing things -- what works best for them -- is the way that everybody should do it.

Those who have just discovered digital cameras often assume that digital is the way everybody should go. Those of us who use real cameras <vbfg> sometimes assume as well that others should be using them. In truth there's no one-size-fits-all universal hammer for all that appears to be a nail.

 

[wblanchard]

The one question in my mind when I was shooting digital was: i just paid "x" amount of dollars for this 20D and still need to spend an hour or so with photoshop tweaking the images and making them look better. Why can't a digital camera shoot great photos that don't need to be edited? I take my Hexar AF, load some Portra film, meter the scene correctly, over or underexpose for my zone tastes, and develop the film...99 percent of the time the image comes out perfect and i don't need to do anything with it.

 

[Wayne R. Scott]

When it comes to the "Us vs "Them" debates, (insert what ever for "Us" and "Them", Canon vs Nikon, Lecia vs Contax, film vs digital, etc.) I normally take the same approach that I do in real life when walking down the street.

I never walk between a male dog and a lamppost.

Wayne

 

[kiev4a]

Different strokes for different folks. Some peole enjoy the immediacy of digital photos. Some enjoy the process of developing film. Some enjoy manually setting shutter speeds and f stops.

I have a Canon P&S digital. I grab it when I want to get a snapshot or for items posted on Ebay. But I won't use it for anything where action is involved. The lag between the time you push the button and the camera actually fires drives me absolutely up the wall.

I'm sure the shutter lag is less in the more expensive digital slrs. In fact, a while back I thought I was going to have about $1,000 extra disposable income so I started thinking about what kind of camera I really wanted. I thought this might be the time to get a really good digital -- like a Nikon D100 or D70 (I have Nikkor lenses and a F100). But then I thought, if I buy a nice digital, in six months it will be replaced by another model with more bells and whistles and in five years --if the camera lasts that long-- I won't be able to get it serviced. On the other hand, If I used the money to buy a Leica M, five years from now I'll still be able to get it fixed and it may be worth more than what I paid for it and the picture it takes will still be comparable to anything the latest, expensive digital camera can produce.

My philosophy doesn't just apply to cameras. When I buy a car (never brand new) I plan on driving it a minimum of five years. Ive had a cell phone seven years and have upgraded once--because the old one broke. It's same with computers. Why buy a 4.8 gigahertz model when most of the stuff I do can be handled quite easily by any machine over 1 gigahertz?

I have no problems with the digital camp any more than I do with people who have differnt religious beliefs. To each his own. What I do have problems with a people who try to convert me. The Photonet Nikon Forum is a good example. Nowadays if you ask a question there about what kind of film Nikon to get, you invariably get buried by "Get a D-70--don't be stupid" responses. I don't do that to the digital people and I wish they (and religious missionaries) would just let me do my own thing.

I wish the digital crowd the best. But I'm and old fogy who intends to pursue my hobby based on film. Don't want to argue. You do your thing and I'll do mine and we'll all be happy.

 

[Allen Gilman]

"Does anyone else find the "Holier-than-thou" attitude of some of these anti-digital posts a bit comical?"

It's like that ol' Duracell commercial- just keeps going...and going...and going...

But, hey - safer for some to keep banging that drum.

 

[Pherdinand]

I personally have nothing against digital cameras, neither their users. Just don't try to convince me about what i SHOULD buy. Everybody is welcome however to give me a minolta dynax 7D dslr as a present. I have the lenses, don't bother with the "kit", just the body please.

Why I don't buy it myself? As Brian says, i cannot see spending $1,000+ on it. When it will be as cheap as a good old SRT, or a film-based dynax 7 for that matter, i will get one. Second-hand, i guess.

The same theory is valid for my cheap RF's and medium format gear, lol!

 

[RML]

But Csab'... you know you'll have to have a digital camera when your child grows up, don't you? 🙂

Have you already succumbed to your GFs wishes for children? 😛

 

[kmack]

Personally I consider my Oly C4040 digital a viewfinder. In other than medium light situations the LCD display is useless. I have several modes pre-programmed and use them almost exclusively.

I find it very handy to have in my bag, on more than one occasion I have even used it as a light meter when in a bind.

Allways keep your options open.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Well, I'd rather have digital than digiatl. But then I can spell 'film', which I prefer to either.

(Sorry -- we all make mistakes. But I couldn't resist it).

Cheers,

Roger

 

[Pherdinand]

Have you already succumbed to your GFs wishes for children? 😛

Nope. Moreover, I am single again. 🙄
But thanks for asking it, LOL!

 

[RML]

Nope. Moreover, I am single again. 🙄
But thanks for asking it, LOL!

"Single" as in she went home but is still your GF, or "single" as in she went home and ain't your baby anymore.

The former is too bad, and I know how you feel.
The latter shucks big time.

Anyway, strength to you. 🙂

 

[back alley]

actually, i don't find a strong us against them or holier than thou attitude here at rff.

joe

 

[Pherdinand]

The former is too bad, and I know how you feel.
The latter shucks big time.

It's the latter, Remy. Hendrix has the answers to all.

"Wait a minute something's wrong baby,
Lord, have mercy, this key won't unlock this door,
something's goin' on here.
I have a bad bad feeling
that my baby don't live here no more."

Anyway, strength to you. 🙂

Thanks. I'm doing fine.
" 'Cause if my baby don't love me no more,
I know her sister will!"