Jump to content

photographic film - alive and kicking


gunter_caus

Recommended Posts

<p>Yesterday, after (too) many years, I visited Grobet, a knwon photo store in the centre of Antwerp (Belgium). I was a regular customer in a previous life, you know ... the one without children. If you were interested buying photo chemicals, films or papers, it was the place to be. You had to go down the cellar, which felt like a very natural thing to do when you were in search of light-sensitive products. The guy behind the counter is still same one as back then. And he still shares his enthousiasme with the same fire, as if time had no effect on us or anything at all. It was with a small heart though I approached him, because I was about to ask him if he had ever heard about photographical film lately. His answer was quick but foremost surprising. "OH YES! In fact we sell much more film than we ever did before, especially medium format. Fifteen, twenty years ago someone would walk into the shop, Hasselblad strapped around the shoulder and written on the forehead "did you notice me?". Now to be honest, these guys were not too many, because these kind of cameras were quite expensive at the time, and they still are if bought new. But today, medium format is flourishing thanks to a vast second hand market, everybody knows that. And as medium format cameras became more accessible, many, many more photo enthousiasts feel seduced to buy one and take it at hand. Especially the latter is important. Someone getting started with medium format film today does it for a very good reason, and thus people buy film, lots of film apparently. <br>

Now that's a reflection I really wanted to post here, because every now and then people raise the question when film will disapear. Are they out for a funeral party, or are they just sick worrying? Well, let me tell you this: film is alive and kicking. Hallelujah! </p>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

<p>If you are the sort of person that hangs out on Classic Manual Cameras (and even Modern Film Cameras) you will find lots of all format cameras. Shooting with them necessarily means using film.</p>

<p>Here in the USA, one outfit that has been in the film business back to the stone age is Freestyle. Look at their <a href="http://www.freestylephoto.biz/sc_main.php">website</a> for a treat, even if you don't actually buy anything from them.</p><div>00ZFiR-393671584.jpg.5b57f03f88b8b7dca8829ce061d7779a.jpg</div>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

<p>No, film is not going to die. I still like film, it is the reference medium by which I compare any digital image to. Unlike others, that ditch their film cameras and lenses in favor of the high tech versions, I keep and use the oldies. My Hasselblad system is simple to use and can do a lot. The MF prints are very sharp and reveal the wider tonality offered by silver halides over the ink versions. Used film equipment offers a tremendous value because it was high quality made and robust. The film is delicate, and, if treated with the respect it deserves, can be magical and pleasing to the artistic mind.</p>
Link to comment
Share on other sites

<p>I still love certain MF films, and hope that the film choices improve or are at least maintained (having seen a lot of my favourites discontinued). But we have to be realistic about how much film is really selling. Even if we assume that all the MF cameras, which were dropped from usage by professionals (and some amateurs) in the past 10 years, were sold on to new enthusiastic users, that is still unlikely to maintain film usage at the rate which prevailed years ago. Are amateur enthusiasts, shooting at the weekends and evenings, likely to use as may rolls of film as professionals shooting a number of jobs per day? Hardly.</p>

<p> </p>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

<p>Some of my favorite films have been discontinued, it's especially hard to find much in 220, and my favorite local lab has closed. For me, the writing was on the wall. Film will continue, but it will never be like it was. I'd be much more enthusiastic if I shot and developed my own B&W, but I don't and never did. I've given up on my Pentax 645NII, from which I got many good photos (IMO, of course) and my Hasselblad 501cm which was a joy to use and really challenged my eyes regarding composition. I'm now entirely digital, and I still enjoy photography as much as I have for the last 40 years.</p>
Link to comment
Share on other sites

<p>I only recently got into film photography, but I've been at it for over three years now, and I still find it much more satisfying a pursuit than digital. I keep my trusty 5DM2 at hand for my kids' birthday parties and other special events that I want to make sure I don't miss (partially because it also is such a fantastic digital video recorder as well), but when I want to focus on photography as an art, I always bring along a trusty 501cm, RZ67, Yashica, etc, a few rolls of color neg, a few rolls of slide, and a few rolls of B&W. Developing at home afterward is just as rewarding, especially when pulling a fresh roll of slides from the Jobo and hanging to dry. The image you see initially becomes an even more beautiful expression as it dries, and really does seem magical that all you need is light, a lens, and some chemistry to capture the world around you.</p>
Link to comment
Share on other sites

<p>I'm 33 years old and the only cameras I'd ever purchased with my money were digital. While on a vacation in one of the US National Parks, I bought a photo book by Tim Fitzharris. In it were these incredible images with lots of technical stuff in the captions I didn't understand. "Fuji Velvia" "Pentax 645" etc. I researched it and decided to try my hand at medium format film. I bought a Mamiya RB67 for $300 and some Fuji transparency film and the rest is (recent) history. Love looking at those transparencies on the lightbox - it's the next best thing to being there.</p>
Link to comment
Share on other sites

<p>Gosh, I can't be the only one who enjoys film and digital, can I?</p>

<p>I find both processes amazing, and perfectly usable. I prefer film for portraits of my family, and often for vacation. Film makes an excellent hard-copy, impervious to computer crashes. The bigger the film, the better - right up to 4x5 or 5x7 negatives. But for daily snapshots, digital rocks. No need to scan, and 12 MP in a dSLR or a waterproof point-n-shoot is amazing.</p>

<p>Sure, film is in decline. Or has been. We'd need to see sales figures from the makers to know for sure. But I keep buying the stuff. Local lab keeps selling film and chemistry to me and others like me. I don't think film sales are in free-fall anymore.</p>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

<p>I also shoot both digital and film. I use a Canon 40D for wild life and a Toyo 4 X 5 View camera for land scapes. I also still have my dark room and it is used on a regular bases. No film is not dead and I believe that what we will see, is that the strong will survive and film will be available for as long as I will want it.<br>

Yes the price of used equipment has come way down. I can remember looking at the price of an RB67 and thinking, I have to feed the children first. Well I have had three RB 67s, only gave them up when I could no longer hand hold them.</p>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

<p>I also shoot both digital and film. I use a Canon 40D for wild life and a Toyo 4 X 5 View camera for land scapes. I also still have my dark room and it is used on a regular bases. No film is not dead and I believe that what we will see, is that the strong will survive and film will be available for as long as I will want it.<br>

Yes the price of used equipment has come way down. I can remember looking at the price of an RB67 and thinking, I have to feed the children first. Well I have had three RB 67s, only gave them up when I could no longer hand hold them.</p>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

<p>I shoot both digital and film for my wedding photography. It's not uncommon to find me in the thick of things with a Nikon D700 + 17-35mm f/2.8 on my right shoulder, a D300 + 80-200mm f/2.8 on my left and my Pentax 67 with 105mm f/2.4 hanging from my neck. Clients love that I shoot in film, and usually love the results. I also tote around a Mamiya C330, a few lenses, a Nikon F100 and FM2N for good measure. <br /> I develop all of my color and black and white at home and even offer handmade prints a la carte in my wedding packages.</p>

<p>The new Kodak Portra 400 and Portra 160 really make it all work out. I love both of those films and they're both available in 220 which makes MF at 6x7 more manageable at 20 shots a roll.</p>

<p>I'm not saying it's something that I'm going to offer forever, as the cost really is prohibitive and if I can't find a way to incorporate it into my charges I may reserve my film shooting for more personal work. But, for now, I love it and my clients love it.</p>

<p><a title="Ginger and Anthony Teaser-36 by Ryan M Long Photography, on Flickr" href=" Ginger and Anthony Teaser-36 src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6065/6095031908_88d17aa00a_z.jpg" alt="Ginger and Anthony Teaser-36" width="640" height="498" /></a></p>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

<p>Well let's see what the future brings.</p>

<p>I shoot only film (never owned a digital camera other than cellphone). The only digital camera in the house is a compact for my wife. I do use that digital camera for experiments (catching lightning during storms) and for photography I am not interested in (chasing kids around the house). For anything I am interested in, I take my ETRSi.</p>

<p>Digital still lacks some depth in the image rendering that I find so attractive on film. However the ease of use of digital is a big factor in the modern world. People are willing to sacrificy a lot for their own convenience. That's the sad truth.</p>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

<p>Lubos, you can tell yourself that story to make yourself feel good about sticking to your roots, but it doesn't make it an objective fact.</p>

<p>Many of us feel that it would be <em>you</em> who are sacrificing a lot to preserve your present choices in imaging. There was a day when there were quality compromises for the convenience of digital, but that day is past (has passed?).</p>

<p>For me, modern digital, even without the excesses of HDF, presents a tonal range from shadow detail to highlight detail that is difficult to match in film without reviving Polaroid Type 52 or "print-out" papers. Even digitized film will often be better in this way to the human eye than are the original slides or negatives.</p>

<p>Glad to hear that about the 220, Ryan. When I tried recently to find 220 film, all I could get was five (refrigerated) rolls of out-dated film on eBay. No one seemed to have any in stock at all.</p>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

<p>+1 for film. I recently bought a second hand Mamiya 645 with 2 lenses (80+210), grips etc for Eur275 and love it.<br /> The mechanics are wonderful and approach you need to take with manual focus makes me slow down.<br>

The anticipation of film is more fun and hopes of making a great picture are much higher than with my D90. <br />I will shoot both cameras but for portraits, the Mamiya is more fun. I still need a 45mm for landscapes and I will be all settled :-)</p>

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...