Film vs. Digital to the Extreme.

[Dan Deary]

<p>

<p>Something to share for CMC group. I came upon a Brit TV murder mystery show called Midsomer Murders that I downloaded from Netflix (episode 6, "A Picture of Innocence" from 2007) that is real hoot. This show, I think, did not get a lot of airplay in the states but in this episode it dealt with film vs digital photographers in a small village. The plot begins with a huge rivalry between the two camps with the film group portrayed as old, dotty and eccentric all wearing their safari photo vests meeting daily in an old dusty photo shop harping on the superior quality of film. The sign on the front of the shop says" NO Digital Cameras Sold Here." The photo shop also is devoid of any customers and appears to dying. To make matters worse the portrayal this group involves one photographer who does nothing but photograph a single tree over and over with his Rolleiflex (while focusing and adjusting the shutter the camera makes significant clicking noises. If my Rollei did that it would have serious issues.) Another film guy just takes a single exposure with a view camera at precisely 9 Am every day of the same street. The third film guy does nothing but cats. The forth film guy photographs every single meal he ever ate but the kicker is its always beans and bangers!!<br>

If anything the digital group were portrayed worse, as loud, obnoxious, and rude ruffians dressed in black leather jackets and would go around the village terrorizing the inhabitants especially the film group. There was one scene at a photo gallery in which the main digital guy and a film guy squared off and began shooting one another with cameras and flash –the digital guy was winning until his battery went dead. Later, needless to say several people end up dead from both camps. As the story went along, the detective in charge became a victim of digital photo manipulation but he managed to solve the case in the end. I won’t give away the ending except the murderer was apprehended in a darkroom.<br>

I confess I love these British murder mysteries but if you were to visit the UK I would keep your guard up because they seem to murder people at an alarming rate for the silliest of reasons.<br>

I will have to dust off my photo safari vest and take my Rollei for a spin. Cheers.</p>

</p>

[marc_rochkind]

Makes the battles here on photo.net look tame by comparison. I guess we're not really passionate enough. ;-)

 

Hope your safari vest is lined with Kevlar...

[JDMvW]

<p>Hmm, sounds a lot like my local photo collective.<br>

If it were shorter I'd get it to show to the assembled masses and elite.</p>

[starvy]

<p>Daniel, I think you need to check your Rollei every morning at 9 to ensure that clicking noises have not started ;)</p>

[jim_gardner4]

<p>Sounds like they have got it spot on. (Joking)<br>

By the way, that village is listed somewhere as the most dangerous place in England. A couple of people are murdered every week.</p>

[remco_jan_woldhuis1]

<p>I think the writer of that episode knew what he was writing about (I guess he has people like that around him). Of course, the characters and situations were exaggerated, but sometimes you have to, when you want to do a complete murder mystery with new characters in 90 minutes. <br>

I have to say that people like the dogmatic film photographers prevented me from joining the local photography club.</p>

[rob_rhyner]

"... this group involves one photographer who does nothing but photograph a single tree over and over ..."

 

I've been seeing this behavior in my own picture taking. Very worrying.

[tom_harvey3]

<p>...and where are the Leicaphiles during all of this?</p>

[howardstanbury]

<p>The episode is on YouTube - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5L2WmkmcH4">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5L2WmkmcH4</a> for the first segment, and links to the subsequent parts (10 mins each).</p>

[howardstanbury]

Oh, and this episode was filmed in part in Thame, about 10 miles from where I live in Oxford, also the home of Morse.

 

You're right, the murder rate in this neck of the woods is far worse than Detroit or NYC!

[mfophotos]

<p>Oh, this is quite awesome. I'll have to watch the whole thing!</p>

[philip_wilson]

<p>I will have to catch the program. By the way it seems that film is making comeback in Japan. I have noticed quite a few of the younger tourists we get here (I live in Banff Canada which gets lots of Japanese tourists) carrying old Film SLRs!</p>

[tony_lockerbie]

<p>Wow, I just love that old shop....what does that say about me?! Also want a Rollei that clicks like that when you focus and change the aperture.<br>

At least I don't own a photo vest!</p>

[jodys]

<p>Wow! I'm off to do something illegal.</p>

[OPK]

<p>I think many photographers just hit the ceiling with digital. On some level there's no improvement. Each camera is similar in it's capabilities. Or maybe chasing a rabbit is no longer attractive.<br>

It reminds me story with CD vs analog LP battle. no matter how often you change your player, it's still digital. Only turntable/record player could solve it.</p>

<p>Based on my experience, during last 7 years I had 6 DSLR's (SIX!) - from 6MPix DX till 12MPix FF. After many examinations I couldn't spot the difference between A3 prints.<br>

Now I'm using both, DSLR and analog and I've never been happie. Each one for it's own purposes.</p>

[kevin mayo]

<p>Imagine how many people would have died if it was Canon vs Nikon</p>

[kris-bochenek]

<p>This is awesome. I love British humor. "30/22? Spot on Dad"</p>

[gnashings]

<p>The Leicaphiles are in the background, in Masonic robes, making all the decisions and consorting with aliens. <br>

I have taken a picture of the same tree over and over. I have photographed cats. And I would love that camera store... at least someone in it would know something about some kind of cameras, which is more than I can say about what passes for most photo themed electronics stores that exist now. I never thought I would need one more place at the mall where I can buy ink cartridges... Makes me want to murder someone, I just don't have a safari vest...</p>

[steve m smith]

<blockquote>

<p>By the way, that village is listed somewhere as the most dangerous place in England. A couple of people are murdered every week.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I think I will stay away. Best not invite Jessica Fletcher to visit either. People get murdered wherever she goes.</p>

[flatulent1]

<blockquote>

<p>I think I will stay away. Best not invite Jessica Fletcher to visit either. People get murdered wherever she goes.</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Indeed. And you'll notice SHE'S always the one to 'solve' the crime. She has some hard questions to answer.</p>

[chuck_foreman1]

<p>I've enjoyed this once or twice a year as this series is featured here on one or another station regularly. This is the inspecto Barnaby series and the opening scene also features a Weston IV metering the tree. It's well written, but as many have already commented its hard to believe so many murders occur in such a few tight knit communities in one district. None the same enjoyable and head and better scripts than MSW.</p>

[alex macphee]

<p>Midsomer Murders is a hoot. Plain old puzzle-solving detective work that owes little to real police work and everything to sheer entertainment. John Nettles plays Barnaby beautifully, not least because he plays him as a regular chap, with a happy home life, and not the demented maverick with peculiar characteristics that is so often the central character inhabiting TV police fictions. We all know how dangerous Midsomer is behind the English village facade, and we all know it's hokum, and that's why it's so well-loved. 'A Picture of Innocence' was such a fun episode, populated with ludicrous caricatures, and it's obvious the writers were having a ball. I haven't seen any episodes with the replacement for Nettles, Neil Dudgeon, but Nettles will be a hard act to follow.</p>