etaf_khan

there are many valid points to consider here. i think my first step would be to identify a small niche market that would be desirous of my images. with minimal costs from my side, i'll get a taste of the market by posting up my images on a website and making publishing contacts.

i'm not trying to make a living off of my photography. My field is 'education' and i'm not thinking of leaving it for a while. I just thought that perhaps I could post up my photos, find a little business, and make some pocket money on the side.

it seems that the photography market is very saturated now that anyone can be a 'photographer' since digital is the new tool. nevertheless, i believe the key lies in finding that niche market and focusing on what is in demand.

thank you so much for your indepth answers. I have read every post with keen interest and have learned a lot from you advice. if anyone writes anything new, i'll be checking back regularly.

WOW!!!!! I'm truly overwhelmed by the detailed and well thought our responses! I'm also happy that this didn't turn into a digital vs film debate. I'm now so certain that I'll be getting a Hasselblad system (to begin with) and perhaps later adding a Pentax 645 system for a bit more versatility and ease of use.

Ironically, I already have a Rollei MF slide projector... but no camera to shoot with. I'm now going to look into whats available on KEH... as i've had good experience with them.

Thank you to everyone that has given me such good feedback. I'm reading every word that comes into this thread, so if anyone has anything more to add, i'll be checking back regularly.

Ok so maybe this isn't exactly the right forum to ask this question... but its related to the question i just posted before this.

I'm thinking about MF to shoot slide film, but from your feedback in my earlier post, it seems tough nowadays in this digital

world to sell travel photos on MF film.

So my question to you is: can one run a part time business using 35mm slide film or MF slide film that is scanned using a

Nikon Coolscan? or is everyone demanding digital photos taken with digital cameras?

By digitizing film, would that make everyone happy? Will that put me on par with digital photographers in the business

perspective? Shouldn't that actually give me an advantage since I have a hardcopy of the photo (a physical transparency)?

I'd be shooting travel photos. I already have many worthy travel photos on 35mm Velvia 50. Its just a matter of me setting

up a website and someone demanding them from me.

I've been shooting slide film in my 35mm camera for several years now. I have no desire to go digital because film makes

me happier than anything else. I am a sharpness freak so I use the best equipment I can afford (prime lenses etc).

But I know that I would enjoy medium format. The only thing is that I worry that it will become

impossible to find 120 film soon, or find a place to get it developed. I travel all over the world and love to shoot

travel photos.

Is it too late to jump into MF to shoot film? I've been considering a Hasselblad 501CM and/or a Pentax 645Nii system for

some time now. I'm just worried about taking the plunge.

What are your thoughts?

i currently have a Pentax LX, Pentax ZX5n, and three Auto Focus

Pentax lenses... 100mm macro, 43mm limited, and 20-35mm f/4.

i love my setup and dont want to part with film for now. i want to

wait before i go digital. currently, my ZX5n is no longer a reliable

camera as it has seen a lot of abuse (cracked shell, repaired motor,

dying electic circuits, etc). i want to replace it with another AF

camera so i can continue to use my lens setup.

what do you guys think of the MZ-S at this time? would an MZ-S keep

me happy as long as film is available? does anyone have long term

experience with this camera they could kindly share with me?

i feel that the MZ-S is the camera that would suit my needs as well

as compliment the LX. i do a lot of travel photography and dont need

more than 2.5 FPS ever. the camera is compact, light, looks durable,

has all the features i need and then some... such as midroll rewind,

built in flash, wireless flash, remote control shutter, camera

settings printed on the slide perforation, MLU, and a few others.

i wonder if anyone here can give me longterm feedback about this

camera and what you think about getting it now? i know pentax has

stopped producing it, but thats why im thinking that i should go for

it now.

also, has anyone ever seen how the MZ-S performs in

humid/tropical/equitorial conditions?

thanks

tos