Film is not dead

[Mick_Marsh]

Traditional film photography makes a comeback in digital age - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-25/film-is-not-dead-film-photography-resurgence-brisbane/8210526)


Good to hear. I love using my medium format camera.


Who else uses film?

[lebanon]

Still using my Canon 100 with my stock of Kodak T-Max B&W film.

I hope that the internal light sealing foam will not degrade and become stuck to the shutter because as spare parts are not available any more, I have changed it a some years ago and it was a very difficult sourcing it.

[Pedro_The_Swift]

Tell that to Eastman,, ;)

[werdan]

Film has reached the same stage of life as classic-shaped Landrovers. They aren't making any new ones but people still appreciate driving the old ones, even if some of them only do it on special occasions.

[Pickles2]

I've got heaps of absolutely MINT Pentax Screw Mount (Super Multi Coated, last series) equipment, plus two cameras,...still trying to work out what to do with all of it, I suppose I'll give ebay a go one day, but what a pain it will be,....anyone know a better way?
Pickles.

[ramblingboy42]

I'm the same, I have a Nikonos 1V-A underwater camera with a dedicated SB-101 strobe.
Originally cost a lot of money, takes fantastic photos on land as well.

I would sell it to an enthusiast at a proper price but I'm not giving it away....it can go with some of the 19th century stuff I have if no one appreciates it.

at least my 'children' are educated to these things, they will always have a home.

[superquag]

Rejoice ! Ektachrome is rising from the grave...

https://fstoppers.com/film/kodak-brings-back-ektachrome-slide-film-photographers-and-filmmakers-160222

and ...

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/news/ces-2017-kodak-brings-back-ektachrome-color-reversal-film

But, while KODAK brings something back, ZEISS is ending an era...
- https://petapixel.com/2012/12/09/end-of-the-road-zeiss-ikon-rangefinders-to-be-shuttered/


For the older photographers...
https://petapixel.com/2017/02/04/bergger-unveils-new-pancro400-film/

And to think I chucked out my LPL enlarger a couple of years ago...:o:(:o

[superquag]

I've got heaps of absolutely MINT Pentax Screw Mount (Super Multi Coated, last series) equipment, plus two cameras,...still trying to work out what to do with all of it, I suppose I'll give ebay a go one day, but what a pain it will be,....anyone know a better way?
Pickles.

Yes, go back to Basics.... shoot and develop your own B&W film... Or, if you'd rather not, then send it here:- http://fotofast.com.au/about-us.html

Doubt if you'd get anywhere near what they're worth, maybe in 10 - 20 years time when 'Photographic Nostalgia' is in full swing

[mekon76]

It's great, it puts the skill back into composition and none of the snap,snap,snap,snap pick one of the best and edit post.

[superquag]

Back in The Day, when I worked at WA Newspapers, we shared a floor with the Photographers.
They were just coming off the 5x7" sheet film Speed Graphics / glass flashbulbs, and a Photog would go out on a job with three double-sided film-holders, some flashbulbs in the other jacket pocket and a bus ticket.

- He'd shoot maybe 2 or 4 pics, come back, develop the film and sent the proof-sheet up to Editorial, who would select ONE pic for the story.

Then they graduated to Mamiya 220 and 330's, the ones with interchangable lens-boards... and Bell & Howell Electronic flashguns.
He'd go out on a job with maybe a second lens-board (different focal length) and perhaps a second roll of 120 film... Just in case.
He'd shoot whatever, up to 12/20 shots, develop and print a proof sheet.
- One pic would be used...

Then we made a giant leap into 35mm with NIKON SLR's, like the rest of the civilised world... The now geriatric Photog would stagger out on a job with a large shoulder-bag, two bodies, a couple or more lenses (depending on job) a METZ electronic flash and a dozen rolls of 36 exp. film By then Photogs were allowed to drive Company Cars...
He'd shoot a roll, come back to develop / proof sheet 36pics.
The Editors again would use the best one...

When I left, the younger generation of starry eyed snappers would go out on a job with a couple of DSLR bodies, some lenses, flashguns, handful of memory cards, laptop, mobile phone and iPad

He/she would shoot 100 or more happy-snaps, bring them back and put them all up on the Internal Browser.
Editor would trawl through....

And pick ONE photo Or three if the journalist hadn't written enough coherent words for the story......:p

That's called progress, and you can guess at the artistic 'quality' of the pictures

[mekon76]

And now there are very few photojournalists. Papers rely on people with iphones and other found footage submitted. Cheaper at half the price.

[Pocket Rocket]

When I started Uni in the 90s I was enrolled in Photomedia. I ended up having to change my major for affordability reasons but I love the medium of film and consider myself an 'artistic snob'.

Often I get asked why I don't put my stuff out there and the reason is that almost anyone nowadays can take photos and start their own business with or without talent. The sort of thing I want to do is photojournalism and thay ship has sailed for me. Never got the opportunity as there were 2 kids to provide for and now as Mekon stated they just take submissions from people's iphones.

Even now I still have ingrained in my psyche to try and capture that perfect shot in as few attempts as possible. I never use filters. I occasionally crop but then I used to do that before anyway.

What I miss is the whole process. The taking of the shots, the anticipation as to whether they would work and whether I had got the chemical mix right in the manual processing. And the printing... the test strips and then seeing the images come up in the developing tray in the darkroom. Techniques like cross processing and push processing are lost. Seems the basics of shot composition is lost too. Gone are the days where this was taught as an art. Now they just take a million shots and filter /manipulate them to death. I guess we could also say the same thing about music with auto tune. Gone are the days where the arts opportunities were given to the people with talent :o

I remember in 1995 being told by one of the lecturers that photography would become obsolete. I didn't believe him. I also didn't believe them when they said that TV would change from broadcasting to narrowcasting... netflix and youtube anyone....

I hope to see a return to film. Might separate the people with actual skill from the hacks. But I doubt it will ever become the dominant medium again.

[werdan]

Hey Pocket Rocket, if you like the process of film chemistry, take a course in making Tin Types. It's the ****. :)

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2017/02/505.jpg (http://flickr.com/photo.gne?id=7899736188)

[Bytemrk]

Love that Andrew...