Film Photography???

[DennyCrane]

Sure, large format film will be around. Like 4x5. It probably will be for a long time. It's the best way for landscape photography. But seriously... how many people are out there doing that?
It's the Joe Six Pack photographer that will be the deciding factor. Photography hobbyists, as a percentage of all people who take pictures, are a tiny spec compared to all the people snapshotting their grandkids, their dog at the beach, Mom and Dad in from Decatur, etc. They're all using $99 P&S cameras. Even the film disposables are about done. ALL film won't go away, but 35mm is fading fast.

As an aside, was that a personal message or was that person speaking as an official representative for Ilford?

 

[Randall Ellis]

Sure, large format film will be around. Like 4x5. It probably will be for a long time. It's the best way for landscape photography. But seriously... how many people are out there doing that?
It's the Joe Six Pack photographer that will be the deciding factor. Photography hobbyists, as a percentage of all people who take pictures, are a tiny spec compared to all the people snapshotting their grandkids, their dog at the beach, Mom and Dad in from Decatur, etc. They're all using $99 P&S cameras. Even the film disposables are about done. ALL film won't go away, but 35mm is fading fast.

As an aside, was that a personal message or was that person speaking as an official representative for Ilford?

First, I owe you an apology for the attitude of my original post. I spoke out of emotion rather than waiting to allow my thoughts to settle, and for that I apologize. Nor should I have formed my opinion based on a single source of information, or on my own conjecture of sales status based on the intruduction of new emulsions.

As for large format users, I'm not certain. There are almost 10,000 users on the Large Format Photography Forum as of this morning, but that is an English-only site, not all members can be assumed to be active, nor can the usage of those who are active be assumed from those numbers. It would be interesting to know just the same...

The email that I have (somewhere in here) was from a time roughly between when Ilford came out of recievership and the re-introdction of SFX. I wrote them to express my interest in the health of their products and the reply that I recieved indicated that sales has been quite good, good enough for them to introduce annual non-standard stock film size orders, and that this normalizatoin in the level of sales has allowed them to make long term plans for the re-introduction of some, but not all, discontinued products.

- Randy

 

[DennyCrane]

No problem, dude. Forums would be boring as hell without people getting passionate about their opinions.

 

[gsgary]

It's a facetious comment to illustrate the fact film is rapidly growing into an anachronism. Kodachrome is gone. Other film lines are dwindling. Processing chemicals are getting expensive. Fewer and fewer people are processing and printing.

Yeah, you could probably buy some used stuff real cheap now... even development equipment, but there's a reason why. It's at the very end of the era.

If you know anything about photography, you would know that film is making a come back, Kodak has just brought out a new colour film out

 

[DennyCrane]

lol

 

[loopy]

Until now I was mainly interested in digital photography, though now I am interested in going in to ANALOG. Can anyone point where to start? Website? Literature? Can I use my bathroom for a darkroom?
TIA

Good for you! I find darkroom work extremely relaxing. No computers, no instant results, the smell of the chemicals and the glow from the safe light.

Getting Started: ILFORD PHOTO - Getting Started

I found my darkroom setup at a photo shop on consignment, I've also purchased locally off ebay. Keep your eyes on the classifieds, equipment is bound to show up sooner or later.

Personally I like to support the local film scene as much as possible to keep up the demand. No one in Calgary offers b&w processing in house anymore, the film selection is slowly depleting and the darkroom section of my favourite camera store keeps getting smaller and smaller.

 

[hulk]

An interesting read on the subject of film and digital.
Film vs. Digital

He gives a good breakdown of the pros and cons of each medium.

 

[Plato]

It's a facetious comment to illustrate the fact film is rapidly growing into an anachronism. Kodachrome is gone. Other film lines are dwindling. Processing chemicals are getting expensive. Fewer and fewer people are processing and printing.

Yeah, you could probably buy some used stuff real cheap now... even development equipment, but there's a reason why. It's at the very end of the era.

If you know anything about photography, you would know that film is making a come back, Kodak has just brought out a new colour film out

If only it were true.
:lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao:

 

[Plato]

An interesting read on the subject of film and digital.
Film vs. Digital

He gives a good breakdown of the pros and cons of each medium.

You don't have to convince me. I much prefer film but I'm a realist. Film is the buggy whip of photography.

 

[Plato]

Sure, large format film will be around. Like 4x5. It probably will be for a long time. It's the best way for landscape photography. But seriously... how many people are out there doing that?
It's the Joe Six Pack photographer that will be the deciding factor. Photography hobbyists, as a percentage of all people who take pictures, are a tiny spec compared to all the people snapshotting their grandkids, their dog at the beach, Mom and Dad in from Decatur, etc. They're all using $99 P&S cameras. Even the film disposables are about done. ALL film won't go away, but 35mm is fading fast.

As an aside, was that a personal message or was that person speaking as an official representative for Ilford?

First, I owe you an apology for the attitude of my original post. I spoke out of emotion rather than waiting to allow my thoughts to settle, and for that I apologize. Nor should I have formed my opinion based on a single source of information, or on my own conjecture of sales status based on the intruduction of new emulsions.

As for large format users, I'm not certain. There are almost 10,000 users on the Large Format Photography Forum as of this morning, but that is an English-only site, not all members can be assumed to be active, nor can the usage of those who are active be assumed from those numbers. It would be interesting to know just the same...

The email that I have (somewhere in here) was from a time roughly between when Ilford came out of recievership and the re-introdction of SFX. I wrote them to express my interest in the health of their products and the reply that I recieved indicated that sales has been quite good, good enough for them to introduce annual non-standard stock film size orders, and that this normalizatoin in the level of sales has allowed them to make long term plans for the re-introduction of some, but not all, discontinued products.

- Randy

Excellent post. Your earlier post did come across a bit strong. Great comeback!
:cheers:

Regarding large format. My opinion is that it's a matter of cost. As the sensor prices come down, film will lose its popularity in favor of digital processing.

 

[Derrel]

For my money, the new bargain nirvana is MEDIUM FORMAT film cameras. THe cameras that I used to drool over as a young man are now practically give-aways on eBay and Craigslist and at garage sales and especially at smaller, walk-in, one-location photography stores. Lenses that used to retail in the $1200-$1500 range back in the early 1990's are now, well, almost worthless.

With the new chromogenic B&W emulsions, B&W negatives now scan wonderfully--which was never the case with silver-based emulsions like Plus-X, Tri-X, or Verichrome Pan. And, with chromogenic films, it's easy to get them developed wherever color negative film is developed, because chromogenic films are developed in C-41 process color neg chemicals. Today's flatbed scanners do a great job on those larger 120 rollfilm negatives. Chromogenic film + a flatbed scanner means medium format with no darkroom needed, and labs galore to choose from,at very low cost for a simple develop and sleeve on a roll of chromogenic B&W.

Last summer, I bought a MINT-condition Bronica SQ-A, waist level finder, 120 rollfilm back, 80mm f/2.8 Zenzanon normal, and a 50mm Zenzanon Pro Series wide angle lens. All in immaculate condition. The cost for the kit? $299. back in the day, the 50mm PS lens was $1200 or more...now it is a mere enticement in a two-lens, complete body package.

 

[phocus78]

Hey mate, if you want to use film, use film.

 

[Canosonic]

Gee, I didn't mean to start up a firestorm like this, anyway.Thanks for all this!
I have a couple of questions, if anyone is still listening:
1) What system? I was hoping that canon might have a modern film camera that would support my EF lens and the only online camera is the 1V! 1500$! I'd rather upgrade my 400D to 7D! So I looked at wikipedia and found the 30(V). I want crazy looking around for a price and found a number of 230 pounds (350 $). That camera seems to suit my needs. But is the price correct? (Still I'll also check out those local dusty second-hand shop basements. They used to have a lot of stuff.)
2)There all 35mm? I mean my sigma 10-20 DC will cause vignetting? Could it be corrected?
P.S. Still wondering if it's better to save up on an upgrade to my 400D. No. Film photography sounds more fun.

 

[Randall Ellis]

I bought my wife an EOS Elan II not too long ago - $65 like-new with a kit lens, I paid close to $400 for the one I had when they came out if I remember correctly - and it will take the kit lens that came with my original digital rebel. You do have to watch this though, as some of the digital lenses do not cast a large enough image circle to cover a 35mm frame. It's usually the lenses that drop below 28mm or so, although each lens design is different. Check with Canon for image circle sizes if you're in doubt.

- Randy

 

[Randall Ellis]

No problem, dude. Forums would be boring as hell without people getting passionate about their opinions.

Quite so :mrgreen: Just that same, thanks for understanding...

- Randy