All this talk of digital cameras, has left me a bit depressed that I must be among the minority of those who still shoot film. I understand that unless one does his own developing, true film photography doesn't exist as most prints, enlarged or otherwise are run through computers, but still i can tell a difference between my film shots using quality film, be it B&W or Slide and that which came from a digital camera, even a good 8.2 map.
I wish not to knock digital cameras as I own one. My wife and I run a side photography business and neither of us wish to switch to digital. To tell the truth, other than one EOS, all our cameras are old SLR's: F-1's A-1's AE-1's AT-1's and old FD QL's. (yes we are Canon freaks) We shoot most on Fuji Velvia 50 ISO or 100 ISO or Kodak T Max B&W.
I was just wondering if there are any film shooters out there or am I alone in here?
F-1
I just spent a fair amount of money to get, with motor drives, two F-1Ns, a F-1n, a F2, F3, a Topcon Super DM and in a bit of convoluted thinking sevealr Ricoh XR-Ps (I wanted the items, but to get the items one had to also take the camera).
ONe reason I bought them is right now. film camersa are most likely at the bottom of the price curve (this is the top quality ones) and the Japanese, who are fanatics about camera collecting, are starting to buy the best stuff for collections. If you wait, prices will soon be outrageously high.
I found the latter to be true when I tried to get a Nikon F2, as well as other camers which I thought I had over paid for, within weeks were selling for fifty to one hundred percent more than I paid
(Side note: ten years ago. plus or minus, a top collectible camera agency had for sale a High-speed Canon F-1 from the 1970s Olympics, for apprx. two thousand dollars. At the time I thought that was still high, but that it would be neat to have when its price dropped further.
Now, depending on condition of the camera, they sell for from five to ten thousand dollars.
Last month a non-functioning high-speed version of the last F-1,sold for just under one thousand dollars.)
Digital will never be a high quality as film,(I am not going to go into the tech. whys) but the one thing digital will never have, that film can have if it one takes the effort is permanence.
I got this from a person in a video studio, and I had heard it before; to paraphrase: film will last decades to centuries; vidieo if cared for can last made to last decades; digital if not transferred to either tape or film reaches the point of failed quality within ten years.
Go to your computer F-1 and type APUG into google, it will take you Analog Photo Users Group, you might like it.
