Long live film doc

[larkis]

http://youtu.be/sjtphPVchJI

Not sure if someone has posted this already, but I ran across this a few days ago. I shoot both MFD and 4x5 with film but find the people interviewed in this doc almost a cliché. The dogmatic stance towards film and analog tech in this kodak advertisement documentary is fascinating.

[ndevlin]

Thanks for the link. I loved this film. The photographers involved expressed exactly how I feel about film, film cameras and photography.  No denying the benefits of digital, but I enjoyed photography more somehow pre-digital.  No idea why. It makes no logical sense.  Film is a pain-in-the-ass.  But there's something to the physical relationship to one's medium that is lost in digital. You either get that, or you don't. Nothing right or wrong either way. 

- N.

[KevinA]

Film a pita? yes and no. You could wonder why people go sailing when you can get a boat with an engine. Why walk up the mountain when you can drive up the road to the top?
If photography for me was just a hobby I would enjoy the bit that is a pita, the getting involved in the start to finish, deciding on the finish before the start.
 Watching a print appear in a tray, dodging burning etc, each print is unique in some way. Compare that with inkjet, one or ten thousand near enough identical. Great for production, poor for "art" and zero fun.

[Christoph C. Feldhaim]

I can't really compare film to digital very well, since I have done my best images with film and shot digital only with compacts and one time a loaned D700 to shoot a ceremony for someone.
I am working hybrid - no more darkroom, though I loved darkroom work when I learned it 25+ years ago.
Working hybrid I feel I have the best of both worlds.
When I had the chance to use a loaned IQ260 on an Rm3Di for a weekend, the experience  was similar than with my film cameras - tripod, careful composing, movements (I LOVE using movements) - just the real thing for me.
With this somewhat limited experience my biggest fear would be to change as a photographic mind when switching to digital.
I am already too sloppy for what I would find ideal - I fear digital would completely erode whats left from me working seriously.
On the other hand - the fast style of shooting digital also is a relief.
If I could preserve all the good parts of my inner process when shooting, I think going digital would be a no-brainer.
I still have to test film for people and street work.
I think I'll bring my Minolta 35 mm back to life to check for street work.
The longer I am pondering and moving the subject inside myself, the more my wish to shoot digital diminishes.
But I think I'll get a digital CSC as a complement for my film work, probably a Fuji X or µ4/3.
Digital speed brings out other things than film.
I think there are good reasons for both, film and digital, and these reasons are different.

Cheers
~Chris

[Ligament]

I shoot both film (RZ 67 Pro II and Mamiya 7II) and digital (D800e, Sigma DPM series). Film gets pleasing tones and colors 90% easier and faster than digital for me (except the Sigma DPM series which is different).

That is not to say one is better. I have to work really quite hard to get colors and tones on digital as pleasing as my medium format film shots.