Luminous Landscape Forum
Site & Board Matters => About This Site => Topic started by: ckimmerle on August 27, 2009, 02:40:18 pm
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The debate about film being digital and digital being analog is pointless, but it is interesting and a favored defensive when filmers start irrationally crying out "ones and zeros...ones and zereos".
The trouble with the argument it two-fold. First, the whole process isn't well known by many, and second (and perhaps more importantly), we're often talking apples and oranges. For instance, while the actual moment of exposure can be justifiably defined as digital (either the electron is moved up by a photon strike, or it isn't), it's only a part of the process for both latent image creation and development of the actual silver image. Other factors such as crystal structure and density, the number of silver-halide molecules within a crystal which are actually struck (very important), and the developing method, among others, all play a part in the process, which result in an arrangement of silver which is analog in nature. In essence, both sides are partially right, although the filmers do have the stronger case.
If anyone is interested in far more technical explanations, the Manual of Photography is a great resource. The pre-digital editions have much more in-depth information on photo chemistry (and recipes), sensitometry, physics, et. al. than do the newer editions, which seem a bit dumbed down. My copy from 1983 (which I sent to Ctein a few months ago) has an obnoxious blaze orange cover, but offers amazing information. If you can find one of those, it'll have all the old-school info you'll ever need
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Ansel Adams three book series: "The Camera", "The Negative" and "The Print" is one of my favorite sets of technical books, and they remain relevant today. Though techniques have evolved, the intent and concepts are unchanged. We are still wrangling photons hitting a light sensitive medium. Film or digital, each has their own set of challenges conveniences and characteristics that make them unique.