I've been way too busy working with my new Digicam. This thread
on "Why the E1" has got me thinking.
Any insistance that "Film is Superior to Digital" is biased and
those stating it are as much "Technogeeks" as those who lunge
after the latest/greatest. We've got to get our collective heads
out of the film canisters and see that the very fact that we're
Zuikoholics says something about our personalities and that our
"anti-technology" is possibly putting technology over results.
Now that I've got that out of the way...
I absolutely love shooting with the OMs. I am taking my BEST
pictures with the old technology. Why? Because the viewfinder
is perfect? Yup. Because it is ergonomically a terrific
camera? Yup. Because of the optics? YUP! Because of the
types of film I shoot? Yup.
I admire Gary for going ahead and making the investment on the
new film scanner. I'm really gealous. I've been struggling
along with a second-hand 2700ppi BlurScan. Fine for web use,
sometimes for other things, but it's gut-wrenching to get a
decent 11x14 out of it. I've done it, but it's a lot of work.
The 5MP A1 gets me as good enlargements WITHOUT the work.
Just maybe Gary is onto something. Just maybe my purchase of
the M*nolta A1 was part of the bigger picture. Just maybe I
won't get a new DSLR, but instead just get a new scanner (much
cheeper) and shoot film for a while yet. For one thing, I have
a big investment in a darkroom--both money and time developing
skillsets.
The Digicam DOES fulfill a need. I am able to use it for
professional use. It does make me money--and I'm sure a DSLR
would too. The question is: Does film still have any benefit in
my active kit?
The answer is: YES. Not because of any perceived technical
superiority, but because of artistic superiority. I'm a much
better artist shooting film rather than digital. My
compositions are better, stronger and more dynamic! There are
nuances in my film pictures that are lost in digital.
I'm extremely happy with my digital purchase. But what I'm most
happy about is that it allowed me to get into digital without a
100% commitment, turning my back on that which brought me here.
It bought me time.
I think we're starting to see the "filmizing of digital" with
Leica and CV getting serious about digital. The CV is a
beautiful camera in that it is FILM in every way but the film. I
don't want to take pictures with a computer, I want a camera! I
don't want buttons and thumbwheels, I want tactile feel
controls. There is 150 years of camera history and design that
was thrown out the window. I want that history back.
Digital is superior in most ways, but part of the artist's mind
is "romance". The OM system is a romantic system to use. There
is a simple elegance to it that gets the creative mindset
moving. It develops a oneness with the photographer. It does
whatever the photographer tells it to do--not imposing its own
will on the photographer.
Film IS superior to Digital.
One can dream, can't he?
AG-Schnozz
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