Digital BW, The Print

And I would also think about "speed" in a broader sense.  The image doesn't
have to be time sensitive (like a sensational news story) for "speed" to be
a factor.  Take my fashion photography situation again.  One can see the
power of digital in a professional shoot when the photographer and creative
director can rough work images in real time.  You simply can't do that with
Polaroid and film.  It's not necessarily because the image has to be in the
magazine tomorrow that matters.  (The last 20 fashion shoots I worked on
were all shot digitally with PhaseOne backs.)

I am not at all suggesting that "artists" or anyone else HAS to abandon film
today.  But to ignore critical market trends is rather foolish.  Film is
dying - fact - ok let's say "shrinking so enormously in use that it will
only be used in specialist situations if at all within the next 10 to 20
years".  My bet is development of 35mm film cameras and 35mm film has
largely ended already - in stark contrast to the advancement of their
digital counterparts.  We are beginning to see similar trends in the 645
format world.  The only way film will continue to be made is if there are
enough people prepared to pay a big enough price for it to be worthwhile.
The number of people is falling - and so you can bet the price will be going
up or the product dropped.


> From: Bob Frost <bob@...>
> Reply-To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
> Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2005 20:32:05 -0000
> To: <DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com>
> Subject: Re: [Digital BW] the contax toast/film thingy
> 
> 
> Anthony,
> 
>> There's no real advantage to digital if you don't require speed.
> 
> Only increased resolution, better signal/noise ratio, better dynamic range,
> less storage space per image, better color, exposure correction of raw
> files, etc., etc., etc., .....................;)
> 
>> Why do so many people feel so compelled to go to extremes in so many
>> things?
> 
> Because they are human, and they like pushing back the boundaries, be they
> mountaineers, divers, astronauts, digital camera designers, or just B&W
> fanatics?
> 
> Bob Frost.
> 
>