Digital BW, The Print

Late reply, but I'd reiterate many of these points by saying that 
traditional
film technology provides a set of tools that remains more or less constant
over the years of use (at least far more constant than digital photography
and computer tools). Master the tools once and just forget about it. Think
about the pictures.

Ok, maybe an odd point on a digital printing forum where the tech is also
moving pretty quickly, and yes I do have a DSLR in addition to some film
gear.

But you know, among my gear, I have stuff like an M6, an FM3a, a
Nikkor 105/2.5 or Leica 28/2 and 90/2.8 - and I just have absolutely zero
desire to ever "upgrade" these tools. I could/can/very well might use 
these tools
until they fall apart in my hands.

Film camera technology does progress (say AF accuracy and speed or fancy
automagical metering schemes or USM lenses), but I personally don't give a
hoot about those technologies.

With digital, I've been forced to compromise because of the cost of the
gear and the rate of progress. In other words, I snagged a D70 with it's
totally abysmal VF (1) because the cost of a great DSLR VF in the
Nikon system was too rich for my blood, and (2) I feel the need to
anticipate the cost of relatively speedy body replacement when I think
of the cost of body.

Some will say that I can use the D70 forever, but the point is that it's a
camera I own, use but don't really like. Like I said, it was a compromise
(and a steep one). At least on the specs, with the new D200, Nikon has
addressed nearly every criticism I've had (excepting it's lack of 
support for a
standard cable release). Maybe that signals a little maturation of DSLR
design in the Nikon system, but only time will really tell.

Scott


lours51 wrote:

>Just my feelings about this very important subject.
>
>I am still using film and will for a long while I guess. At 
>present if I had to go digital I would only go for a small pocketable 
>camera.
>
>- Film is a very mature technic it had never been as good.
>- Film storage is easy and gives no hassle ; it seems that some 
>museums make negatives out of digital files due to that.
>- With a neg or a slide you have a picture in hand that you can see, 
>no such thing with a digital file.
>- Film forces you to think before you release the shutter.
>- As someone said earlier in this thread, the pictures grow in you 
>and the treatment is also part of my pleasure.
>- The camera can be all mechanical, mature technic as well, no 
>battery, it is very reliable and straight forward to use.
>
>- Digital is just born, the equipment is obsolete within months, 
>there is no second hand market ; we talk now of curved sensor for 
>example.
>- It is mainly electronics and that's very fragile, it sucks 
>batteries within a whisper.
>- It relies on computer technology forcing you to keep up with both.
>- It is very easy to lost your files, they can get easily corrupted 
>or erased.
>- Nonetheless the actual results are promising.
>
>I consider digital to be the typical consumer product, Snap, Look and 
>Throw, you consume images. As an "amateur", for the reasons mentioned 
>above, I will never deep in four figures $$$$ into a piece of 
>electronic equipment, so I eliminate professionnal machines. 
>And marketing doesn't help, when will we have just a simple camera, I 
>don't want it to be a thermometer, clock, phone or coffee machine !
>I may have one of these toys and use it as such until some of the 
>inconvenients are in control then I will reconsider my opinion.
>
>One final word, Mister Everybody who bought a digicam, will realise 
>his mistake the day he will turn back and look for his souvenirs, 
>there are many chances he won't have any, in return it was so easy to 
>open a dusty shoebox and find everything in there.
>
>Michel
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