Yeah, an experienced photographer will have a vision and that vision will rise above pretty much any technical encumbrances. The vision exists completely apart from the gear.
<rant>
But, as a teacher, I assert that black boxes are the absolute enemy of education. I am just old enough to have participated in the transition from pencil 'n paper education to computer- and web-based learning. I did both, and I definitely felt the difference. It horrifies me how we (teachers) have thrown hands-on "analogue" learning away. And this is usually done to save money, effort and time rather than for any real educational benefit. I see very clear evidence of the harms of automation in the d$lr-based photography of today.
</end rant>
Black boxes change the perspective of education so that the old handraulic ways are used to check/justify the new, but are not necessarily used as the primary means of calculating/using whatever it is we are talking about.
Do you mean operating "virtually" rather than in the tangible world?
Tom
(on my point that digital emigres will be accustomed to automation)
No, that's not my point. You're taking one statement out of context---what I said is that the various automatic bells and whistles of a high-end SLR aren't strictly necessary, but are probably expected features for most people coming from digital. Which is one reason that a digital emigre might want to use one of those cameras.
-NT
Folks, the OP explicitly wasn't asking "why film rather than digital", but "why a spiffy bell-and-whistleful film SLR rather than some other film camera". I assume we all agree that there are lots of reasons to shoot film!
-NT
Yeah, an experienced photographer will have a vision and that vision will rise above pretty much any technical encumbrances. The vision exists completely apart from the gear.
<rant>
But, as a teacher, I assert that black boxes are the absolute enemy of education. I am just old enough to have participated in the transition from pencil 'n paper education to computer- and web-based learning. I did both, and I definitely felt the difference. It horrifies me how we (teachers) have thrown hands-on "analogue" learning away. And this is usually done to save money, effort and time rather than for any real educational benefit. I see very clear evidence of the harms of automation in the d$lr-based photography of today.
</end rant>
I'll just add that ceding some decisions to a modern, highly automated body can be cathartic. I generally enjoy working more deliberatively and manually, and 'fast' for me is an rb67. But sometimes I get stuck in a rut, the gear feels like its taken over the creative process, and scenes seem simply to pass by, right and left. At that point, going out with my f100 is helpful. The f100 takes care of (almost!) all the technicals and it's just instinct, don;t even have to bother too much with framing the shot. So I am certainly not one to diss aperture priority or matrix metering or focus tracking and such; without tools like that, there are some shots that simply cannot be taken, at least not reliably.
Silverglow, I think we are in general agreement, I carefully composed that disclaimer at the topic of the section you quoted
I love most of the advanced features of my EOS 1v SLR and my DSLR's too...making the switching from one body to the other easy.
This is mostly false, what you wrote.
You have this dillusion that somehow a DSLR is more "automated" then an SLR.
Where did you get this wrong information?
My Canon EOS 1v SLR is just as "automatic" as most DSLR's! The major difference is that one captures the light on film and the other an Analog (not digital) sensor.
Both bodies have Av, Tv, P, M, and both can operate full manual or full auto.
So no, a DSLR use will not have to make do with less automation if he goes to shooting film.
How do you feel about the EOS-3 mentioned in your signature? I've been thinking about picking one up precisely in order to have a more automated film body (e.g., for flash use) and a film platform for my EF lenses, but I don't have a very good idea of what it would be like in use.
-NT
Where can one find a forum on composing? I realize one can find threads dedicated to certain genre's such as portraits, landscapes, street, the list goes on....but none of these really discuss composition directly...the elements of a picture, etc...even those specialized threads are still too hardware centric...
Yes! That's what I was asking. Shooting film goes without saying. It's the reasons for shooting the particular sub-category of camera I'm curious about. I'm trying to imagine a digital-born-and-raised photographer who says "hmm, film I want to try it."
...
I find that prints from the Leica R8 with DMR digital back are far better than those I was getting with the R8 and E100G or Provia 100F - grain vs. noise, color accuracy, dynamic range, and the ability to fine-tune exposures to match the camera's dynamic range to the subject.
We obviously have different criteria for judging our images, and different ideas of what looks good.
It is as simple as this: I have my criteria. Right now, digital is nowhere close to meeting my criteria for what I want from an "imaging system," while film meets them (because it has, in fact defined them). When digital meets them, and does it affordably and enjoyably, I will switch.
...and any gallery owner or publisher I want to deal with will feel exactly the same way, or I won't deal with them. At the very least, most will understand and respect my views.
I am not interested in having anything better than the results I get from film, in the photo rag definition of better. I am interested in having these results exactly. In fact, these results are what causes me to shoot film. When digital can give me exactly what I get from film, and the equipment is as affordable as is film equipment, and the equipment will last me 20 to 30 years after I buy it (I refuse to treat cameras - or anything, for that matter - as disposable consumer electronics as apposed to high-quality, long-lasting, serviceable tools.), and all of my old cameras are broken and all the people who know how to repair them are dead, and film stops being made, then digital will be my primary way of taking pix. Till then, I will not be holding my breath.I will just shoot what I have until I feel that there is something that exceeds it in all respects.
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