Academic Research about Analog Photography and Film Scanners

fschiav · Jan 29, 2013

Dear APUG Members,

My name is Francesco Schiavone (Dead Link Removed). I am an Italian assistant professor in Management. I do research on reactions to technological change by old products' users. To this end, I would perform an interview (by email) to 4-5 key members of the APUG community about analogue cameras and the role of film scanners to make them alive. Would anyone of you reply to a short open questionnaire? If so, please send me an email to franz.schiavone@gmail.com and I will send you back the questionnaire. Another option is to dowload it (attached to this message) and send it back to me to my email address.

Thanks for the kind attention and collaboration!

PS: Sean Ross supports and is ok with my project!

Best Regards
Francesco

AgX · Jan 29, 2013

Welcome to Apug!

Could you explain the meaning of your question:

"What about the set of complementary goods of film cameras (e.g. minor effectiveness of film scanners in slowing their disappearance from the market)?"

AgX · Jan 29, 2013

You investigate on the impact of technology an a photographers community, and by this aim your questionaire seemingly at someone having insight on such a community (Q1).

What about those photographers who do not make part of any community?

In case you refer with "community" at the aggregate of analogue photographers I doubt a person as considered in Q1 could give a representative reflection on the situation.

fschiav · Jan 29, 2013

Dear AgX,
thanks a lot! The meaning of the question is this: I want to know if, according to your opinion, the fact that the transition to digital photography was very fast and "disruptive" made film scanners less useful for the survival of the technological system "surrounding" analogue cameras? Feel free to think about any possible connection (that you can explain) between ditigal imaging, film scanners and the "analogue world" (except analogue cameras).

thanks again!

Francesco

fschiav · Jan 29, 2013

I use the word community in a broad way, for both the cases you mention: photographers that feel themselves as members of the "community" and simple photographers.

The goal of this study is to understand the impact of a conversion device on the base of users and the set of complementary goods of an old declining technology. Therefore, both the types of users could provide me interesting reflections for my analysis.

HowardDvorin · Jan 29, 2013

fschiav said:
I use the word community in a broad way, for both the cases you mention: photographers that feel themselves as members of the "community" and simple photographers.

The goal of this study is to understand the impact of a conversion device on the base of users and the set of complementary goods of an old declining technology. Therefore, both the types of users could provide me interesting reflections for my analysis.

Francesco,

As a photographer of long standing ,I resent the implication that film photography is "old and declining."

It is very much alive in many many places and used by many photographers In fact, I venture to say that most of the
APUG community uses the"old and declining" process.

Even in the computer age,people still use lead pencils.

Howard Dvorin

fschiav · Jan 29, 2013

Dear Howard,

I agree with you. I know that and for this reason I am very interested in analysing film technology (as already I did for other tech). So please, reply to my questionnaire so that I can develop this (and forthcoming) research on this subject. If you want know about my studies about "old and declining" technologies, send me an email and I will send you some papers.

PS: FYI, my preferred product are my "old and declining" analogue turntables

Best
Francesco

sehrgut · Jan 29, 2013

HowardDvorin said:
As a photographer of long standing, I resent the implication that film photography is "old and declining."

Chill . . . Easy on the Italian guy. I don't think he meant so many shades of derogatory meaning: English is likely his second meaning. In the denotative sense, film is both old (it's been around a while) and declining (fewer practitioners and producers): I'm sure he only meant that, which is a challenge we all face, as shown by the many discussions on related topics here at APUG.

Resent all you want: the fact is that film is, objectively-speaking, both old and declining.

MattKing · Jan 29, 2013

sehrgut said:
Resent all you want: the fact is that film is, objectively-speaking, both old and declining.

I prefer "mature and consolidating"

cliveh · Jan 29, 2013

fschiav said:
Dear APUG Members,To this end, I would perform an interview (by email) to 4-5 key members of the APUG community about analogue cameras and the role of film scanners to make them alive.

Best Regards
Francesco

How do scanners make analogue cameras alive?

fschiav · Jan 29, 2013

sehrgut said:
Chill . . . Easy on the Italian guy. I don't think he meant so many shades of derogatory meaning: English is likely his second meaning. In the denotative sense, film is both old (it's been around a while) and declining (fewer practitioners and producers): I'm sure he only meant that, which is a challenge we all face, as shown by the many discussions on related topics here at APUG.

Resent all you want: the fact is that film is, objectively-speaking, both old and declining.

thank you! you perfectly understood what I meant! Grazie

fschiav · Jan 29, 2013

cliveh said:
How do scanners make analogue cameras alive?

Hi, in the sense that film scanner improves somehow the performance of analogue cameras (more possible applications of its output). Therefore, film scanners make easier and more convenient the use of film technology still nowadays.

msbarnes · Jan 29, 2013

cliveh said:
How do scanners make analogue cameras alive?

For some of us younger folks, it helps. a lot. Admittingly, I do not know if I would have taken part of "analog" (I really hate that word...) photography if this were not available. I know many other photographers would feel the same way. Maybe not the majority but there are some that bank on scanning: professional and hobbyists alike. This age is about digital.

Ironnically, I want to stop scanning! After wet printing I'm beginning to appreciate what photography is about: prints!

sehrgut · Jan 29, 2013

I agree with msbarnes: scanning allowed me to get into analogue photography when I otherwise wouldn't have been able to. Without appropriate space for a darkroom, I had the choice to keep using my DSLR as my sole camera, rededicate a large part of my apartment to a hobby I wasn't at that time sure I'd stick with, or scan the negatives.

I'm ever so glad I decided to scan: especially since improving scan technology means that digital images' resolution is fixed when the photograph is taken, but my photos keep getting better and better resolution as time goes by.

ME Super · Jan 29, 2013

msbarnes said:
For some of us younger folks, it helps. a lot. Admittingly, I do not know if I would have taken part of "analog" (I really hate that word...) photography if this were not available. I know many other photographers would feel the same way. Maybe not the majority but there are some that bank on scanning: professional and hobbyists alike. This age is about digital.

Ironnically, I want to stop scanning! After wet printing I'm beginning to appreciate what photography is about: prints!

Naw... I can get a good-enough color print from that other capture method. Projection's where it's at , and film is better at being projected than digital. For B&W (which I haven't done much of, but am warming up to it slowly), film is definitely more pleasing to my eye than the other capture method followed by post-capture conversion.

Chan Tran · Jan 30, 2013

I would like to participate but I have trouble understand many of your questions.

fschiav · Jan 30, 2013

Chan Tran said:
I would like to participate but I have trouble understand many of your questions.

write me an email and I will reply to you explaining the questions you do not understand

RalphLambrecht · Jan 30, 2013

sehrgut said:
Resent all you want: the fact is that film is, objectively-speaking, both old and declining.

and so are we

Chan Tran · Jan 30, 2013

RalphLambrecht said:
and so are we

Some of us are just in denial.

EASmithV · Jan 30, 2013

Hybrid workflows are essential for some of us who do not have space for a darkroom (or a good one at any rate).

Especially when it comes to color work. When it comes to slides, scanning and projecting are really the only (practical) options left, unless you find someone who has both the material and skill to make a decent ilfochrome. For me, film scanners are really great for proofing, and if I have an image that I love, I print it. But when it comes to color, I just cannot have the set up at this time to wet print RA4. So yes, if it were not for film scanners, many more people would have to use digital out of practical necessity. And even if they didn't, most mini-lab prints are scanned and made digitally anyway. So digital/scanners are still involved. I don't imagine i'm the only one in this situation, so for everyone like me who shoots color, we are slowing the decline of color materials, and contributing to film sales. By extension of this, I would conclude that scanners are in fact, helping film sales.

fschiav · Jan 31, 2013

EASmithV said:
Hybrid workflows are essential for some of us who do not have space for a darkroom (or a good one at any rate).

Especially when it comes to color work. When it comes to slides, scanning and projecting are really the only (practical) options left, unless you find someone who has both the material and skill to make a decent ilfochrome. For me, film scanners are really great for proofing, and if I have an image that I love, I print it. But when it comes to color, I just cannot have the set up at this time to wet print RA4. So yes, if it were not for film scanners, many more people would have to use digital out of practical necessity. And even if they didn't, most mini-lab prints are scanned and made digitally anyway. So digital/scanners are still involved. I don't imagine i'm the only one in this situation, so for everyone like me who shoots color, we are slowing the decline of color materials, and contributing to film sales. By extension of this, I would conclude that scanners are in fact, helping film sales.

very interesting reply, thanks!

Alan Johnson · Jan 31, 2013

As the number of tiny components that can be got on a chip increases a whole collection of new gadgets is emerging which may well play a part in the future of film as they are getting cheaper:
http://www.ionaudio.com/products/video-image-conversion/image

Chan Tran · Jan 31, 2013

Although I don't own any of the ION stuff but they seem not of good quality but may be I am wrong.

sehrgut · Jan 31, 2013

They're good for what they are: consumer digitisation tools. Their turntables where their first product to hit the mainstream ("geekstream"?): audiophiles cringed, but thousands of iPod-wielders actually started listening to music they only owned on vinyl. Same with the cassette deck. We all know what a pain film digitisation is. Ion's market is analogue media that would otherwise become or remain inaccessible (or at least unaccessed). It's not archival, but it's not meant to be.

Do I own any Ion products? No, and I have no desire to. I think all of us here demand archival quality from hybrid workflows. However, Ion is not courting us as customers: they're courting the people who are choosing between "throw away all of the old negatives" and "scan the old negatives before we throw them away".

Alan Johnson · Feb 1, 2013

IIRC the Lomography people used about 2 millon films last year.Some of the Ion gadgets not listedon that site are now 9mpx.This passes under APUG radar as they tend to hang out on flikr but it is a a significant use of new film.

Academic Research about Analog Photography and Film Scanners

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