another sign on the road to analog hell

brimc76 · Aug 25, 2003

I'm waiting to see the reaction of the new digital photographers (the point and shoot crowd) the next time they have to upgrade their operating systems and find that their cameras and photosoftware are not compatible. The real push for digital photography is not from the old film manufacturers but from computer and software companies. I was told by an employee of one of the larger photo stores in Toronto that you should upgrade your digital camera at least every 2 years with your computer. "You can't think of digital cameras as cameras, they are really just computer peripheral now", is what I was told. I didn't see a "Used Digital" counter in the store.

Black Dog · Aug 29, 2003

On a related point........Most photo mags these days are just junk food-there's hardly any solid content amid all the ads and puffery for all the latest gizmos. I've been reading them for 21 years and even the likes of Amateur Photographer (UK) were more substantial back then. At least we have the likes of View Camera, Ag, Black & White and Photo Art which are actually worth buying for more than the 2nd hand ads and which take more than 5 mins to read.

Jim Chinn · Aug 29, 2003

in relation to the previous post, Lenswork announced that they would no longer carry outside advertising in the quarterly. I imagine they will still carry some extensive advertising for their own publications, interviews on CDs etc. But it is kind of a breath of fresh air to have one publication that is dedicated to the art and artist and not just an advertising brochure.

sergio caetano · Sep 2, 2003

Brian got the point.
By the Software point of view: tiff, jpeg etc, in two years ahead we will have tiff2, jpegplus etc. Adobe will read which of these? And the Adobeturbo? Who will copy his/her image files to the new generations (extensions) per omnia secula ? Nobody. Therefore the images will be lost.
By the Hardware point of view: just reminding - floppy disks 8", 5 1/4", 3 1/2", bernoulli disk, tape stream, zipdrive, cdrom. In two years when we have xptodisks with more than 1gb, there won't be device units to read present cdrom or any other older midia. Who will copy his/her files from one midia to another per omnia secula ? Nobody. So, images will be lost by this reason also.
These are facts, pure truth, as is true that Kodak is the worst company concerning quality of film/papers since some decades ago. Mr Crabtree doesn't work there since long time ago.

Aggie · Sep 2, 2003

Robert · Sep 2, 2003

I've got a reel of computer tape. You know the kind that you see spinning in the movies. I never thought it would be impossible to read something so common. Today I think I would have to buy a junked tape drive and hammer it all together. The problem is I doubt anything worth saving is on that tape even assuming it's still readable after 20 years. Thats the real problem. If it was in human readable form I'd look it over and decide what is worth saving.

Aggie · Sep 2, 2003

Jim Chinn · Sep 2, 2003

In college I took courses in Broadcast Journalism. The school had just converted from shooting film to ENG (electronic news gathering) using video tape. The machines for running on air tape used 2" (?) tape. I have several reels of on air stuff I did in school but there is no way to play it back or transfer it, at least locally. I would love to be able to show my kids what dad looked like on TV in the early 80s but don't know if such machines even exist anywhere in the states today. Maybe some Eastern European countries have old machines from the US.

juan · Sep 2, 2003

Oh, no. You don't have to go to eastern Europe. There are several companies in the US that transfer quad tape to a modern format.

www.antiquevideo.com

www.quadonevideo.com

are a couple I've run across. Never used them, but you might want to get in touch. Expect to pay, though.

Today's TV people don't know what they missed, not having been around a videotape machine that was an 8-foot cube, weighted about 8 tons, and operated on compressed air.

I still crank up my 3/4 U-matic occasionally just to hear the tape pulled through the machine.

And if you're wondering - the signal recorded on the tape was analogue.

juan

Jorge Oliveira · Sep 2, 2003

I've seen some antique VTR's - but never this big!

I used to work at radio station when young - Ampex, Altec, RCA etc tube gear.
Everything was big and hot and one had to be careful with electrical shocks...

Jorge O

sergio caetano · Sep 2, 2003

It must be considered/remembered that a silver based negative will be "read" by a lens (of an enlarger or a champagne bottle) per omnia saecula saeculorum.

fingel · Sep 2, 2003

Hey Aggie,
Here is a place in Burbank that transfers film to DV or whatever you want.
They look like they have good credientials, but are most likley $$$$$$$

Dead Link Removed

Aggie · Sep 2, 2003

Robert Kennedy · Sep 2, 2003

Just an interesting observation regarding Kodak products....

Last week I started my BFA program at the University of Arizona. Excellent program. Insanely good archive at the Center for Creative Photography.

Anyway, I went and got my darkroom pass and was oriented to it.

Now it is a pretty nice darkroom. If it is understaffed (at the start of the year it takes a while for all the enlargers to get calibrated and overhauled). It is VERY large. It has two sides. A fiber and an RC side. The fiber side has about a dozen enlargers (all VERY nice Omegas that take up to 4x5. Yes, 4x5. A rarity now it seems) and the RC side has about 25 enlargers (same Omegas).

Add to this a mural darkroom, about 10 private darkrooms for student use, and you have a LOT of paper going through the system. In fact often the darkroom is full (so I have been told).

Now, there is really only one local shop that UofA students use for supplies. And many do buy locally.

Guess what these guys carry?

Ilford.

When I went there they had DOZENS of different kinds of Ilford paper. Well, actually they had dozens of shelves where it WAS. The Ilford was getting bought up because school had started.

So I bought a bunch of this and that. Looking to see what I liked. And I noticed one thing.

They only carried ONE type of Kodak paper. A simple 8x10 VC RC.

Ilford was doing fine! But Kodak was relegated to one type.

I even asked WHY this was.

I was told "demand".

Somebody dropped the ball here. And it wasn't Ilford.

Donald Miller · Sep 2, 2003

Robert Kennedy said:
They only carried ONE type of Kodak paper. A simple 8x10 VC RC.

Ilford was doing fine! But Kodak was relegated to one type.

I even asked WHY this was.

I was told "demand".

Somebody dropped the ball here. And it wasn't Ilford.

Thank God for small favors.

Lex Jenkins · Sep 2, 2003

Don't underestimate the marketing value of those sample photos on the package of every pack or box of Ilford paper. An aspiring photographer can look at those photos and think, "Yeh, maybe I could do that."

Plus the white packaging helps the sample photos resemble matted prints, if you can ignore the lettering.

Not much on Big Yellow's packets and boxes to inspire newbies and intermediate photographers. And as Kodak continues to leave their traditional fan base behind what else have they got?

Robert Kennedy · Sep 3, 2003

Add to that some of the neat things that Ilford does.

For example, I got some MGRC in a 25 pack, and it came with two free rolls of 3200. I love this film personally, so that was an incentive for me to try out this paper. And the MGIV comes with an extra 15 sheets now. An nice incentive for someone like me who is looking to play around in the darkroom and will be going through a LOT of paper.

Lex Jenkins · Sep 3, 2003

Yeh, first time I tried HP5+ it came two rolls bundled in a blister pack of 25 sheets of MGIV RC pearl.

Didn't care for the pearl finish paper but liked the film.

Ilford has also occasionally offered discounted 4-packs of FP4+ and Delta 3200, which prompted me to try both. Now I like both.

When I recently placed an order with JandC Photo they offered 5+1 deals on several types of film and similar deals on other products. So I ordered five rolls of Efke R100 and got the freebie roll. Great film, good deal, so I'll be ordering from JandC again.

Meanwhile Kodak seems to do little to promote their traditional b&w products. I don't recall ever seeing, say, a roll or two of Tri-X bundled with a pack of Polycontrast RC in a retail store.

Black Dog · Sep 3, 2003

AND Kodak just discontinued two of the finest materials aroiund-Verichrome pan and Ektalure. At least Azo is still around (just!).Agree with comments re Ilford BTW.

another sign on the road to analog hell

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency