Did I miss out?

mehguy · May 11, 2016

I shot my first ever roll a couple years ago. Considering how many films have been discontinued (Kodachrome, Plus-X etc), did I miss out on an experience?

Les Sarile · May 11, 2016

Not without context - your own images on the discontinued film.
Others who miss them have used them and therefore have context.

Paul Howell · May 11, 2016

Depends on how old you are, too really miss out you needed to be photographer in the 60s to early 70s. The number of brands, types of film, paper, well just really explain. On the hand the best range color was available in the 90s and early 2000s.

BrianShaw · May 11, 2016

What does it matter?

There are still good film available today. Live in the here and now.

removed account4 · May 11, 2016

hi mehguy
i've been around enough to have used stuff
that has been discontinued but i never really worried too much about it.
i shrugged my shoulders and moved on.
there will always be people who relive the olde days

fstop · May 11, 2016

BrianShaw said:
What does it matter?

There are still good film available today. Live in the here and now.

Good advice.

bdial · May 11, 2016

You may have missed out on an experience, but there are plenty new ones to be had.
There are better materials available now than at any time in the past, even though there was a lot to like about some that aren't around any more.

MattKing · May 11, 2016

The only things that you missed out on are essentially transitions - when what was common before suddenly was replaced by the new normal.

I'm thinking of things like the sudden, almost exponential increase in choice and availability of 35mm SLRs, the appearance of one hour photo developing, the appearance of automatic electronic flash.

Each transition was both amazing and sometimes disappointing.

When you hear of people missing things like Kodachrome or Plus-X, you need to understand that it isn't usually the material that is missed, but the combination of the material and our experience with it.

BrianShaw · May 11, 2016

Had Polaroid been mentioned in the original post I might have responded differently.

mehguy · May 11, 2016

BrianShaw said:
Had Polaroid been mentioned in the original post I might have responded differently.

Well, I'm talking about any film really thats been discontinued.

BrianShaw · May 11, 2016

Oh, okay. In that case you missed out on a great photographic experience. Polaroid products were unique in the working process and exceptional quality... And unique images, as in one-of-a-kind images. Some of the Polaroid products also allowed very unique artistic opportunities, such as image transfer and lifts. That is the only discontinued product I still pine over because there is no replacement.

eddie · May 11, 2016

mehguy said:
I shot my first ever roll a couple years ago. Considering how many films have been discontinued (Kodachrome, Plus-X etc), did I miss out on an experience?

You missed out on having to adapt to changing materials, but don't worry, you'll get to experience it soon enough (and live through it).

I think your question has always been asked. I've been using film since about 1970. At that time, I heard guys who had been shooting film since the 50's
lamenting the loss of their favorite emulsions. I heard about Super-XX in roll form a lot. Some guys thought it being discontinued marked the end of quality photography for all time. Didn't turn out that way. They found something else, and made it work. I've never heard of a case where a committed, passionate, photographer stopped making photographs because of the loss of any single film/paper/chemical.

Old-N-Feeble · May 12, 2016

Yesterday does not exist.

Tomorrow does not exist.

Today's existence is questionable.

Don't overthink things.

Just do while you still can.

calebarchie · May 12, 2016

I like oranges

Old-N-Feeble · May 12, 2016

Kodachrome is gone, forever.

Plus-X is gone, forever.

Fujichrome is here, for now.

Acros is here, for now.

David Brown · May 12, 2016

mehguy said:
... did I miss out on an experience?

Yes, but so what? Have you ever had to use an outhouse when there was no indoor plumbing? If not, you've missed that "experience", too ...

ColColt · May 12, 2016

And, Tri-X is still here, thankfully. I shot a fair share of HP-5 back in the late 70's and 80's and I think todays HP-5 is better. I can't say that for Tri-X, however. My favorite 400 film is like most of the good ones and now gone for good-Agfapan 400. FP-4 is still around and hard to beat for a medium speed film with excellent tonality and sharpness. Pick your poison. Many good ones available today but I'll forever, like many, miss K64 and Agfapan.

Old-N-Feeble · May 12, 2016

A million years ago, Agfapan 25 and 100 in Rodinal were all I used... and AP 400 rarely.

ColColt · May 12, 2016

Good stuff.

railwayman3 · May 12, 2016

Well, yes, you could say that you missed out on the experience of the films which you mentioned. I used and enjoyed Kodachrome, Plus-X, and a whole heap of products which are no longer available.

OTOH, I could say that I myself missed out on the experience of a whole lot of older products and processes.....Daguerrotypes, glass plates, Dufaycolor, 9.5mm cine, and lots more, many capable of producing unique results, I'm sure that the oldtime users of these enjoyed the experience, but I don't feel that my life has suffered through the omission.

MattKing · May 12, 2016

If you focus on the experiences you missed by not enjoying Plus-X, you might be in danger of missing the experience of enjoying modern T-Max 100.

In 1976, for example, I would have loved to have a film as good as current T-Max 100.

Sirius Glass · May 12, 2016

You missed buying Hasselblads and the lenses at a really low prices.

Malinku · May 13, 2016

Short answer: NO
As B&W, C41, E-6 and instant film is still being made.

blockend · May 13, 2016

The only film I miss is Agfapan 25. Get me started on the papers I miss, and we may be here some time.

fstop · May 14, 2016

calebarchie said:
I like oranges

I like apples.

Did I miss out?

mehguy

Les Sarile

Paul Howell

BrianShaw

removed account4

fstop

bdial

MattKing

Moderator

BrianShaw

mehguy

BrianShaw

eddie

Old-N-Feeble

calebarchie

Old-N-Feeble

David Brown

ColColt

Old-N-Feeble

ColColt

railwayman3

MattKing

Moderator

Sirius Glass

Malinku

blockend

fstop

Did I miss out?

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