Kodak: Most photographers prefer film

Bill R · Jul 10, 2007

Here's a nice surprise from Kodak. They conducted a survey of photogrpahers in Europe and found most prefer film. !
http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/news/Kodak_Most_photographers_prefer_film_news_128432.html

Roger Hicks · Jul 10, 2007

Bill R said:
Here's a nice surprise from Kodak. They conducted a survey of photogrpahers in Europe and found most prefer film. !
http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/news/Kodak_Most_photographers_prefer_film_news_128432.html

Dear Bill,

The cynic in me reflects on what happens to politicians when their prime minister/president/party leader says that he has 'full confidence in them'.

Seriously, this is different. Probably.

Cheers,

Roger

Sirius Glass · Jul 10, 2007

And the Dark Side takes a hit and is down for the count ...

Steve

Edimilson · Jul 10, 2007

Now this is indeed surprising.

25asa · Jul 10, 2007

Well!
DOH!!!
Pro's (and fine art photogs) would prefer film
Consumers want d******

HOODA THUNKIT????

Uncle Bill · Jul 10, 2007

Interesting article. Now if only the consumers figured this out....

Photo Engineer · Jul 10, 2007

Uncle Bill said:
Interesting article. Now if only the consumers figured this out....

NO, if only KODAK figured this out!!!!!

PE

Alex Hawley · Jul 10, 2007

Its heartwarming news, but the prose still sounds like a politician pandering for votes.

zone v · Jul 10, 2007

Of course, Kodak the once mighty 'King of The Hill', finally realized that the digital world has all but eaten them alive. Their poorly managed and swelled heads told them they would once again be 'King of the Digital Hill'. LOL. Sorry state of affairs. A once Giant reduced to an Ant hill.

wirehead · Jul 11, 2007

The problem is...

Pros prefer film....

... but still end up having to shoot digital because the customer wants the pictures done by tomorrow.

jd callow · Jul 11, 2007

I'm not most photographers, but I prefer film.

Roger Hicks · Jul 11, 2007

wirehead said:
The problem is...

Pros prefer film....

... but still end up having to shoot digital because the customer wants the pictures done by tomorrow.

Tomorrow?

That's two days later than the average client wanted things when I was working in advertising.

As one once said to me, "No, I want it yesterday. If I wanted it today, I'd ask for it tomorrow."

Cheers,

Roger

Mick Fagan · Jul 11, 2007

I agree with Roger, when I was in the graphic arts world the company motto was, "Rush, Tomorrow is too Late!".

It would be interesting to see the questions and how they could be interpreted, or if there was a slant that the company who ordered the survey wished for.

The local very small mini-lab, is finding that film developing has bottomed out and is on the rise. He is receiving more colour neg film (35mm) than previous, the trend has been happening since March. These figures are being matched against last years. Whether he has more work because other mini-labs have ceased, or there is a general uplift of 35mm film usage, he isn't 100% sure, but he is starting to grin a bit more.

Mick.

Stephen Frizza · Jul 11, 2007

bean Counters

In Sydney as a Pro Lab owner I can say that my clients
prefer film however bean counters and clients who
want instant gratification push for digital imaging.

~Steve
The Lighthouse

Sean · Jul 11, 2007

Thanks for the link Bill, I have no problem with news like this

Mark Layne · Jul 11, 2007

What goes around comes around-if you survive long enough

Silverhead · Jul 11, 2007

wirehead said:
The problem is...

Pros prefer film....

... but still end up having to shoot digital because the customer wants the pictures done by tomorrow.

Exactly, and I can't tell you how much this burns me up. This is why when I shoot film, I tell my clients that they aren't going to get their images the next day. They'll get them in a reasonable amount of time, just like it's always been. If they bitch about how they want them NOW, I recommend that they get a little useful item: a life. Surely they can find SOMETHING else to do while they're waiting for the images.

Rolleiflexible · Jul 11, 2007

I confess I've never understood the speed argument for digital. I can shoot film, process and dry and scan it in a matter of a few hours. A digital capture will require some manipulation in photoshop. Okay, the digital guy will beat me by a couple of hours, but is that relevant? To a photojournalist, maybe, but otherwise I don't get it. Sanders

Roger Hicks said:
Tomorrow?

That's two days later than the average client wanted things when I was working in advertising.

As one once said to me, "No, I want it yesterday. If I wanted it today, I'd ask for it tomorrow."

Cheers,

Roger

Roger Hicks · Jul 11, 2007

Dear Sanders,

Two HOURS?

That's.... like... yesterday!

(And you're right. No sane person gets it. How many sane people are advertising account executives?)

Actually, in all fairness:

Shoot

Bike to lab 10-45 minutes

E6 run RUSH 30-45 minutes (200% loading)

Bike back

Client now hopelessly drunk...

Cost of bikes, labs, rush fees, wine...

If I were still in advertising, I'd shoot digital.

EDIT: Frances said, 'No, today it's Perrier'

So: client with attention span of gnat, looking for excuse to make trouble. Model on retainer. Hire fees past 24 hours. Lab fees for late runs...

Cheers,

Roger

jd callow · Jul 11, 2007

Sanders McNew said:
I confess I've never understood the speed argument for digital. I can shoot film, process and dry and scan it in a matter of a few hours. A digital capture will require some manipulation in photoshop. Okay, the digital guy will beat me by a couple of hours, but is that relevant? To a photojournalist, maybe, but otherwise I don't get it. Sanders

You can't show the art director or client a more or less final product as you are shooting. If you screw the shot with film it could be hours before you notice that you need a reshoot. Most clients (almost all I know) want digital files and the vast majority of shots never exceed 8x10. Having the image go from exposure to disk in fewer steps is a huge time saver. Those quality issues that recommend film's usage are seldom requirements for commercial work and therefore it is very difficult to argue for film. I can prep a DSLR image in less than half the time it takes to prep a scanned image. Since customers want digital shooting digital has huge benefits. I can produce a quality contact sheet from film in about the time I can do likewise with digital.

As it is I shoot film commercially, because I can't afford a digital back for my sinar. I shoot film for my art and personal use because I prefer the results that are unique to film, and the push pull of the process. I use film for what it uniquely offers and would and will do the same at some point with digital.

Snapshot · Jul 11, 2007

I'm not too surprised the most photographers prefer to shoot film. I spoke to a number of people, from homemakers to professionals, about their preference. I would say a majority prefer film so the question is...

Why are they using digital?

I'm sure there many good reasons but it seems I cannot fully explain this apparent preference dichotomy. On the other hand, this might be a 'false' dichotomy as they prefer film but for pratical reasons they use digital.

PhotoJim · Jul 11, 2007

Yes - preferring film is one thing. Using it is another.

I know lots of people who prefer manual transmissions in their car, and all of them except for me have automatics.

Roger Hicks · Jul 11, 2007

PhotoJim said:
Yes - preferring film is one thing. Using it is another.

I know lots of people who prefer manual transmissions in their car, and all of them except for me have automatics.

Yup. Never ASK people what they want. They'll lie. Or rather, their desires and their actions diverge. Depressingly often this is because they're too frightened/ conformist/ unimaginative/ stupid to realise that surprisingly often, they can indeed do what they really want to do.

Cheers,

Roger (with a '72 Land Rover, living on a pittance in rural France, just back from Arles, shooting with Leicas...)

jstraw · Jul 11, 2007

"Photography" has so many shades of meaning. Do I really need to slave over an enlarger to be able to enjoy a couple hundred holiday snaps...or to wait for them to come back from the lab?

Sirius Glass · Jul 11, 2007

jstraw said:
"Photography" has so many shades of meaning. Do I really need to slave over an enlarger to be able to enjoy a couple hundred holiday snaps...or to wait for them to come back from the lab?

Funny you should mention that. I just thought through buying and setting up an enlarger in a closet and processing the prints in the bathroom for the nth time this summer. Then I realized that I would enjoy photography more if I sent the film off and got back 4"x6" for 135s and 5"x5" for 120s, looked over the prints and sent the negatives to an optical photofinisher. Then all the time I would have spent in a darkroom or behind a computer, I can use to chase my girlfriend around her place.

Steve

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