PJ using film?

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Rick A

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Call me a dinosaur, but I still love the saying, "film at eleven". I think we all get there's a place for dig, but not for anything of importance at my house. Yes, even I use a digisnapper for on line gear sales, but that's all I use it for.
 

snapguy

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deadline

I worked for a major news photography company that -- long before the Internet -- had the slogan "a deadline every minute" of the day and year.
But not every photojournalism assignment is on a tight deadline. If a film camera does a better job -- go for it. Some mighty fine photojournalism has been done for weekly newspapers or magazines and they don't need digital. And for those on a budget, my Rolleiflex will take better quality images than any digital that costs less than $3,000. IMO.
 

Roger Cole

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Horses for courses and all that. I think they're right - the requirements and demands of Photojournalism are an ideal match for digital. If I had to shoot those assignments, as much as I love film, I wouldn't even think of shooting them on film.
 

pbromaghin

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See him load that film at 1:30?!?! Holy Moly, it took about 2 seconds.
 

Xmas

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I've only seen Bruce Guilden with a M6 or FM2n when he is 'flashing' street shots... 28mm with either.

He does not have deadlines.

He appears in London about twice a year.

Slightly different topic while 'doorstepping' a demo in front of BBC in London, one of the hot news DSLR pro PJs who I meet ocassionally at demos, starts asking me film and darkroom questions.

Eventually I ask why all the subtle film questions?

Ans

'
I need a wet print portfolio to demonstrate Im a real photographer and not a noob who has just borrowed a DSLR from my Uncle! That is the only way I get eg paid assignments...

'

Noel
 

ChristopherCoy

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See him load that film at 1:30?!?! Holy Moly, it took about 2 seconds.


Whether or not you side with digital or film, seeing a true professional and master craftsmen load a camera like that is amazing. When I saw him load that, I thought "Well he DEFINITELY still has it." I think if more old school photographers did experiments like this, it would inspire more people to 'unplug' more often.
 

PtJudeRI

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Im going to go practice that door flip he did. Very cool.
 

Xmas

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Yea when you flip it you gotta say

'Beam me up Scotty.'
 
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See him load that film at 1:30?!?! Holy Moly, it took about 2 seconds.

I'm completely humiliated just looking at that...

How about the failed "chimp peek" at 5:35? Endearingly silly.

Ken
 

MattKing

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I like the fishing rods and reels on the dash board.

Calgary, you say? :whistling:

And as for the quick loading - when I was young and taking photographs for a newspaper, I was able to do that a lot quicker than I can now. It has something to do with practice ....
 

ChristopherCoy

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I like the fishing rods and reels on the dash board.

Calgary, you say? :whistling:

And as for the quick loading - when I was young and taking photographs for a newspaper, I was able to do that a lot quicker than I can now. It has something to do with practice ....




I want to meet you in person one day. First rounds on me.
 

blockend

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The action shot was probably taken on a smartphone, and sent to the news desk while the flames were still leaping for the price of a picture credit. That's the nature of photojournalism today.

What photographers usually mean by photojournalism is the photo story, Salgado, Eugene Smith, Bob Capa stuff. The commercial role for that work is tiny now, and it's mostly arts funded. Film is still a practical tool for such photography.
 
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I can for sure see film being used for longer projects and ones that are prepared in advance. But when I was shooting sports I usually had a deadline where the pictures had to be with the editor at latest 1h after the game ended, try to do that with film!
 

Roger Cole

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I can for sure see film being used for longer projects and ones that are prepared in advance. But when I was shooting sports I usually had a deadline where the pictures had to be with the editor at latest 1h after the game ended, try to do that with film!

It can be, and was, done, but I agree that it's silly to go to such heroic, frantic measures when digital does it so much better.

I love film but for some things digital really is vastly superior. This is one of them.
 
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It can be, and was, done, but I agree that it's silly to go to such heroic, frantic measures when digital does it so much better.

I love film but for some things digital really is vastly superior. This is one of them.
Off course it can be done, but the level of work to set it up, get it reliable and immense knowledge required simply doesn't make it worth it today with the alternatives easily at hand.

I think the whole "what is best, film or digital?" debate is pretty silly in 99.5% of the cases as it's merely a tool to get the job done. As long as you get the results you like with a workflow that brings you joy you should use it and be happy.
 

Roger Cole

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Off course it can be done, but the level of work to set it up, get it reliable and immense knowledge required simply doesn't make it worth it today with the alternatives easily at hand.

I think the whole "what is best, film or digital?" debate is pretty silly in 99.5% of the cases as it's merely a tool to get the job done. As long as you get the results you like with a workflow that brings you joy you should use it and be happy.

The first sentence is what I said and we agree. :smile:

"With the workflow that brings you joy" is important, I think, and again I agree. I love working with film. Digital, since I do so much computer work anyway, is about as enjoyable to me as doing laundry. Still, if I need clean clothes I need to do laundry and if I need shots in an hour, probably in color, for commercial purposes I'd shoot digital. Same would be true if I needed even personal artistic results at, say, EI 25000, and I may get a DSLR for just that reason, along with doing shots of family, vacation etc. that get too numerous and backlog my darkroom work.
 

NJH

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After experiencing a digital Leica M I can for sure say I would a thousand times over trust a film M more to work anywhere in the world in any conditions. This has to be a good case for using film.
 
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