Why pros (commercial) left large format?

shootsingh · May 17, 2011

I managed to grab all the 8x10 dark slides from a studio photgrapher who sold all his large format gear and switched to digital. While driving back i was wondering why he choosed 8x10 in the first place, when 4x5 could be much efficient and convenient in commercial environment. But How would he compare 8x10 to digital? Jumping from 35 or 120 to digital could make sense for a commercial man but how from 8x10. Would that be just an ego shooting on 8x10 now couldnt front the huge savings involved in digital. Was 8x10 there for quality or just a show off?

Pinholemaster · May 17, 2011

Comes down to what your client wants.

There was a time when high end clients wanted 8x10, so we provided.

Now the new generation of art directors want digital, and don't see the need for 8x10. So it gets dumped. Simple as economics.

artonpaper · May 17, 2011

Pinholemaster said:
Comes down to what your client wants.

There was a time when high end clients wanted 8x10, so we provided.

Now the new generation of art directors want digital, and don't see the need for 8x10. So it gets dumped. Simple as economics.

Indeed this is true. The quality for product photography was stunning, and the transparencies could be more easily retouched because of their size. I knew a guy who was a transparency retouch artist. He could do amazing things with dye and bleach. He refused to learn Photoshop and last I heard, he's gone off to Sicily to paint.

shootsingh · May 17, 2011

If it was cost then 35 was always an option or 120 as is digital today.
If it was quality then offcourse 8x10.

I think it works both ways, not just the client or director but its down to the camera man too. We probably have always used LF or ULF without much requirement.

Michael W · May 17, 2011

I just bought an 8x10 camera from an advertising photographer who now shoots everything with a Nikon D3.

shootsingh · May 17, 2011

Michael W said:
I just bought an 8x10 camera from an advertising photographer who now shoots everything with a Nikon D3.

Funny but atleast the 8x10 came to the right hands.

M.A.Longmore · May 17, 2011

.
I bought some equipment from a professional photographer, last year.
Normally, I would be extremely excited to be buying gear at a great price.
But, that transaction made me feel very sad ...

Ron
.

Photo Engineer · May 17, 2011

As size goes up, the need for retouching and its difficulty involving dust, dirt and spots goes down. This is a very time consuming and costly process. It is relatively easy with digital using some digital spotting tools. This, I am sure, is a factor as is the increasing expense of LF and ULF camera materials and the increasing difficulty in getting a wide range of products.

PE

vpwphoto · May 17, 2011

I am getting older and a young art director insists that my Sinar is an antique camera. She calls it the "slow camera".
Is not impressed with the Leaf Aptus back and all that resolution and control.
Last I heard she was shooting products with the DSLR jockey up the street.

Dave Swinnard · May 17, 2011

vpwphoto said:
snip ---> She calls it the "slow camera". <---

That pretty much sums it up...clients expect to see images RIGHT NOW. If you don't provide that, somebody else will.

Poisson Du Jour · May 17, 2011

Photo Engineer said:
As size goes up, the need for retouching and its difficulty involving dust, dirt and spots goes down. This is a very time consuming and costly process. It is relatively easy with digital using some digital spotting tools. This, I am sure, is a factor as is the increasing expense of LF and ULF camera materials and the increasing difficulty in getting a wide range of products.

PE

Yee-haw, sure is! I love the tippity-tippity-tap-tap-beep-beep of my #20 natural spread brush in removing dust specks, film splodges, hairline scratches et al. Apparently this business of "cleaning up" the neg/tranny at the englargement stage drove of my Ilfochrome printers nuts. I insisted on a speck-free print or I wouldn't pay $200 for it. So many a print went back for re-printing (I was not alone).

Why pros (commercial) left large format?

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