Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Ye Old Film vs Digital Debate. Where Do You Stand?


Chunky vs Smooth.  Plain M&Ms vs Peanut M&Ms (and a million other flavors now...)

Everybody likes a great debate, and it's no secret that the film vs digital roar has been heard (often fiercely)  in chat rooms, pubs, campuses, and coffee shops all over the world.  

Here are a couple of good links related to the subject:
http://www.twinlenslife.com/2009/05/digital-vs-film-real-deal-nikon-d300-vs.html
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/filmgoingaway.htm

As for me, I use both.  I will never, ever give up my film cameras, and my time in the darkroom is my therapy. I wish more people would explore the darkroom, especially those who have only known digital in their lifetimes. Most who do learn darkroom techniques--especially younger students in their early-mid teens--are amazed and hooked on film afterwards!  My film cameras are fast, fast, fast and just feel better when I push the shutter release.  I will always hold the belief that black & white film prints are superior to black & white digital prints.  Having said all that, I will never, ever give up my digital cameras, either.  I can spend hours on Photoshop just playing around until I get an image that I really love. And you can't beat looking at an image right after you shoot it to make sure it's the way you want it. It's interesting, though, because most of my joy in shooting film cameras is immediate, while most of my fun shooting digital comes later on the computer as I work with the images.  That's a bit ironic, isn't it, considering the immediacy of digital vs film! But it's true.  I like the process of shooting with film cameras, especially my older ones, and I like the process of manipulating images with digital.  The fact that you can digitize film through the use of scanners is a bonus for me, like the best of both worlds. 

So is there any point in debating, really? I suppose it all boils down to what works best for you and what gives you the most joy.  We cater to the film fans and the digital here at Sawtooth, so all bases are covered.

Variety is the spice of life so they say, and a good debate gets your endorphins pumping.  So where do you stand?

Until we meet again,
Amanda

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