Is Film Really Dead?

[MarkH]

So I guess for cheap people like me, film isn't quite dead yet.

 

[Scubatooth]

at 14 bucks every time I wanted to use my camera... yikes... I'd have to give up beer, and soda pop, the occasional dinner out, and any of my other little vices, just to pretend I'm breaking even... not to mention, walking to my computer costs a lot less in gas and time than driving to Costco.

Nice picturtes by the way.

$14 bucks man i wish it was that cheap. Some may know that i shoot a fair amount of film (this year will be slower as one major project didnt happen so i will about around 250 rolls , normally its atleast double and many times more), and there are alot of reasons but it comes down to the process of it all, to me there is nothing like looking at slides on a light table or a print coming up in a print that i have made myself.

what i end up shooting depends on the following: what does the client want,what is the budget, what is the expected turnaround, how much retouching will be needed, and what is the end useage(how large of a reproduction). Then based off the information i get i make the decision on which medium i use(may it be 35mm, medium or large format, or digital).

For underwater right now im using both but it depends on the location and if i have reliable professional developing available that has a quick turnaround (IE i get off the boat and can have it ready to go in 3-5 hours for review).

a couple of months ago i did a cost break down for shooting film for business purposes so when bidding for projects i knew what to put so i didnt lose money on the deal.

for the cost comparision i had it set up this way. cost per roll included cost of the film,cold strage,delivery costs, processing, contact sheets, CD, secure archieve (ie offsite data center or safe deposit box), and harddrives space to store it onsite)

C41 - Color neg film $21-31-35mm $21-31-120 $26-36- 220
E6 - Slide processing $27-35-35mm $27-35-120 $41-46-220
BW (neg or pos) $33-38-35mm $33-38-120 $48-56-220(very few left so not as much)
If someone wants a break down i can post it

In somecases i only have them devolp it and skip the CD & contact but i only do this because its personal work and im going to scan it anyways, but it still costs a min of $6-10 a roll for buying and getting it developed.

Also digital isnt cheaper but thats a whole other topic.

 

[PapaBob]

Oops, I forgot to include the cost of film in my pricing. Thanks for the info.

Also digital isnt cheaper but thats a whole other topic.

Hmm .... take the cost of the roll of film and processing (including cd), divide by the number of exposures per roll, then divide the result into the cost of a CF card to determine how many exposures you have to take on the CF card to break even with film. Am I on the right track??

---Bob

 

[Mike Veitch]

tooth... shoot film then scan?... i hope that means drum scan or you mine as well just use a 10mp digital and skip that one long boring step of scanning....

 

[Scubatooth]

bobua

read my thing again i chose based off whats needed for the assignment or what the end result is expected.

not quite there are other things to consider with digital. sensor cleaning (DIY or Professional), replacing cards, storage(very expensive), and a even cameras based on product cycles every 3 years i will need to drop another 1500-7000 on a body where in the past i could get 10 years or more out of it(im still using the 1v-HS i got in high school that has 2000 rolls through i and still on all the orginal parts). biggest bear for me was that i had to send in my 20D body for a backfocus issue along with the rest of my lenses minus 1 so there could calibrate the body and lenses. That took canon 2 months to take care of because of "issues", i never had that problem with film body.

Then finally it comes down to how much is your time worth because with film the lab did it all, with digital i end up doing everything but the prints , so i have to factor that in to.

This mainly was my example for me the costs where about even but im not the average shooter(even though i am young).


mike. the base scans im not sure what they are on, i know its not a frontier as those scans i can spot easily. as for final prints or scans i know there done on a tango. I work with digital as much as i can but sometimes other things factor in the choice.

FWIW & YMMV

 

[louisianadiver]

Film dead? Certainly not. Digital as the new mainstream medium? Definitely. There will always be uses for film just as there are still uses for medium or large format. It's clear that film will become less convenient and more expensive as processing labs and suppliers close due to the lack of mass business, but film specialists will remain. Digital imaging has already replaced film for the consumer market, and the size of the niche that will remain for film shooters is still not clear. I know of a few professional shooters who went whole-hog into digital equipment and have since sold it all and gone back to film. I think the switch from 35mm film to digital is similar to the switch from 120 film to 35mm film in the late '50s. Yet, here we are nearly 50 years later and the 120 film format is far from dead. In fact, you can purchase an old Mamiya C220 TLR 6x6 camera and Mamiya-Sekor lens for about $200, put a roll of Provia 120 in it, and get images that are far superior in tonal range and quality than any digital image from any digital equipment at any price (just don't expect to buy that 120 Provia at a drugstore or drop it off for 1 hour processing). Cameras are tools, and their use is determined by the task to be done. For most photography, digital is easier, cheaper, and good enough. But for other applications, such as where tonal range is critical or when archival quality has to be certain, film is the choice. I'm personally making the switch to digital. However, I'll keep my Nik/15mm setup in my bag for the forseeable future, not to mention my old 120 stuff. -Clay

 

[PapaBob]

Tooth, Clay ... Good points...thanks to everyone for sharing your ideas.

---Bob

 

[DesertEagle]

I still use a Nikonos with a 15mm lens. Aside from the optics, I love the simplicity and size of the system. Every time I travel, my goal is to get 1-2 super images. Those used to be printed as Ilfochromes. But my favorite lab closed so now the'll get a drum scan. As for the "good" images, another local lab has a Fuji Frontier printer with Ilford super glossy paper. It looks pretty darn good, at $8 for a 8x10 print. You can't tell whether the prints came from a film or digital camera.

That being said, I've recently invested in an Olymps SP-310, PT-030 and Sea & Sea wide angle lens/Magic Filter. I can have my cake and eat it too.