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Leica Film Future


AbbeyFoto

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I stocked up on TMY 5x7 - may last for 2 more years? And for now I am not worried about B&W 135. One sector which presently still requires color film technologies are movie theaters - but one print is in the order of magnitude of 10K $ and a hard disc drive is? So I will give color only a few years. 5x7 color is at its final offering https://www.badgergraphic.com/store/cart.php?m=product_list&c=257

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I do not understand this thread. I see no need for anything new analog from Leica-their film cameras don't require any improvements (not true for digital).

But I do not understand the optimistic view for the longterm availability of film! Just look at the stock price of Kodak today. I am assuming that B&W film will be available for a long time because its simpler technology which can be produced in smaller scale albeit most of my favorite films in 5X7 have been discontinued. But color film is not possible in a cottage industry- remember Kodachrome?

 

Niche product? Cottage industry? KODAK: Film Facts

 

It's not just 'us' that use film you know.

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Yes! See above #41.

 

These days I don't waste my time with gloom-merchants, I just put them straight on the ignore list. Life is simply too short.

 

There are great photographers out there who are spreading their enthusiasm and love for film - go take a look at the Vimeo movie about Daniel Milnor, or look at his blog. That enthusiasm and love is INFECTIOUS just like your depressing negativity.

 

I love Milnor's attitude and I find it truly inspiring and energizing. As soon as I watch that movie (which I've done a few times), I want to load up some film and go straight out and shoot. So I feel we all have a responsibility to spread this enthusiasm and love - it really catches on.

 

When my colleagues and friends used to wonder at my sudden conversion to film I always tended to be somewhat apologetic before. Now I gladly enthuse about it and explain to them why I love it so much. (They all pretty much only use iPhones anyway).

 

I shoot digital as well - with my M8, a cr@ppy D90 (which was a gift to my partner - but she never, ever uses it) and also with my iPhone (like everyone else). But when I look at the results compared to my film images, I see with a passion how important it is to keep film alive.

 

Lots of people are returning to film (even if it's mostly a niche 'art' crowd). It's up to all of us to keep film alive by spreading all the positives about it, and by simply getting out there and USING it.

Trolling film threads with 'film is dead' comments doesn't really help anyone - such a sad and pathetic waste of time.

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I take words from plasticman that I consider as important:

 

 

we all have a responsibility to spread this enthusiasm and love - it really catches on.

 

It's up to all of us to keep film alive by spreading all the positives about it, and by simply getting out there and USING it.

 

 

 

 

I hope AlanG doesnt come here and ruin the whole thread :D

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I bought a new MP only yesterday. Does that count as spreading the love?

 

Partially, yes.

 

To complete the job, you have to write at least three postings saying that film photography is superior over digital photography.

 

;)

 

Stefan

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Partially, yes.

 

To complete the job, you have to write at least three postings saying that film photography is superior over digital photography.

 

;)

 

Stefan

 

And trool the DIgital fora until you are banned...

 

Noel

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To complete the job, you have to write at least three postings saying that film photography is superior over digital photography.

 

It is superior on any measure apart from cost and convenience. It's only the latter in particular that stops me from selling my M9 (for now).

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My last photographic investment was to get my M6 cleaned & adjusted. So I am counting on using film - at least B&W! But my experience with 5x7 tells me that what I think is the best medium becomes irrelevant if the market decides not to support that medium anymore.

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It is superior on any measure apart from cost and convenience. It's only the latter in particular that stops me from selling my M9 (for now).

Hi

 

If you buy expired bulk the cost of film is reduced almost to to the Dev chemicals, in my case Ridinal at 1:100 and plain hypo powder.

 

When your M9 goes out of warrenty it will be expensive to fix of it goes wrong.

 

It is much faster to plug a memory card into computer but I'm not enamoured of the prints, subjective I accept. A resonable bromide takes me hours, dont count this because I like the magic soup, though the paper and chemicals are getting more expensive.

 

Noel

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These days I don't waste my time with gloom-merchants, I just put them straight on the ignore list. Life is simply too short.

 

There are great photographers out there who are spreading their enthusiasm and love for film - go take a look at the Vimeo movie about Daniel Milnor, or look at his blog. That enthusiasm and love is INFECTIOUS just like your depressing negativity.

 

I love Milnor's attitude and I find it truly inspiring and energizing. As soon as I watch that movie (which I've done a few times), I want to load up some film and go straight out and shoot. So I feel we all have a responsibility to spread this enthusiasm and love - it really catches on.

 

When my colleagues and friends used to wonder at my sudden conversion to film I always tended to be somewhat apologetic before. Now I gladly enthuse about it and explain to them why I love it so much. (They all pretty much only use iPhones anyway).

 

I shoot digital as well - with my M8, a cr@ppy D90 (which was a gift to my partner - but she never, ever uses it) and also with my iPhone (like everyone else). But when I look at the results compared to my film images, I see with a passion how important it is to keep film alive.

 

Lots of people are returning to film (even if it's mostly a niche 'art' crowd). It's up to all of us to keep film alive by spreading all the positives about it, and by simply getting out there and USING it.

Trolling film threads with 'film is dead' comments doesn't really help anyone - such a sad and pathetic waste of time.

Hi

I dont have a Dcamera, only film.

I note that a Lomo shop has just opened in Spitalsfield Market (London) and a new FSU TLR is 281 GBP (the Voighlander Brilliant copy), so someone is buying, at a premium price too.

But on a Spring Forum outing 2010 only three people out of about 12 were film exclusively, most had M8 and M9.

Noel

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It is superior on any measure apart from cost and convenience.

 

What measures are these? I find I get more dynamic range and more accurate color and more resolution and less noise than film grain with the DMR than with any of the slide films I've used in the SL.

 

 

This is a comparison of two specific systems, and in no way can the conclusions be extrapolated to film in general or digital in general. Aside from the 3200 ISO photo from the 5DII, I'd have rejected any of the comparison photos on technical grounds.

 

I have absolutely no problem with anyone preferring film, but if you're going to claim it's "better" some facts would be more convincing than opinions or flawed comparisons.

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I have absolutely no problem with anyone preferring film, but if you're going to claim it's "better" some facts would be more convincing than opinions or flawed comparisons.

 

Film and digital are different. Thats really the end of story.

I agree with the comments earlier in the thread that it is positive for the whole photo community if we encourage film. There is so much pleasure in the approach (in my mind a very important factor in these discussions) and the results are different in the most positive meaning. Anyone who uses both digital and film will know. Those who proclaim one over the other are sadly missing out.

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Let me add to the previous thoughts... and my purpose is for film advocates to strengthen their case for film... be specific about what you prefer about film, and don't do it by putting digital technology down. An unsupported claim that film is "better" is contradicted by much of my experience and the experience of the vast majority of photographers.

 

Be specific: by what measures do you find film better meets your needs? In what conditions, for what subjects, with what equipment? Without specifics these claims will be percieved as coming from a dwindling band of Luddites who can't or won't evolve.

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To get back on topic a little bit

I am considering more investment in Leica film M, in particular a second MP. I am concerned Leica will withdraw support for MP/M7 in the near future.

From an investment perspective, Leica withdrawing support can only be a good thing. People looking for a film Leica will then turn to you instead. I wouldn't wait, the price will only continue to increase. No idea what the future holds but I for one am confident that we are not going to run out of film in our lifetime. I want to believe. :)

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these are preferences rooted, for the most part, in the familiarity of what we first saw and grew up with. is there something more organic about film? yes. all the 1s and 0s cannot replicate an analog process -- comes close enough, imho, but it isn't the same. but that doesn't make film the better or more correct replication of reality, no more than a record is better than a cd. there were those who thought a photo portrait could never replace a painted one. there is no answer to the question because the answer is deeply rooted in our prejudices of what we prefer. what i believe is true is that reality changes to reflect technology. music produced today is designed to sound better on a cd, just as the music played in the not so distant past was designed to sound best on a record, and mozart created his to sound best in a music hall. getting stuck in better or worse or right or wrong is really a waste of time.....personally i prefer film but am truly enjoying my m9 -- the first digital camera i have bought aside from a succession of cheap p&s that are the modern equivalent of a brownie or instamatic -- and today is better than yesterday. i will still shoot a role or two on occasion to keep my old canon new f1 working (never went in for auto focus so m9 was coming in that regard) and when i do, i don't like being stuck with the film in the camera when conditions warrant, to me, a different film. and film isn't going to disappear, but the market will continue to shrink and we will all find out in the end just how much we are willing to pay for our passion.

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