Please comment on your predictions and thoughts on the future of film as a recording medium.

Please comment on your predictions and thoughts on the future of film as a recording medium.
I never shot film and all my photo work is digital.
20% (45 votes)
I still shoot primarily with film.
32% (70 votes)
I shoot film, but rarely.
48% (106 votes)
Total votes: 221

COMMENTS
Dennis Gregg's picture

With millions of film cameras at great prices on the used market, I think film will be around for a long time. You can't beat a great transparency!

Leroy Livesay's picture

I am VERY concerned about the historical aspect of film vs digital. I have negatives of my parents which were made in 1930 that I have made good 8X10's out of in my darkroom. How will you show history 100 years from now with digital. Someone told me to put it on CD, but 10 years from now, everyone will ask what a CD is. I see absolutely no future for pictures of a historical nature with digital. There will be no history.

David T.'s picture

Actually, I shoot both film and digital in roughly equal amounts. I believe that one of the big keys to the future will be how it is perceived by young photographers who may never have used film.

Hal Ross's picture

Cost, control and quality have edged digital beyond film. You can shoot as much as you like and see the result immediately, manipulate the images infinitely and produce stunning quality that rivals or exceeds film. Then there is the environment. Film is the buggy whip of photography- only marginally useful. Now, if we could just get the printers to a higher level....

R.  Paaswell's picture

I use digital, primarily - but shoot film often - not rarely - I still love the control of my M6 with film - thinking more about the photo and its composition.

Armando Dilernia's picture

As a pro photographer since 1963 I use film and digital and I believe that the film will last for the next 10 years at least.

William J.  Slater's picture

I think digital is and will be the main medium used for photography but film will still have a place.

Jacqui's picture

I shoot with film using manual cameras. I prefer to develop my own film and print my photos too.

mustafa sudan's picture

Well I am 65 years old I believe it will last long enough for me to continue with my passion. Film will be around maybe in smaller amounts.

Mark D.'s picture

I think that there will be a market for film for the foreseeable future. First, there are serious photographers who like the look of film just like there are music lovers who prefer vinyl to digital. Second, single use cameras make sense for those who shoot just a couple of rolls a year and for those who simply don't want to learn how to use a digital camera.

Paul F.'s picture

I still prefer film, but shoot mostly digital now, because its what everyone wants.

Bruce Blackwell's picture

I shoot some digital (Canon 5D, Mk2) and 35mm film (Canon 1V). To my eye, film still provides a presentation that digital does not. To the average person on the street or my customers - most folks cannot tell the difference. But when shooting landscapes and when shooting portraits - especially outdoors - film exceeds digital in many respects (my opinion). Film is not "better" than digital - its different enough for me to continue using it for a long time to come.

Warren Telting's picture

So long as film and processing are available I intend to continue shooting color (primarily color negative) film. I have an investment in film cameras that I am reluctant to give up. However, I do intend to acquire a digital SLR sometime in the future.

Richard E.  Mendales's picture

Digital still cannot reproduce black and white as well as film, especially in medium format. Moreover, using film is the best assurance that I will have negatives from which I can make prints indefinitely into the future, regardless of changes in digital formats.

Mike Booth's picture

I hated the change but I would not go back to film. It's 100% digital now.

Frank Soper's picture

I still use transparency because you can either project or print from it.

Terry Fisk's picture

I used to shoot a lot of Kodachrome (for many years) and would contine to use it if it was available. Too bad, really.

Jerry Peavy's picture

I shot with film many years ago but gave it up as soon as I got my first good digital camera (Canon 20D). There is no comparison, more control, less grain, shorter learning curve!

Jim Lawrence's picture

I have a Noblex panoramic that uses 120/220 film. I love my panoramic camera and the images it can make. Mama, you took my Kodachrome away -- don't take away my 120 film!

Larry Loewinger's picture

I shot only slide film for 50 years. I recently had a request for 20 x 30 inch prints from 45 year old slides. The resulting prints are so very good in color and detail that I would have trouble knowing what digital camera could equal the result.

John A Gross 's picture

I still use medium and large format cameras, the cost to buy digital backs is assinine I am also not prepared to buy digital and then buy all the APS lenses of inferior build quality.

Michael McGuire's picture

I use film whenever possible, usually for fine art work, and most often in B&W, generally Ilford Pan F, FP4 and FP5. Should film cease to exist it would be, in my mind, the end of something that produces images nothing else can truly duplicate.

Rob Attinello's picture

On occasion, for special projects, I still purchase film for a 35 mm camera. I hope it remains available.

Dave Williams's picture

My old (1964) Rollei 6x6 2.8 was and still is a phenom tool - only wish they had made a digital back for it - To keep the old girl in shape I do run a roll of film through it and then digitize. So yes, I do use film, but oh so rarely. When film finally disappears I guess the old girl will finally go behind 'glass'.

Richard D.  Goller Jr.'s picture

I learned photography using film. I learned to get the photograph framed, lit, and exposed the way you wanted, in the camera. Retouching was for portraits and restorations. I have a digital camera, and it dissapoints me as I can not create multiple exposures and the recording ccd does not have the same contrast range as film and it is difficult to get a decent exposure using an exposure meter other than the auto-exposure setting.

Edward A.  Carlin's picture

The demise of film for cameras will still be a while, but it will become to expensive to maintain.

Chelur Veeraraghavan's picture

Films in 35mm and medium format - both negative and transparency should be available permanently, though the demand for them may not be as much as it used to be. The projected image from a transparency has something special that the digital image can never have. Keep it alive for ever.

George Loehr's picture

I shoot film exclusively. Digital just ain't as much fun, and if you ain't having fun, what's the point? If film goes away, I may take up train-spotting or stamp collecting.

Mike DeFrancesco's picture

When I do use film I like to have it scanned or scan it myself. I like the characteristics of film and film cameras.

Susan Valiquette's picture

I shoot medium format film and was very disappointed that I can no longer get B & W in 220 and often have to search around or order online to get 110 B&W film. I have a digital camera but prefer my medium format.

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