When will sheet film be obsolete?

[engl]

I don't think so; in fact most very large images one sees printed in real life are actually quite low resolution in terms of pixels-per-%width.

I think that a billboard image could be quite satisfactorily shot with a cell phone camera or 110 film...billboards subtend such a small angle-of-view as to equivalent to wallet-size prints. The building-size advertisement mural I see on a building in Dallas is surely lower resolution(per size) than a print from even a cheap digicam. The large pictures of vegetables hung in all the Subway restaurants around here are quite low-resolution lithographs, but viewed from their typical distance they appear very detailed. Most all commercial and print applications, including building murals and billboards, and magazines, have no great need for resolution.

I think the areas that really demand resolution are aerial/satellite imaging, high-end artwork copying, astrophotography, and the fine art print.

When I lived in Tokyo, Id easly walk past 30+ pedestrian-level billboards in a day, and in those crowded stations sometimes getting close to the print is not optional. Shinjuku station west exit has a couple of decorative prints so big and detailed Im guessing they are drum scanned 8x10 or bigger, and you get to walk right up.

I agree, a billboard by the side of the road or on a building has very low resolution requirements. Im not saying everyone needs super resolution. Im saying there are those who do (for various reasons, as you say), enough to keep a demand for the highest resolution capturing devices possible, and there are reasons such sensors should not be tiny.

[BetterSense]

and there are reasons such sensors should not be tiny.

Tiny, no. But I don't think they need to be 4x5 inches. They should design them to be exactly as big as they need to be for good performance, not try to make them fit some oversize film format for marketing reasons.

[Brian C. Miller]

Those are the same size chips as the Medium Format Digital Backs used by Mamiya, Hasselblad, etc. and they are not anywhere close to 4x5 size. They're smaller than the film used in 6x4.5 (cm) medium format cameras.

The Hasselblad H4D-60 has a sensor area of 40.2×53.7mm, ISO 50 - 800, and 1.4 sec/capture per frame. So this one is as close to 6x4.5 as you're going to get for now, all for a paltry $40,000. So extrapolating that technology, a 4x5 back would be 16,353 x 20,430 = 334,091,790 pixels, and cost $501,137,685,000. So call it at 334Mp for $500 billion.

Sure, in some future tomorrow, the InVisage QuantumFilm product may blow that through the roof. First it's for the cell phones, and then some time down the road after that, there will be a product for professional photographers. The marketing blurb says 4x, so the Hasselblad sensor would be 240Mp. But I can't see it ever resulting in a full 4x5 back.

[paulr]

Film will continue as an art medium, tool and process, due to unique characteristics. Market and demand has no effect to do here, I think.

From one side, the process of image making by film is very predictable to the last single detail. The process is very manageable within the boundaries of art making. This is when compared to older alternative methods(which is made more popular nowadays).

From another side, image making by film, has a very scientifically robust and historically detailed and proven methodology that combine the aesthetic and the scientific together. This is when compared to the newer digital medium.
Also, image making by film has an authentic and un-fake-able tool and process(within the artistic boundaries). From what has been observed for the last 10 years, digital images are almost always manipulated beyond art boundaries with no system of methodology or authentic barriers. It lacks the definition and some times lacking the artistic purpose.

Film, compared to both(older alternative & newer digital), has the best aesthetic and scientific sense, taste and logic. This is(IMO) what made film survived and to continue beyond even any optimistic expectations.

Of course, as an application tool for professional purposes(that should be more flexible to the public and market demands), film will not continue its popularity as a functional/application tool, compared to digital, due to decreased market demand. Public & Market demands on photos are for functional/application purposes, and that demands are not concerned with aesthetics, scientific, reliability and authentic part of image making process of photographic film. Demand alone, is not enough to make film to disappear in the future. Other classical arts continued longer and will continue with no queries when they will disappear.

I'm assuming this post is a satire of ... something.

[Andrew Plume]

fwiw, I'm pretty upbeat on the future of sheet fim

in the past five years, we've had new/rebooted entrants from Europe in the shape of weophoto, adox and foma and they offer some, particularly, adox a wide range of different formats too


andrew

[Brian Ellis]

I'm assuming this post is a satire of ... something.

No telling, some of the posts in this thread are really bizarre. The possibility that this one and some others are satires hadn't occurred to me but you could be right.

[Thalmees]

I think B/W sheet film will be around longer than consumer level point and shoot digital cameras. The various smart phones will replace these cameras for the average snap shooter.

Considering the market size of P&S digital cameras, that’s more than enough time for the whole digital technology to change thoroughly. While film will be only a better film by that time.

[Thalmees]

A kinda inflamatory question. Just sayin'...

Yes; And some times it could be evolved to a really bizarre type of inflammation like the one below:

I'm assuming this post is a satire of ... something.

poor prognostic type, Specially If left with no treatment.
Do not know paulr your point? in case if you have any !!!

[philip964]

Sheet film is already obsolete. I can't buy quick load sheets in town any more. There is only one place to get sheet film processed. The only reason I can get film developed there at all is the owner is one of the last big professionals in town that still shoots film.

It is also the only place I know to get E6 35mm roll film processed.

The real question is how long will sheet film or 35mm film for that matter still hang around?

There are still people who shoot black powder rifles, ride horses and read hard cover books made with paper.

At least at this point large format film is still better than digital, but that edge may not last forever.

[paulr]

No telling, some of the posts in this thread are really bizarre. The possibility that this one and some others are satires hadn't occurred to me but you could be right.

It goes on way too long to be a troll. My fingers are crossed that it's a brilliant creative piece, and that it just happens to be over my head.