When will you give up large format and switch completely to digital?

[Lachlan 717]

When Lobotomies come down to an affordable price.

[Richard Mahoney]

When there isn't any more water or moisture. When there is no longer any dust or dirt. When there is a constant supply of power absolutely everywhere. When I look forward to carrying even more gear than I carry already. When -- I think it's been said already -- pigs fly.

Oh, and hello Mr Troll Out from under the bridge today?

Kind regards,

Richard

[Ed Kelsey]

Nobody said when they stop making film

[TAG]

I too really like the feeling of actually shooting large format (even little formats!) and having something tangible to show for my efforts. I also wholeheartedly agree that large format is not only about image quality and that film and digital photography should be able to coexist peacefully and not not be in competition. However in the real world, we don't often have much say in the direction things go. In that vein, I am wondering when many of us will simply be forced to "admit" that film will no longer be a viable option for 99.9 percent of what we do. This might be because of the need for instant graitification from customers, the high cost or even non-availability of film or chemistry, because we just get too old to lug the stuff around and digital is "good enough", or even because we simply no longer have anyone else around to share our interest.

I realize that the tipping point will different for everyone and that some of us may plan to never give up completely on large format as long as it is possible ( I fit into this catagory), but then again, there are millions and millions of people out there who at one time swore up and down they would never give up on film, yet they haven't touched a film camera in years. I hope that large format and film in general will have a stable following for a long time, but I do worry that many of us will eventually simply grow too old to care anymore and there will be ever fewer to replace us, while others will just buckle under the weight of technology. Lets face it, if anyone is still around 200 years from now, it is very doubtful that large format film and chemistry will even be available unless you somehow make it yourself.

I really truly want to know how current photographers feel about what is probably inevitable at some point.

Lastly, Richard the troll comment is really quite hurtful, I hope you are teasing. I'm very sincere and just want some honest thoughts here.

TAG

[Jay DeFehr]

When the materials become prohibitively expensive, or unavailable.

[mdm]

even when digital is best, there will still be people with film cameras making big negatives for contact printing and alternative processes. It is a valid creative option and will only become more so as digital gets better. Maybe the Sally Manns of the future will be revelling in the imperfection of 4x5 film. Flaunting dust spots and light leaks.

[Vaughn]

When I get too old to carry the 8x10 or to use an LF camera, I'll start printing all the negatives I have ignored because of the newer negs I was making.

[tim o'brien]

Never. I shoot digital as a recording medium. The Nikon has not been out in a couple of years. But...

LF 8x10 is what it is. If the film goes away, i stop shooting. Digital just records, LF (and to an extent MF) are photography.

tim in san jose

[Maris Rusis]

Phooey to digital. I only make pictures out of light sensitive materials. This is the process for which the name photography was coined. These are the only pictures I'm really interested in looking at.

Not because the picture looks one way or another, digital can already mimic the surface appearance of almost any medium, but because of the necessary physical connection between the subject and the picture. This special relationship between photograph and subject means a photograph offers a special relationship to me the viewer.

Digital picture-making offers a viewer the same aesthetic speil as traditional painting and drawing and is no substitute for the thrills and goosebumps of being in the presence of a real photograph.

Why large format? Nothing in photography looks so gorgeous.

[Scotty230358]

Never - the process, from start to finish, is just too satisfying.