Hello Robert, You are responding to "my" rule of thumb so whatever works for you is great. But I will stick to the ongoing evolution of digital capture and what has kept my studio successful and my clients happy. My comments describe the path I have taken and in my market LF is rarely an option these days. I see the real culprit as time, there is just less of it in the process today not to mention the dwindling availability of E6 processing. I could setup a line but for me that would be a huge mistake, much more costly and less productive than the next MF digital back. I need to be out shooting, not training a new lab tech.
Thanks to David, Donald, and Gordon for your comments.
Wow even though I agree with Marko's comment I am absolutely astounded that all those posts have been deleted. Can you say censorship? Sorry but this is BS, I am out!
this hostility has been brewing for quite awhile and certain members are prone to an elitist point of view which they are assured buys them the bandwidth to trash others freely
moderators are dealing with this appropriately and shouldn't have to deal with this at all however I am looking for a forum that celebrates photography not a forum that celebrates format
as far as the DSLR phobes ... well I do hope they find some peace of mind soon
And others should show more knowledge and understanding of the preference many of us still have for film. There is no doubt in my mind but that if I were a commercial photographer making my living from advertisements, portraits, wedding, glamor shots, etc. I would own and use a lot of high-end digital equipment. The business is competitive and one must do what they have to do to survive.
However, this is a LF forum, and most of use who reside here do not making our living in the commercial world, and we have chosen to use LF for one of several reasons, of which the most important is probably quality. And of the people who use LF cameras for quality reasons the great majority do primarily B&W. This certainly describes my own work. I chose LF because of great detail and tonal values that it gives.
But, it is not always possible to use a LF camera so many of us use smaller, more portable cameras for some of our work where it is not practical to use LF. I have chosen to work with the Mamiya 7II when the 5X7 view camera can not go. If I could buy a DSLR for under $10,000 that could match the Mamiya 7II in terms of quality in a large B&W print I would do so in a second. Now, others may find that some of the features of DSLR suit their needs, say the ability to do HDR work in scenes of great contrast, or the ability to take multiple shots and stitch, or the fidelity of the color, or just the instant gratification capturing the image. I understand these creative features and recognize their value but I don't personally need or want them, certainly not when the trade off is quality in terms of detail. I primarily want a negative with a lot of detail that will give me the capability to make a large monochrome print as close in quality as possible to what I get from my 5X7.
Sandy King
Well put Sandy.
I agree Sandy.
That isn't the issue though. For some people, utilizing some digital aspects of photography is important. We don’t need people with personal bias or an attack agenda to go after everyone that mentions digital printing, capture, processing, etc, etc just because they don’t like it. It is not up to them to police the forum and decide what is suitable and what isn’t. We don’t need to be told that we are stupid because we meter with a histogram from an LCD. Some of us are perfectly fine with integrating digital technology into part of our LF workflow.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with those who choose to print digitally, prefer to scan film for output, use the histogram on their LCD for metering, zoom in on an LCD digital back for focusing, discuss different inkjet papers, inksets and longevity, etc, etc. Unfortunately, there are a few individuals….one in particular….that destroys threads with that contain that information….even if the heading is digital. This is not open to interpretation as a simple review of the threads show exactly who causes the problems.
Rather than telling everyone they are wrong, stupid, etc, maybe it’s time for them to leave and let the rest us....those that can discuss topics without resorting to name calling and personal attacks at every opportunity.....enjoy discussing all the different aspects of LF photography and technique of capture and output.
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