Film and Large Format are batteryless

[Ed Burlew]

The postings of the demise of film are about as relevant as the idea that everyone everywhere will always have battery power fully available. I have been frustrated by the lack of batteries and the failure to recharge during assignments. In the cold the batteries fail more often and there are places in this world where there is no plug to be able to recharge your dedicated battery from the electronic camera. I can say I had that problem with my Rollei.

I also just cannot resist stating that photography did not replace oil painting or watercolors or charcoal sketching. Nor did photoshop replace panteen markers.

There may be a shift in who makes what but there is a need for film and digital and manual recording of scenes or ideas. Those who are in a panic should calm down. Many people have gone to digital and more will go there but that is not the abandonment of all media that is chemical based. There may be a shift that leads the traditional photography to become more of a fine art and there are pictorial renditions that just cannot be done with anything except a view camera or the optical printing process. Those unique process will become more of an art rather than a quick commercial process.

I use digital and film but each has a purpose. I can see those purposes continuing for many years.

The words of Mark Twain come to mind..." the rumours of my death are exaggerated" or something like that ( I didn't have time to look him up).

[Michael Graves]

Hmmm.

Wonder why I had to replace the battery in my spotmeter just last week.

[Dan Jolicoeur]

Oh now come on, that made no sense. Does your spotmeter use the batteries that a digital camera does? I think not! You can probably go all year on that spot meter battery I'll bet. Try that with a digital camera, not! I am sure by now you can get a usable negative without that spotmeter if you had to also!

[medform-norm]

Isn't there a large format electronic shutter that needed batteries? And did you look in any Sinar catalogue from the 80s - lots of things with batteries for sale then....hmmm.

[David Luttmann]

Wow, I get about 800 shots per $10 rechargeable lithium ion battery. I bought 4 extras....so I'm good for about 4000 photos. Just how many sheets of LF film do you go thru in an outing?

[Walt Calahan]

Let's see, today, four sheets. The light was beautiful. About an hour before sunset. 1/8 sec at f/32 on a Cooke XVa set at 645 mm. Fuji NPS 160. Had to wait for a few clouds to move. The wind was tough to time. Why does it only blow when the sun comes out from behind a cloud?

I left the four batteries for my new Nikon D200 cameras charging at home. They can't match 8x10 yet.

Didn't have to replace the single AA battery in the Sekonic meter.

The truck battery is new, and I replaced the alternator in November.

The cell phone's battery was fully charge when I left the house. Didn't get any calls.

Got home to find the power still on from the grid.

Life is so electrifying. HA!

[Michael Graves]

"Just how many sheets of LF film do you go thru in an outing?"

Four to six. Maybe two will be worth looking at.

Better 2 good shots that 800 that will be digitally corrupted by Microcrap's operating system.

[windpointphoto]

I also just cannot resist stating that photography did not replace oil painting or watercolors or charcoal sketching. Nor did photoshop replace panteen markers.

Nope, but with the advent of photography becoming easier, millions of people make pictures. You just don't see many wedding oil painters, or magazine watercolor editors.

[Terence Spross]

Wonder why I had to replace the battery in my spotmeter just last week.

Some of us have taken great photos using only the sunny 16 rule and/or just experience.

For me, I always carry backup cameras in case something goes wrong with my more elaborate gear. Batteries are at the top of the list of things that can go wrong. The backup cameras are fully manual.

[Bob Fowler]

"... You just don't see many wedding oil painters, or magazine watercolor editors."

Now there is an untapped market if I ever saw one! But would the B&G expect the painting to be done by the end of the reception?

hehehe

[Nick_3536]

I wonder if the market for portrait painting is any smaller today then it was before photography. It's not like the average working guy could afford to hire a master painter.