Goodbye digital back, Hello analog film (for now)

[Grayhand]

So it is once more time to throw all overboard (almost).

I have decided to just shoot analog for the coming two years with regards to my landscape photo.

So I am now selling all my 645 Mamiya stuff + the P45+ back. It is not totally without remorse that I do this.
But I do it to make things harder for my self as I actually has become to comfortable with this digital solution.
I always try to make life harder for my self regarding my creative work. And it has always helped me on in my artistry.

When I bought my firs really good printer, the Epson 4800 I realized that about 90% of my photos I had to throw away because they was not technically good enough for printing at 17 inch.
Then I bought an Canon iPF8300 44 inch printer and immediately realized that I had to again throw away 90% of the remaning photos
That also made me buy one big and fat Gitzo tripod

And now to use 6x6, 6x12 and 4x5 and a little 8x10 for landscape. That means even fewer photos.
But that is ok, I only need one good photo per" photo day” to make me happy.

What happen after this two years I do not know. But I do keep my Mamiya RZD system with lenses and film backs and the adapter plate for digital backs i M-mount!
And I do have the two tilt shift lenses for this system to mitigate the departure of my Hartblei 45mm Tilt/Shift lens for the 645 system.
The Hartblei has become my absolute favorite lens for the 645 system.

So I would just want to say thank you all here that has helped me gain knowledge and skill in using the medium format system and using a digital back :thumbs:
Life is always so much simpler if you had the possibility to stand on the broad shoulders of others that has walked the samme path before you.
And there is a lot of those shoulders on this site!!!

But I will continue to pester you with analog photos

Ray

 

[GregMO]

Ray, best wishes to you & your artwork. If you havent already, check out large format photography forum.

 

[GrahamWelland]

I think that many of us totally understand. Even though we shoot digital there is still something magical about analogue photography and using the big film gear. People ask me why I still use an xpan or 617 or 4x5 at times and it's for the love of the process and engagement. That doesn't need $50k worth of gear to experience the photographic connection and the extra rigour of not seeing the results forcing you to slow down and truly commit to a composition is something that I know I enjoy.

Good luck with your new endeavors and please share the images back here in the relevant forums.

 

[kapil Syal]

i totally understand
may the ph-orce be with you ..

 

[Mammy645]

If I didn't have to use it for some of my client work I'd also sell all of my digital gear. I'm already using analog for almost 100% of my personal projects and some assignments too. I find the process much more rewarding and I definitely prefer the results. Enjoy!

 

[ondebanks]

A brave decision - best of luck!
Do share your film images here!

Ray -> Ray

 

[dougpeterson]

Best wishes! Looking forward to seeing your analog-only work!

One of the best (and worst) parts of digital is how quickly it changes. So in 2 years you might love the new options. One of the best parts of film is that the major retraction-of-options that occurred when film left the mainstream has already happened, and there is every reason to expect that you'll be able to find/use whatever is on the market today for many years to come with minimal change. In some ways that's frustrating (if there is something you don't like it's very unlikely to be improved) and in some ways it's very liberating (you can reasonably expect to come back to it at any time and find it largely where it was when you left it. Although I haven't shot any film in 5 years I find it existentially compelling that I could whip my 645 pro TL out of its dusty case, buy some tmax, shake it around in some chemicals and get an image - little changes from the last time I used it.

 

[tjv]

I love film and shoot it for 100% of my projects (I'm a professional documentary and fine art photographer). I use a Linhof Techno with a 6x7cm film back, a Linhof Technorama 612PCII, a Horseman 45FA and Mamiya 7II. I bought the Techno with an eye to digital capture when the IQ series of Phase backs were released. In the IQ160 and now, even better, the IQ260, I saw the first DMF backs with the resolution, file quality AND feature set I need for my work. Somewhere along the way though I bought an Imacon 949 scanner and, honestly, it's amazing and makes DMF very hard to justify. I think film offers astounding image quality if you are able to control most, if not all elements of the image processing chain. I'm very lucky to live 2mins walk from a good lab, so that helps my workflow a lot... I'm committed to getting a DMF back in the future, but I'm in no real hurry.

Anyway, long and short of this post is that I see that Pro Centre in London has a used but as new Hasselblad X1 scanner in stock for not much more than you could sell your P45+ and DF. If won't scan your 8x10" negs, but will do everything else.

 

[jlm]

mostly i miss the magic of the darkroom (i shot black and white, 2-1/4 and 4x5) and the craft of fine printing. what i don't miss is the toxic part and the mess. i can find enough challenge with digital to keep me satisfied

 

[Godfrey]

Fun! I'm sure you'll do whatever makes you happy doing it. Film vs digital capture is one of the smaller parts of doing photography. You can always change your mind and do something else when you feel it's the right time.

I enjoy film, I enjoy digital capture. Neither is the sum total of photography. Both are good tools to work with.

G

 

[mjr]

This sounds great, good luck with it Ray, not that you'll need it! I have a Rollei tlr sitting on my desk that is such a pleasure to look through, I will be putting it in to service in the coming weeks, I was very lucky to stumble across a state of the art darkroom being removed from a local place due to not being used, it is literally perfect and includes everything from furniture to equipment! Just finished painting a big room in my cellar that will hold it all and should be installing it in the next fortnight.

I know you're in the South but if you ever fancy a trip up to the North then you'd be welcome to come and play with the chemicals, it's beautiful up here!

Mat

 

[Grayhand]

Thanks for all the kind words and good wishes!

I think it is only possible on GetDPI to post such"declaration" that I did without it turning in to a full scale war between digital and analog in three posts or less
This is a site with a very mature population!

And it has , of course, nothing to do with what is best, it is only about what I have to do to force me to better develop my personal "artistic eye" at this moment.
And Dough is absolutely right about the development of photography! There has never been any better time to be a photographer than today. And in two years time i am 100% sure that it will even be better!
But it is of course a hard time to, from this almost bottomless sea of possibilities, select the perfect system just for me.

But if I find out that I have made a wrong choice, it was actually I who made this choice.
It is in the end, not the system producer I can blame for my choices, only my self for not doing the proper research!
I could make a long list of what I not "easily" could use my AFDlll system for.
But I made that list before I bought the system so there was no bad surprises after I bought into this technology.
So I am not selling my system because it is bad, but because I have to do some thing else that the system can not handle in terms of film format
So it is not with any hard feelings I leave this system, It has given me loads of pleasure and results.

If I in two years time decide to go back into a digital back, I am sure it will be with a technical Camera. And I do know that it is not the best system for sport photography..
And I do know that if I buy a 80 Mpixel back I will automatically be a member of this group of masochists, regarding lenses, that try to handles this kind of resolution in combination with movement

Thanks for the invitation Mat!
It is hard in Sweden to really know what people mean by north and south, unless a place is given in the country as a reference
But my work often brings me to the "real" north!

And it is truly the best of times for analog photography!
If we keep our eye open, we can all the time find amazing deals regarding this kind of equipment!

Ray

 

[Godfrey]

...
But it is of course a hard time to, from this almost bottomless sea of possibilities, select the perfect system just for me.

But if I find out that I have made a wrong choice, it was actually I who made this choice.
...

Isn't it? I have the "perfect system just for me" ... Five times over now:

- Hasselblad (SWC, 500CM+80+150), and a little pocketable Voigt' Perkeo II.
- Leica R lenses and Leicaflex SL/Sony A7 bodies to use them on.
- Olympus E-M1/E-1/E-PL1 and a bunch of outstanding lenses.
- Polaroid SX-70/Spectra/Land Cameras with a bunch of cool accessories.
- Leica M lenses and M9, M4-2, CL, GXR bodies to use them on.

I'm so overstuffed with gear now that there's little new which can whet my appetite. All of what I have already works so well I cannot really justify whatever new stuff appears as being "better" for any practical reason that affects my photography. There's no challenge in buying gear. Any mistakes I have made, I made—no manufacturer's spin or marketing pushed me. The gods know I should sell half (at least) of what I have. If it weighs me down, it will go.

The challenge is in making photographs, and using them to produce the stories, the books, etc that I find satisfying. I've got several efforts going on and some things are beginning to gel again. That's what makes me happy and keeps me going.

Onwards is the only direction...

G

 

[Ben Rubinstein]

Enjoy, just enjoy! I've always loved your work. It's a very specific way of seeing and you have a great eye. I can only imagine just how good your work will be when you are kicking back, relaxing and just having the fun of your life!

 

[Shashin]

It sounds like you are going away, but there is no need for that. We we will always enjoy your contributions as we always have.

The pity of this is the apparent need to feel we need to justify what we shoot and with what. Since when has film or any other photographic technology not created compelling images? Personally, I am for interesting pictures, no matter their origin.

 

[Grayhand]

I come from a”non-Photographic environment” regarding to art.
All my artistic friends are painters, musicians’ , writers and so on.
So for me I have been fostered in an environment where the tools was of almost no importance.
It was only the result that was of interest.

So I often describe my self as a builder of pictures, as opposed to being a photographer.
It is only the result I am interested in, The specific tools I use for a given projects are just means to an end.
The only problem is that after a lot of different projects, I always end up with a lot of different tools.

So Godfrey, I will not give any disclosure about the almost pathologichal amount of equipment I have.
But it is time to cull the herd

And no, I do not plan to go away from here, there is no better alternative on the web!
So, as I said before, I will continue to pester you with my photos, but only analog for the coming two years.

Thank you so much for your kind words Ben!
I will do my best not to disappoint you.

Ray

 

[rayyen]

Ray, congrats to your new move! I'm no bold enough like you to dispose all digital system in one time but I confess I do still in love with my analog system, 4x5, Rollei 6x6 and Leica 135, and once in a while I steal some time to hang out with them during a casual weekend, analog is fun. Good photos depends on passion and effort, digital or analog, are second in my humble opinion. Enjoy shooting, enjoy your time. Looking forward to see more analog works from you
Ray

 

[f8orbust]

@OP: Good luck !

And, if in 2 years you decide to move back over to the dark side, digital (excluding MF) will be 4x as good as it is now, and 1/4 the price - it's a win, win, win situation.

 

[darr]

I have decided to just shoot analog for the coming two years with regards to my landscape photo.

Wonderful news from an artist I admire; I cannot wait to see your work.

Kind regards,
Darr

 

[Grayhand]

F8orburst: Hush, don't reveal my secret plans

Darr, you do humble me with your kind words!

Ray