Larry,
Thanks for your comments. I will try to respond to some of them.
“Devices break. Every device eventually will wear out or fail.â€
Yes, and if my Nikon F2s failed today and I had to replace them, I would probably replace them with a Nikon FM3a and/or a Nikon D70. However, I hope they will last long enough for me to replace them with a full-frame Nikon digital that is more reliable than the one produced by Kodak.
“…for top quality I still shoot medium formatâ€
Since I have never really been satisfied with the quality of large prints (16x20 and larger) from 35mm film, I too shoot medium format (6x7 and 6x9) when I know I will be making large prints.
“Manual is no guarantee of robustness, nor are complex cameras necessarily less reliable.â€
I totally agree with that statement. That is why I said, that all manual/mechanical cameras are not necessarily better than all automatic/electronic cameras.
“…nothing has even approached being as liberating as digital.â€
I totally agree! That is why I have been shooting a lot more digital than film for my personal shooting. However, I don’t yet have enough confidence in digital to rely solely on them for important assignments.
“Digital and medium format work beautifully side by side.â€
Agree! I regularly use digital instead of Polaroids to take test shots before I shoot with medium format.
“I use Epson's breakthrough scanner, the 4870…â€
I too use a flatbed scanner (a Canon 9900F) to scan my 35mm and medium format slides and negatives. Slide film processing is all that is left of my wet darkroom. I love the speed and quality control my digital darkroom gives me.
“Your piece of mind is very costly. You have both missed many images and much pleasure by restricting yourself in this way.â€
I did not mean to imply that I was restricting myself due to my desire for peace of mind. All I am saying is that peace of mind is an important factor for me but it is not the only factor when it comes to photo equipment selection.
“…I am sure you will ‘get it’.â€
I do get it. I applaud the technological advances that have been made in photographic equipment. I use and love high tech photo equipment. However, “getting it†does not neutralize my bias. I still have a love or preference for high quality manual/mechanical cameras.
“The choice of camera is not dictated by whether the thing will break on the shoot, but by the needs of the subject matter - which is the ONLY consideration.â€
The subject matter is an important factor to consider when selecting photo equipment. However, the needs of the subject matter are not the only consideration as you so state. In addition to the needs of the subject matter, you must also consider the location and the needs of the client. Shooting a subject in a hostile location may influence your equipment selection. Shooting a subject with a certain type camera, medium, or lighting may be done at the request of the client.
Likewise, I did not mean to imply that ruggedness is the only factor to consider when selecting photo equipment for an assignment. However, on some assignments, ruggedness may be one important factor. For ex&le, if I were going on an extended expedition to a remote location, I would definitely want to take rugged photo equipment.
“I also sleep very well, indeed no matter what I shot with on a given day.â€
Regardless of what equipment I use on any given day, I don’t sleep well until the images I have shot for a client are processed, safe, and secure.
Thanks for your comments. I will try to respond to some of them.
“Devices break. Every device eventually will wear out or fail.â€
Yes, and if my Nikon F2s failed today and I had to replace them, I would probably replace them with a Nikon FM3a and/or a Nikon D70. However, I hope they will last long enough for me to replace them with a full-frame Nikon digital that is more reliable than the one produced by Kodak.
“…for top quality I still shoot medium formatâ€
Since I have never really been satisfied with the quality of large prints (16x20 and larger) from 35mm film, I too shoot medium format (6x7 and 6x9) when I know I will be making large prints.
“Manual is no guarantee of robustness, nor are complex cameras necessarily less reliable.â€
I totally agree with that statement. That is why I said, that all manual/mechanical cameras are not necessarily better than all automatic/electronic cameras.
“…nothing has even approached being as liberating as digital.â€
I totally agree! That is why I have been shooting a lot more digital than film for my personal shooting. However, I don’t yet have enough confidence in digital to rely solely on them for important assignments.
“Digital and medium format work beautifully side by side.â€
Agree! I regularly use digital instead of Polaroids to take test shots before I shoot with medium format.
“I use Epson's breakthrough scanner, the 4870…â€
I too use a flatbed scanner (a Canon 9900F) to scan my 35mm and medium format slides and negatives. Slide film processing is all that is left of my wet darkroom. I love the speed and quality control my digital darkroom gives me.
“Your piece of mind is very costly. You have both missed many images and much pleasure by restricting yourself in this way.â€
I did not mean to imply that I was restricting myself due to my desire for peace of mind. All I am saying is that peace of mind is an important factor for me but it is not the only factor when it comes to photo equipment selection.
“…I am sure you will ‘get it’.â€
I do get it. I applaud the technological advances that have been made in photographic equipment. I use and love high tech photo equipment. However, “getting it†does not neutralize my bias. I still have a love or preference for high quality manual/mechanical cameras.
“The choice of camera is not dictated by whether the thing will break on the shoot, but by the needs of the subject matter - which is the ONLY consideration.â€
The subject matter is an important factor to consider when selecting photo equipment. However, the needs of the subject matter are not the only consideration as you so state. In addition to the needs of the subject matter, you must also consider the location and the needs of the client. Shooting a subject in a hostile location may influence your equipment selection. Shooting a subject with a certain type camera, medium, or lighting may be done at the request of the client.
Likewise, I did not mean to imply that ruggedness is the only factor to consider when selecting photo equipment for an assignment. However, on some assignments, ruggedness may be one important factor. For ex&le, if I were going on an extended expedition to a remote location, I would definitely want to take rugged photo equipment.
“I also sleep very well, indeed no matter what I shot with on a given day.â€
Regardless of what equipment I use on any given day, I don’t sleep well until the images I have shot for a client are processed, safe, and secure.