Nikon to step away from film.

As a professional still photographer, I can assure you it will be quite some time before digital "replaces" film. Even the best digital camera, which I ofeten use, and which costs $18,000.00, shows horrible imperfections and a lack of depth and beauty at a gallery-sized print... For my personal work, I can't ever imagine switching to digital and I rarely shoot 35mm anyway. Kodak can do what they want, Fuji makes better film anyway! Digital serves an amazing and important purpose, but it stops short of "replacing" film.
 
Nikon is only getting out of film for the consumer business but not for the professional business. Having spent the money to develop the F6, I doubt they entirely leaving the 35mm film camera business any time soon, rather they are leavingthe consumer market and will only make a pro 35mm film camera.
 
The F6 is basically the same as their high end digital bodies like the D2x and D2h, just minus the sensor. I'm sure it was no big deal for them to create this camera.

The good news is that there are plenty of great used film bodies littering the market today.

I prefer b&w film to b&w digital, but prefer digital color to color film.

I have a bunch of medium format cameras that I love and will keep. I have a bathroom darkroom that I use and the prints look way better than digital in my opinion.

Digital will win because of convenience and because it gives photographers more control in Photoshop.
 
I just went to the flea market and bought a Canon A-1 and I love it! Not even fazed by having to advance the film myself...ah, the good ole days.
 
We run a photo video shop with its foundation started by my grandfather in the 1920's, my father's branch will celebrate its 45th in 2008, I have a museum of old technology, from glass plate negatives, from a time when prints are 'reduced' from the negative plate, in contrast to 'enlarging' our prints.
MY POINT, there is nothing to mourn about a passing of a technology but let us focus instead on the continuation of the sharpening of our craft, the creative principles in taking a photograph, or shooting moving images, remains, regardless of technology, let us adapt to the new tools at hand.
4 years ago we decommissioned 3 B&W darkrooms and 1 color custom lab. We trained our old employees to use the computer, now our retouchers didn't shed a tear at the demise of their magnifying lens and lightbox, which was so tediuos to use, retouching negatives BY HAND using pencils.
Today, ALL of them use photoshop. Film had its qualities. but the tradoff, we can work around, the client will appreciate the creativity of the shot brought about by your skill and your character to connect with your subject to bring about the desired effect, of expression, of pose, etc. Rarely do they complain about grain structure, and dynamic range.

Its time to move on.



www.ramasolastudio.9k.com
 
heres the direct link to the press release
http://www.nikon.co.uk/press_room/releases/show.aspx?rid=201

Notes to editor

• As well as the F6 film body and the manual FM10 Nikon will continue to manufacturer and sell the following Interchangeable manual lenses:

Nikkor 20mm f/2.8

Nikkor 24mm f/2.8

Nikkor 28mm f/2.8

Nikkor 35mm f/1.4

Nikkor 50mm f/1.2

Nikkor 50mm f/1.4

Micro-Nikkor 55mm f/2.8

Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8

PC Micro-Nikkor 85mm f/2.8D


Atleast of you can still buy the lenses if you plan to use it with any 35mm adaptors for the DVX
 
I think film is a good capture medium...it has qualities that digital can't match. Now, don't get me wrong, I love digital and all the benefits it provides, but sometimes film has that little extra something. Beyond capture, I think editing film and touching it up have definatley succumbed to the digital realm, which is great. Just don't forsake it quite yet.
 
Another press release:


Reshaping Nikon's Film Camera Assortment

As the film camera market shrinks and the popularity of compact digital
cameras increases, demand for products that offer advanced features and extra
value is growing rapidly. Additionally, the demand for high performance
digital SLR cameras is also steadily increasing as customers shift from film
SLRs or upgrade from compact digital cameras.

With film cameras accounting for an ever smaller percentage of Nikon's
total sales volume, the company has decided to concentrate its vast resources
toward those business categories that continue to demonstrate the strongest
growth. Consequently, as Nikon focuses more on the digital camera business,
the company must adopt appropriate measures to ensure its continued success.
With that, the Nikon film camera lineup will be reshaped, allowing more of
Nikon's planning, engineering and manufacturing resources to be focused on the
digital products that now drive our thriving industry. The measures that Nikon
will adopt include discontinuing production of all large format Nikkor lenses
and enlarging lenses, as well as several of our film camera bodies, manual
focus Nikkor interchangeable lenses and related accessories. Sales of these
products will cease as supplies are depleted.

Importantly, Nikon's film camera business will continue with our flagship
model F6(TM) and with the FM10(TM), allowing the Nikon brand to continue
serving the two strongest segments of the 35mm film camera market. Both
professionals and dedicated amateurs who continue to view film as their
preferred format along with students in need of an economical camera to learn
the fundamentals of photography will have ideal Nikon products from which to
choose. Additionally, Nikon will continue to produce the manual focus 85mm
f/2.8D PC Micro-Nikkor(R).

With the interests of its customers in mind, Nikon will offer continued
post-sale service for products whose production has ceased for a period of 10
(ten) years from Nikon Inc.'s last date of sale.

This shift in business strategy and in the utilization of resources will
allow Nikon to further its storied history and reputation as a leader in the
ever-growing digital market and continue to offer groundbreaking new products
and technology for photographers of all skill levels.
 
film vs digital stills

film vs digital stills

It's weird, but when it comes to 'film', I can only think of digital HD as the way of the future.
But when it comes to stills, even though I can see the advantages of instantly knowing how a photo comes out, and the ease of loading onto pc/mac for editing. But digital will never replace film for me with stills. Not until the technology matches the quality of film.
Plus this is not an attack, but for me personally, the thought of having to fire up the computer or turn on a tv and dvd player for a slide show to show off the weekend snaps seems annoying, plus the lack of portability. Not everybody either owns a laptop, nor wishes to cart one around with them.
Yes you can print at home on the ol bubblejet, but thats not economically viable, nor is the shelf life the same as film. the cost of digital printing in Australia at least is coming down to the cost of normal film print labs...
 
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