Roger and Frances on why they love film

Welcome to Film

There are no books and precious few articles for those who want to go from digital to film: surprisingly few editors are far-sighted enough to publish them, say Roger and Frances Hicks. "Well, we still use film, and here is why, garnered from our own experience and that of others who have never stopped; or have gone back to film after trying digital; or who, after growing up on digital, have decided to use film either alongside or instead of digital.

"The last point is important. We use both digital and silver halide. We also ride motorcycles as well as driving cars, and eat vegetables as well as meat. You don't necessarily need to abjure the one in order to enjoy the other -- unless, we have to say, you want the best possible results on the lowest possible budget, in which case silver is a clear winner in most cases. Increasingly, too, people take a hybrid silver/digital route, scanning and printing from film. In colour, this is the way we do it, though in black and white we still print the vast majority of our pictures in a traditional 'wet' darkroom."

Roger and Frances conclude: "You may get hooked. You'll be so intrigued by the pictures that you'll buy a good quality scanner, or maybe even set up a darkroom -- which is easier than you might think, as evidenced in the free module on our darkrooms. Then you'll want another camera, and some more lenses... Nah, stick to digital. You don't want to enjoy yourself that much."

Pentax K10D

Last year, in a letter to the editor of Better Photography, among India's leading magazines devoted to matters photographic, I wrote as below. (BTW, I still subscribe to the views expressed here!)

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As a longstanding reader of your magazine, I was disappointed with this year's first head-to-head group test of the three consumer DSLRs from Canon, Nikon and Pentax, which is featured in your current issue.

Specifically, my grouse is the short shrift given to the Pentax K10D in the face-off with the Canon EOS 400D and the Nikon D80. As you no doubt realize, there are several ardent users of Pentax cameras in India, as well as an abundant supply of lenses and accessories that can be had for fairly reasonable prices in the secondhand market. Pentax is one of the few camera companies to have maintained backward compatibility with its lenses for its digital offerings, so much so
that you can still use -- with certain limitations -- the screw-mount lenses that date to the era of the Spotmatic. Thus, there is more than cursory interest in what Pentax has to offer in the digital era for Indian consumers.

In your group test, the only thing you found acceptable with the Pentax K10D was its handling and ergonomics. Contrast this with what the world's leading photography magazines and sites had to say:

"The features of the Pentax K10D are sure to amaze Pentax lovers, and the photo world in general...Pentax has seriously raised the bar with the K10D...Best for: Any kind of shooting, particularly in less-than-ideal environments and weather. And a real boon for Pentax owners longing for a higher-end DSLR...Bottom line: Pentax's reputation as the lightweight among DSLR makers is officially obliterated with this well-made, fine-performing, highly satisfying
camera." ---- Popular Photography

"The K10D offers several unique benefits the majors can't match including image stabilization with every lens, pro quality dust/weather/moisture seals, two RAW formats, and an automatic dust reduction/removal system - all at a very competitive price. Serious shooters may have a few issues (like Pentax's lack of long glass), but for many photographers - including those with a closet full of old FA, KA, or K-mount lenses, the K10D may be just the camera they've been
looking for.." ---- DigitalCameraReviews

"We were happy with the K10D's image quality. Our test images were consistently well exposed and had good color saturation...The K10D offers a lot of camera for under $1000.00 USD - with 10.2 megapixels of resolution, body-integral Shake Reduction (SR), automatic dust removal, a weather-proof body, 3fps continuous shooting performance, dual battery grip option and great image quality – it's an easy choice over the K100D for those seeking a more advanced dSLR camera system." --- Steve'sDigicams reviews

"The pictures are of a very high quality, thanks to the SAVOX VIII and the PRIME processor. The JPEGs from the camera could have been a little sharper and the white balance could react more accurately to certain light sources, but there is little reason to complain. Pentax did very well with noise." --- Let'sGoDigital

In contrast, your review says "the Pentax just did not reach the last mile." Your ratings for Value for Money and your conclusion that "it all boiled down to the money" are even more difficult to fathom since nowhere are prices (either MRP or street) mentioned. So how are readers expected to make an informed decision?

For a magazine that normally finds every camera to have some value and is invariably "recommended", your treatment of the Pentax K10D appears unfair and unjustified.

Film Cameras Officially Dead In Japan

According to a report in Wired magazine by Charlie Sorrel, So few film cameras were sold in Japan in the last two months that the trade body CIPA (Camera & Imaging Products Association) has stopped compiling sales figures. According to Amateur Photographer, only 529 35mm film cameras were made in Japan in February. We're not sure how that figure was reached, but if we compare it to CIPA's own figures, it looks like there really were only 529 actual cameras sold, an incredibly low number.

CIFA's figures are only compiled for member companies, and the last update for film was in January (subsequent reports list figures for lenses only). But here's how they break down for January. New digital still cameras sold: 5,417,563, up 128% from the previous year. New film cameras sold: 1580, a tiny 2.8% of those sold in January 2007.

So, in Japan at least, film is now a niche product. We still don't think it will die, though, anymore than CDs killed vinyl. Film will just be one more boutique process for the curious. We predict that there will be a resurgence in 2018, and all the cool kids will be carrying Instamatics, writes Sorrel.