Front Cover of Popular Photography(March,2009) Shot with Nikon F100

[bajasurf]

No surf and windy today in Baja so I decided to give a look at Ken Rockwell´s site. He mentions that the cover shot of the current issue of Popular Photography magazine was taken with a , dare I say it, Nikon F100 on Fuji Provia 100 slide film. What the heck is going on? These magazines are always hyping the latest DSLR´s costing upwards to $8000( body only mind you) and then the editors use a dreaded film camera, and an old one at that, more than 3 months old, for the magazines cover shot. Let us not forget the hundreds of ads each issue carries for digital cameras. I can buy a near perfect F100 with lens for a couple hundred bucks on craigslist. I thought for sure Ken was way off base this time so I did some searching via Google. I went to the Popular Photography magazine website and looked at the new issue. Whats on the cover but a photo of a Olympus DSLR and I am thinking to myself why in the world would anyone take a photo of a Olympus DSLR with a film based camera? Like you, I don´t consider a photo of a camera a "cover shot" and maybe some more Googleing is needed. Well. lo and behold I find another site that has a different cover shot for the March, 2009 issue. That cover is of a ice climber making his way up an ice formation. Excuse my lack of ice climbing terms. I am a surfer and that should explain it. What I found out is that photo magazines put out two different covers every issue. The issue with the Olympus DSLR on the cover is for magazine rack sales so you will naturally want to buy the magazine and read all the whiz bang things you can do with that camera. Now, the same issue with the ice climber cover is for PAID subscribers. They have your money and no need to grab your attention as you are walking by to the vegetable department at Vons. But I am still perplexed at to the "why" the Nikon F100. If that´s not enough ,why is Kodak releasing a 120/220 version of Ektar 100 film. Didn´t I just read that Film Is Dead?

 

[Michael Slade]

But I am still perplexed at to the "why" the Nikon F100. If that´s not enough ,why is Kodak releasing a 120/220 version of Ektar 100 film. Didn´t I just read that Film Is Dead?

Yikes.

Any serious photographer will tell you that it's not the camera. An F100, an F5, an F3 or just the lowly original Nikon F will all take the same lenses and film.

Ilford/Harmon have re-committed to analog photography in a HUGE way recently, Kodak is pumping out new films (I just bought 100 sheets of Tmax 400 in 8x10 sheets). I'm shooting an 8x20 camera with printing paper, just for fun. I issued my 4 Jr's (high school students), each a Hasselblad and 5 rolls of 120 Provia to shoot over spring break. They'll continue to shoot their 4x5's and Hassy's this term, graduating up to the 8x10 and finally the 8x20.

So, on your two points:

Why the F100? Why not?

Is film dead? No.

 

[bajasurf]

Yikes.

Any serious photographer will tell you that it's not the camera. An F100, an F5, an F3 or just the lowly original Nikon F will all take the same lenses and film.

Ilford/Harmon have re-committed to analog photography in a HUGE way recently, Kodak is pumping out new films (I just bought 100 sheets of Tmax 400 in 8x10 sheets). I'm shooting an 8x20 camera with printing paper, just for fun. I issued my 4 Jr's (high school students), each a Hasselblad and 5 rolls of 120 Provia to shoot over spring break. They'll continue to shoot their 4x5's and Hassy's this term, graduating up to the 8x10 and finally the 8x20.

So, on your two points:

Why the F100? Why not?

Is film dead? No.

Michael, I hope you didn´t take my remarks as serious. I have dusted off my film cameras and have been shooting them every day. I love using printing paper in my pinhole cameras and actually loaded paper into my Pentax 6x7( only able to cut the paper to fit into the shutter for one shot). Currently using a F3, Olympus 35rc rangefinder, N90s, Konica FS-1 and a Contax G1. I ordered film for my Pentax 6x7 and a Koni Omega. If I lived in your area and somehow you could pass this 67year old off as a Junior I would be in your photography class in a heart beat.

 

[bigreen505]

Yeah, only stupid people and grandpas shoot film.

Have you run any of the Ektar 120? There are some stunning shots on the 35 mm variant on Flickr -- kind of looks like the old stuff, which I loved. I've heard reciprocity failure is really bad and any exposure more than a couple seconds starts to look goofy.

 

[Streakerfreak]

Yeah, only stupid people and grandpas shoot film.

Ah shucks.


:elkgrin:

 

[tdesanto]

Awesome. I need to break out my F5 again...love that camera.

 

[NikonRon]

Still shooting film only here. Its not dead at all, I enjoy the medium. I'm not stupid but I am a grandpa. Ron

 

[DaveInDenver]

Yeah, only stupid people and grandpas shoot film.

Hmmm, wonder which covers me? Well I don't think I'm that old anyway... I knew if I waited long enough this silly digital SLR fad would pass and people would come back to the real thing. I'm still betting on tube amps and vinyl, too. Gotta go, back to Morse Code practice.

 

[Michael Slade]

Michael, I hope you didn´t take my remarks as serious.

Haha, I guess I must have! I'm sorry if you were being sarcastic! No really I am sorry.

I hear this drum beat all the time and I get a little weary of it. Sorry if I jumped in hastily. I had just been arguing the merits of film with someone here at school and I guess I was a little wound up.