Seeking direction?

B

Ben

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Do you get those times when you're 'stuck in a rut' and looking for your purpose or direction? I am at the moment, especially with my equipment...

With the recent release of 10MP cameras I'm wondering if I should now make a move to digital? I don't really want to because I'm a film lover. But I want to get properly involved with selling through agencies such as Alamy. I'm a member already but only hold about 50 images with them. Scanning slides is VERY laborious and I'm sure digital originals would be a far quicker way of supplying images.

Also, I have a Mamiya RB67 which is hardly used. Before I made the purchase it seemed heavy but I thought I'd easily manage with it out and about. But I've found in the past months it's too heavy to take everywhere and I'm sticking with my Bronica SQA (which I originally intended to sell when having bought the Mamiya!).

So as I say, I feel a bit stuck! :bang: Do I sell the Mamiya and buy a DSLR to help with the Alamy bit? I am commited to film and I also want to set up a darkroom as I'm heavily into b&w work so maybe the money could go towards that? Or sell the Mamiya and the Bronica kit and buy a Mamiya 7II which would be much lighter?

Questions, questions. I don't expect anyone to give me an answer, I know that's only something I can do. But any thoughts greatly appreciated! :)
 
The RB67 is a superb camera, but it's big and heavy and really a studio camera. To do weddings (for instance) with one then you'd definitely need a sturdy tripod. I've owned a few medium format cameras which I used to use for wedding work. Generally speaking they're far more awkward to hold and use hand held than a 35mm camera. I had no qualms in changing over to 35mm film quite a few years ago, when the quality of available films became such that there was no quality issue with using 35mm for weddings. That's not say there was no advantage left in medium format - negatives are like boxers - a good 'big un' will always beat a good 'little un'.

If you're thinking about going digital then I think you really need to give a lot of consideration to where you start to spend your money at this stage. You say "...the recent release of 10 mp cameras.." but 11 and 16 mp cameras have been out for some years now in the form of the Canon 1DS and 1DS MK2, with the latter being due for an upgrade soon to probably in excess of 20mp. I do though take your point that the more recent 10mp offerings are at a more reasonable price point.

In an ideal world of course, you could use film and digital, cash permitting. Just be aware that most people who take the plunge to digital and become used to the total control, speed, and convenience it gives, soon become disenchanted with the laborious process of messing about in the darkroom. I'm not saying there isn't a place left for film - there is, but even the medium format cameras are getting digital backs now giving picture resolution far in excess of that offered by medium format film.

I do understand your quandary and I can't really help you, but I'd be very careful about investing too much money in film equipment. Demand for film is diminishing rapidly in the face of continuing advances in digital sensors. Film is yesterdays technology and its eventual demise is pretty well inevitable.

At this stage why not get yourself a used low end DSLR and form your own opinions of it's capabilities before you commit too heavily in either direction ? A 6 or 8 mp camera will produce superb results with little if any discernable difference from a 10mp one. To double the resolution of a digital sensor you need to quadruple the number of pixels.
 
Thanks CT for your advice! I suppose one of my main concerns is how much time I would save by processing digital originals over scanning slides. What I gain by not scanning I lose by sorting out colour correction and associated issues I guess?

Good idea about buying a cheap DSLR for comparisons sake. I hadn't thought about doing that, thank you!
 
/edit ignore that I hadn't read your last reply properly.
 
I know this post if from a while ago, but.....

Staff Edit - No selling outside the classifieds forum. Thanks
 
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