P45 Horseman SWD

P45 Horseman SWD

Hi folks. I am having great fun in Chicago with Paul Elledge's studio. I will talk more about my experience. I just wanted to get something off my chest. It is a suspicion that I have been harbouring since I moved over to digital.

This article compares the output of a large format camera with a P45 digital back. What struck me was the 100% crops at the end of the article. Take a look at it. The digital prints looks sharper, there is more edge contrast, but the tonality and the gradations on the film are much better. What is my point? My point is that digital captures have always looked 'thin' to me. As if something is missing in the gradations, and I think this little example proves the point.

I hear that camera manufacturers are reaching the end of the megapixel wars. And I am glad of this. Most of us have all the megapixels we need, but we now need better megapixels. We need pixels that pick up the subtle tones and gradations that film still captures better. The quality of film is not an illusion, as sharp as digital is, film does have a more natural look.