Expert: John Oliverio - 9/30/2004

Question
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Followup To Then you are saying that it is better to stay with conventional film and camera. Which I believe to be the best.
Question -
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Followup To
Question - What is a medium format back on digital? Brands. The best.
   My question is; are digital cameras the same as conventional cameras when it comes to color correction. More precisely. Is it advisable to use a 1A filter when shooting in open shade?
   What digital will give me resolution equal to Fujichrome or Kodachrome 35mm.
   This is for commercial professional use as in advertising illustration.
Answer -
Les,

Hello and thanks for the questions.

Well, yes the same rules still apply.  The basics haven't changed much.  But your example of the 1A really isn't as important as it used to be.  It's such a slight difference that it could easily be duplicated in Photoshop with no noticeable loss of quality.  

Last I heard, they were saying 20 million pixels will equal film.  So far, this is only available on medium format camera backs.

John
Answer -
A medium format camera is a pro camera that takes medium format (usually 120) film.  The Mamiya 645 or Contax 645 for example.  I have no first hand experience with these because I only shoot 35mm and the digital cameras formated after 35mm.  But I think from what I read that the  Phase One P25 is one of the best.  And they work with Hassy, Mamiya and Contax cameras.

John

Answer
Les,

No.  I'm not saying that at all.  It depends on what the specific job is.  I think for the most part I can do any job with digital that I could do with 35mm.  It's a digital world now my friend.  We typically make 13x19 inch prints from our 6mp camera.  This latest generation will allow film quality prints up to 16x20 and 20x30 without any special ripping software.  And I find the digital work flow much quicker and about a MILLION times more flexible.  I can do things now in a matter of minutes that would have taken me an entire day when I shot film.  

Here is the thing.  While digital is indeed starting to overshadow film in the workplace, that doesn't mean you shouldn't have film around to.  It isn't necessarily a one or the other situation.  You should have both and if one is better for a job than the other, you go with it.  You may find for some projects that you actually end up with elements of both film and digital.  But I think having only one available is probably a bad idea.  Besides, what if you dedicate yourself to one and then have a client that insists on the other?  All he has to do is go down the street to the next guy that is more flexible.

Oh, and Canon and Nikon both have "35mm style" digital cameras reaching up to around 13 mega-pixels.  

John