Digital is just too complicated.....actually

[David Mullen ASC]

The fact that I've been shooting on Alexas for the past nine years suggests some stabilization has taken place... almost a decade with one sensor design!

The industry has periods of technical instability like when sound arrived in 1927 or widescreen in 1952 but today, I think instability is designed into the system, like a modern jet airplane...

[Robin R Probyn]

13 hours ago, Stephen Perera said:

I guess I AM saying that Robin ....as a non-DP or 'amateur' in here but with a solid background of 34 years in film photography, using light metres and the zone system and all the rest of it......I've found it IS a lot easier and less work for me to shoot film (16mm) than digital.....but the thread is meant to be about people missing the word for the trees due to all the massive amount of extraneous kit and tech associated with digital

Ok got it .. my amateur /pro point was not to be derogatory at all.. just to agree with what you seemed to be saying ..  .. load film into a camera the right way round.. set your meter and shoot .. is an easier process than say setting up the notorious Sony f5/55 menu's ..before you point and shoot, to make sure you are recording what you think you are.. ? ..  but if you are freelancer only making your living from camera work.. and not very famous.. that person will have to "learn" to a level they are comfortable with, how to work a digital camera,know somehting of the workflow .. post etc.. or they will most likely not get alot of work.. certainly the AC,s will have to learn to set up menu,s for different camera,s .. not just how to load mags .. lace different camera,s..  the corporate/ doc world now there are rarely AC,s anymore, so you will have to be setting the camera by yourself and sorting out any problems..  

A pilot of a plane doesn't need to know every single cable or rivet to fly it .. but you he/she has to have a pretty good knowledge of the basics .. Im saying don't be put off, its not really that difficult ..  all the bits that can hang off cameras now, with all the cables .. they look intimidating but it all makes sense with half a days instruction.. go to your local rental place .. they will usually be happy to give you a quick check over some camera,s..  for good or bad digital is the future ( runs for the hills !)..  Im an old fart too.. but it is all learnable and then it becomes fun and interesting ..you can argue over Bit rates and Slog 3 is better than 2 .. 

[Jon O'Brien]

With digital cameras it would be interesting if you could pay extra for a plug-in card or something, or punch in a code, and it instantly re-jigs the whole camera for 'film camera' in every practical respect, Kodak stock of specified speed, etc. Maybe such things already exist. You could get it on your tripod, turn the thing on, look at it, and say, okay, it's a 2 perf Arri, loaded with Vision3 250D. Same shutter, etc.

So for film people, they would be much more confident about the whole thing, shooting on digital. They'd set the aperture, adjust lighting and so on, and off you go. Press 'run' ...

"and .... action"..

[Satsuki Murashige]

1 hour ago, Jon O'Brien said:

With digital cameras it would be interesting if you could pay extra for a plug-in card or something, or punch in a code, and it instantly re-jigs the whole camera for 'film camera' in every practical respect, Kodak stock of specified speed, etc. Maybe such things already exist. You could get it on your tripod, turn the thing on, look at it, and say, okay, it's a 2 perf Arri, loaded with Vision3 250D. Same shutter, etc.

So for film people, they would be much more confident about the whole thing, shooting on digital. They'd set the aperture, adjust lighting and so on, and off you go. Press 'run' ...

"and .... action"..

That's basically an ARRI Alexa though...