Scenes Seen: FUJIFILM X100VI & The Why Of Film.
Subtitle: When I Want A Film Experience… I Use Film.
A question came to mind when I was killing off a roll of film recently.
I had brought along the topic of this post.
Digital Fujifilm and film Fujifilm. Cool.
Years apart and different image capturing mediums created similar results. For example same shots below, first film and then digital:
Aesthetically, the same exactly?
No.
Close enough?
Yep.
So, if that is the case, why bother with film?
Warning: Everything ahead is nonsense that will not apply to many.
I think that is the thing most missed when discussions of “replicating film” enter the chat.
For me, it is not what happens at the camera.
Is not about different films or different film emulations.
It is not about a faux film winder mechanism like the Fujifilm X Half…
…or older Epson R-D1.
It is not about not being able to review your photos like the line of D Leica M cameras which remove the rear screen.
It does partially have to do with the solid feel in hand and mechanical whirligigs moving about when operating the camera, but that is not the main part.
No. It is what happens away from the camera.
The removal of the film.
The not remembering what photos were taken.
The therapeutic tedium of the film development process.
The pulling the film out of the tank to what you got.
For some, the making of paper photos in a darkroom, and for me the scanning process.
All very satisfying for me. Very therapeutic.
Make sense?
To many? No.
But for those of us who are analog afflicted, an absolute yes.
I enjoy developing my own film so much, I am not sure that I would ever have others develop it for me.
It has been years now since I have had others develop my film. Not only gets quicker turn around times, but saves a bit on cost also. But this is not a rational decision. Impossible within such an illogical artificial relevancy construct. But here were are. And we are (I am) pretty happy here.
On to the rest of the scenes seen.
Thoughts.
Bluster, gimmicks, and hype set aside, this camera is a versatile performer. There is no perfect camera, but with this last X100 I think Fujifilm has stumbled upon a formula that includes all my favorite elements from other cameras I like.
- Sony’s competent AF, IBIS, and EVF.
- A built in flash I like having, that none of my other cameras have. Allows for some fun pics I would have needed to carry a flash for with other cameras.
- A leaf shutter that allows flash sync up to 1/4000s is a unique feature. I look forward to playing around with that, especially with more powerful on camera flashes and off camera flash.
- While not as small as a GR I did fit it in my front trouser pocket… (That sounds off, but I will ignore this and go on.)… when it was time to stop taking pictures and sing this last Saturday. That is something I tried and failed to do with the A7CII and a remaster slim lens.
- Feels good in hand like my Leica did. I really like the knurled texture and metal moving bits.
- 40MP is proving to be a near-perfect fixed lens resolution compromise. Plenty of detail, so crop modes are actually useful in a pinch in place of a zoom lens.
So you get Pixie dust stuff I actually use occasionally, like the ACROS film simulation, that when combined with a digital crop allowed me to fake a 69mm focal length with 10MP JPEG image in a pinch like this.
All with a quick flick of a Q menu setting and a spin of the focus dial that acts like a fake zoom ring when using AF. Could I have cropped later? Yes. Certainly. But it was nice to have available.
Then, with another quick flick of a Q menu setting and two dial spin I was set up for my on-the-go captures on the long drive home through the sticks.
Short version? It is doing all of the things I usually ask of my other cameras separately, as one camera.
Happy capturing.
-ELW
Eric L. Woods 