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Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
Recent years have seen the explosion of the digital camera and, arguably, the terminal decline of the film camera.
Is the film camera dead?
Do you use film cameras, if so why?
Is there room for both and will the film camera be relegated to just dedicated users?
What do you use your camera for (and why not share some of your best shots)?
Anyone can post in this thread and vote in the poll, even if you're not registered. But registering is recommended.
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
I have both film and digital. Can't use either satisfactorily because I never took the time to use the tools properly. :D
I still use film, because back in the 60s-70s when film was the only thing, I purchased camera equipment very inexpensively overseas. Lenses from fisheye to 1000mm zoom, macro, macro zooms of all sizes and etc. Those got stolen in a move from overseas and I replaced them with similar models, so can't bare to part with them. :)
The nice thing about digital cameras is that a lot are point and shoot, no brainers, plus no film to develop and the film can be encrypted digitally which is kind of nice for some purposes.
The sad thing is no longer can the photo hobbyist make a darkroom with the secret trap door to escape the visiting mother-in-law. :D
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
I voted for dead.
It's not completely dead, only mostly dead, like Wesley in the Princess Bride. :)
It's dead in the dentist's office. I had my annual x-ray exam yesterday, and the new equipment was filmless. The images popped up on an LCD monitor in front of me as soon as the technician let go of the button.
"Isn't that great?" she said, "And if anyone needs copies you can just email them, and they can blow them up on screen and see everything!"
I got my first digital camera in 1998. My wife didn't like it because she's the type that collects photos in albums, and digital albums didn't appeal to her. She wanted to turn the pages and see all of the pictures in book format. She was not used to the idea that only some of the pictures that she took were worth printing.
But then she discovered some problems with film photography that she didn't notice before.
She has to shoot a whole roll before she can see the pictures. Sometimes this takes a couple of months.
She can share pictures if she gets "double prints" from the film service, but it's more trouble and expense if she wants additional copies.
She gets double prints of the junk stuff too.
She can't "fix" a good photo with one bad feature without scanning it to digital and using a graphics editor, which is cheating.
Ditto emailing to friends, making windows wallpaper, posting on the web, etc. -- it takes another step (a scanner), so why not just shoot in digital and eliminate the hassles of film? Her film camera has been gathering dust for the last couple of years, and we've taken more photos (and printed fewer) than ever.
Digital photography has changed the way we use cameras.
My wife decorates for Christmas. Extensively. So extensively that it takes two or three weeks to complete, full time (she's retired). After she's done, she shoots low-res snapshots of everything (usually between 100 and 200 shots). Next year, she'll decorate again with those snapshots up on her laptop screen as a reference.
We did our annual trip to SoCal last month, and I wanted a group portrait of my wife, her brother, and their father. With three heads in the picture, it's almost a cliche that one will blink, look sideways, or lick their lips at the exact moment the shutter clicks. So I told them to hold the pose until I finished, and I took a half-dozen shots in rapid succession. Later, I had a half-dozen versions of each face to choose from, and the final portrait had the best of each one, thanks to digital cloning.
I expect that the other side of the argument would be from the purists standpoint, citing the quality of results possible with modern films, and this is a valid point, but meaningless in the long run. The market is the snapshot taking public, not the photographic artist, and the big companies won't produce film if there are only a handful of customers left.
Technologies that I grew up with include manual typewriters, slide rules, rotary-dial telephones with party lines, fountain pens, skates with keys, and 8mm movie cameras. All dead in practical terms, but all still available on eBay (except for party lines).
I wouldn't go back... :D
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
No, I still think film has the edge in resolution.
There is less chance of losing your images when they are on slides rather than on a hard disc, even though I have scanned a large number of mine - but I stioll have the slides.
I sometimes wonder about the number of images that will be lost as digital technology updates and you haven't kept up.
Remenber the story (apocryphal?) about all the early NASA images that could not be read because the reading hardware had been superceded and then lost/destroyed!
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
The manufacturers are not giving us much choice. Nikon is now making only 2 film cameras. Kodak is shutting down film and paper lines. I have done B&W photography for over 30 years and can no longer get the Agfa paper I love to use - they are bankrupt as well as Ilford. Kodak lost a ton of money on film products last year and made a ton on digital. We will not have much choice in the future. There may be some neich markets for B&W supplies for processing but it is not so easy to make reliable film. But all is not lost! Digital has brought tools that greatly enhance my creative expression. This is just a step to the next level.
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
It can never die.
Evidentiary documentation must be taken on film cameras due to the ease of manipulation of digital images so I think that film is here to stay.
Anyway, I really like images taken on B&W film.
emt29165
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
I was a commercial photog for 30 years. Film is rapidly becoming a hobbiest medium. It can still do tricks a digital camera can't, but the gap is closing.
Yes, equivalent resolution is better with film, but it's often resolution you don't need. Subjective resolution is more dependent on lighting and subject matter than objective resoltion anyway. (Tacks in sunlight will always "look" sharper than clouds on a hazy day, regardless of what you shoot with.)
Digital doesnt' capture extra curve, so there's no detail in hilights or shadows that can be recovered in the "darkroom," as there is with film.
Lastly, you still have to spend $1,000+ to get a digital camera that comes close to a $300 film camera.
But as I said, the gap's closing.
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
I voted yes, but....
I afraid that in 20 years we will have lost all our family heritage:eek:
The issue is that there are currently NO DIGITAL SUPPORTS that last over 4/5 years.
- Did you remember the 5" 1/4 Floppy ?
>> No drives exist any more to read them:mad:
- Did you remember the 3" 1/2 Floppy ?
>> In my experience the 80% of mine are demagnetized!:mad:
- Did you remember the CD ROM ?
>> When SONY presented it to the world, they stated it would be last for 100 years. The reality is the now is "normal" to have a 6 months burned CD that is not readable any more....
- Did you remember the DVD ROM ?
>> Same issue of CD- ROM...:mad:
Unless we continue to copy and copy and copy and copy all over new support forever in order to preserve them....
I have still my old parents 1912 photos, that still exist, and survived to a world war...
I wonder what will remain of our JPG photos, CD and HDs in year 2102.....
Regards.
:confused: Antimix
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
No matter how neat and cool Digital photos are, nothing can beat the old fine grain 35 mm camera, After the power goes down and the disks crash and the batteries don't work a negative is still there to bring a photo to life.
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
In my early 20's, I purchased a set of studio lights (simple set)... I still have them and my 35mm camera. I bought a digital, which I love, but there's no connection on the camera to use for the studio lights. So, when I need to use the lights, I'll have to use film, though that doesn't happen often. If I figured out a way to use the lights with the digital camera (cuz I can't afford ANOTHER camera ;)) I'd probably fade completely out of using film. I do agree with much that has been written above, I'm spoiled rotten with being able to even lighten an image or some simple touchups quickly and easily digitally. And this is more so since I'm learning more about techniques to do this. Plus I can trial and error all day for no cost vs. trusting someone else to 'lighten' or 'darken' the picture at a lab, hoping they get it the way I want it. That's my story anyway. :)
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
There r millions of old & new 35mm cameras around the world. Do U rally think with film cameras still being sold It is possable to stop making film?
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
I have SLR 35mm, digital still, 35mm standard camera and a new digital video camera. I find they all have their uses, but I would never give up my SLR, even if you have to get a whole film developed at once. I haven't found too many dud photos on films. I think when you can erase and take more photos one after the other with instant editing you lose sponaneity. You only learn by making mistakes, and you might well mess up a whole film.
I always had prints of all photos I took with my SLR or 35mm camera, but only print out photos I want to enlarge or frame or give away with my digital camera. That could cause me problems if my CD or DVD backups become unreadable.
It is easier to show friends or relatives hard copy photos when they visit than sit them down in front of a computer or television screen. Printed photos don't crash! If you take a CD to a gathering they all can't fit in front of a TV and the host may not have a DVD player anyway. I know people who don't.
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
The question is too broad. I think it is better asked in two parts: 1) Is film dead for amateurs? and 2) Is film dead for pros?
I disagree with the earlier response that film is rapidly becoming a hobbiest niche. Just the opposite - I believe that amateurs still using film are hopelessly retro and are not long of this world, and, pros still need the resolution, color, contrast, and artifact control, not to mention medium and large format flexibility, that only film provides.
As technology improves, and some of the inherent limitations of current digital imaging techniques are overcome with breakthroughs, I believe that film will truly die. However, that date with the reaper is a long way off.
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
not at all camera's are all stuff which cannot be subtituted
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
Digital cameras are the way of the future, and for my generation, they are definately the ones.
But...
There will always be film veterans and their heir, so I think film will live on, but when it comes to the future and technology, there is nothing better than binary.
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
An update.
Unregistered User posted on May 25th:
"Evidentiary documentation must be taken on film cameras due to the ease of manipulation of digital images so I think that film is here to stay."
Nikon just announced:
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Nikon overcomes the issue of digital image authenitication
Also available in July for UKP400 / EU589, the new Image Authentication Software application, which is designed exclusively for use with the Nikon D2Xs digital SLR, enables users to determine whether an image has been altered since capture. Image data can be used for verifying image authenticity by law enforcement and other government agencies, the media, insurance companies and has a variety of other business applications.
The software has a product key and a USB key to ensure security whereby the USB key must be plugged into the USB port of the Pentium computer running it to commence application.
The software enables verification of JPEG, TIFF and NEF (RAW) data to be taken using a Nikon digital SLR compatible with the authentication function.
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The above is a snip from the article, but there was also speculation that the other manufacturers would have to jump on this bandwagon ASAP, or watch Nikon grab all of the business for verifiable images.
Never say never... ;)
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
I like both. They each seem to have a purpose although I think the film camera will end up more on the pro side eventually. I do have an issue with the digitals though. They're terrible indoors. The frequency of some lights and the digital cameras make for horrible photos. Outdoors, they're great, just not indoors in large rooms.
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
I voted Yes as well, its not just because of the digital camera and the computer but in a short time we will see the mobile phones getting better upgrades and already there are 3mp models out there albeit they are some price!!
The youngsters will go for them, whereas at 40 I tend to shop around and bide my time. As technology increases so will the standards of digital photography, the fact its instant as opposed to the waiting and paying for development and if you've taken a dud then you have the chance with some models to go and do it again if possible with no charge...
As long as your photo printer is doing a good enough job I don't see why we have to worry about film any more unless of course we lose the technology!
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
I voted yes, its dead for several reasons.
1. Capacity. When you spend a day taking pictures, you can easily have thousands of images, that on film would take a lot of space and would have to be handled with care. On electronic storage, you put them all in a single pocket.
2. Ease of use. With the ability to take thousands of images quickly, you dont need be a good photograph to get that special moment. If just 1 out of 1000 images is THE one, things are fine. That doesnt make you a good photographer but gives you the chance to make at least some good images now and then )
3. Price. Just calculate films for 1k images vs. storage you can use over and over.
4. Save the world .) I dont want to know what I did to the environment creating images in the dark room in my bathtub.
Juergen
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
I thought I'd submit a link for the discussion... for those who haven't seen it, it's well worth checking out. http://www.gigapxl.org/ I won't say much other than this definitely demonstrates the potential of technology relating to photography... :)
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Llamaboy
Digital cameras are the way of the future, and for my generation, they are definately the ones.
But...
There will always be film veterans and their heir, so I think film will live on, but when it comes to the future and technology, there is nothing better than binary.
Yep somewhere out there, there will be somebody using glassplates
to take their pictures, but I don`t think many will still use it ;)
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bill h
There r millions of old & new 35mm cameras around the world. Do U rally think with film cameras still being sold It is possable to stop making film?
Yes and it is happening. Ofcourse some niche market companies
will still make film, but the mass production will dwindle and already is
dwindling. And I know poeple who oen a photo shop and they don`t sell
many regular camera`s anymore. They mainly switched towards digital
camera`s.
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
Yeah, DEAD. That it is....What if twenty years ago, somebody would have told you that we'd all be able to take a photo, view it instantly, delete it at the push of a button and take another one and another and another, don't like it? well bin it! Or take one photo, cut out the best part and paste it on to another photo or a more pleasing background...The imagination knows no bound!
That's why i love computer graphics: i was able to put my boyfriend's head into space! And then animate it!!
It's really marvelous that all this is put in the hands of us the little people, we don't have to be rich or famous to play with our boyfriend's heads.
What a brillant time to be alive!!
Danylee1000
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
:eek:
hey guys what are you talking about?:confused:
for some reasons some people said that its dead just only because THEY USE DIGITAL! digital cameras made for lazy photographers, who doesn skilled right. THE BEST photographers were in 1920-30ss because the photographers work was fully manual including manual developing of the photography! the people who works with digital photography, well most of them simply DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO DEVELOP A PHOTO!!! i think thats the shame for photogrhapher. I`m mad! Thats actually a rediciolous poll.
i think that photographers who can only shoot digital - they are dumb. photography is not a computer process. That only different techniques of photography and digital is much simplier.
the best photos i`ve seen was made by film cameras. the best quality is film cameras.
digital is lame!
AND FILM CAMERAS WILL NEVER DIE!
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
I remember when people said that about the advent of the motor car versus the horse and cart.( Big Grin.)
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
I completely agree with Terry. I'm sooo happy with my super digid camerade...
For profs its maybe different though...But they can use both. I think that you can use whatever there comes your way and can help you, old things and new.
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
parahandy
I remember when people said that about the advent of the motor car versus the horse and cart.( Big Grin.)
Well, if the prices for gasoline keep going the way they are, we
might be going back to horse and carts. ;)
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
antimix
I have still my old parents 1912 photos, that still exist, and survived to a world war...
I wonder what will remain of our JPG photos, CD and HDs in year 2102.....
Antimix,
This statement is not an argument for the advantage of film over digital because you´re comparing a printout from film to a digital image which has not been printed.
For what it´s worth, I say that film has gone to the obsolete bin along with the audio cassette.
.joroho.
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
antimix
I have still my old parents 1912 photos, that still exist, and survived to a world war...
I wonder what will remain of our JPG photos, CD and HDs in year 2102.....
Last year I made photos and movies only with my digital camera.
After 18 months of using my digital camera, my hard-disk crashed and I lost all my photos. :mad:
If you have a digital camera, don't ever forget to make backups.
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
antimix
I wonder what will remain of our JPG photos, CD and HDs in year 2102
Lots of people lost their precious photos in a fire, flooding or any other catastrophe. The point I'm trying to make is; digital or traditional photos, survival is only guaranteed by the owner. The only difference is the different approaches needed to guarantee their survival.
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Unregistered
Lots of people lost their precious photos in a fire, flooding or any other catastrophe. The point I'm trying to make is; digital or traditional photos, survival is only guaranteed by the owner. The only difference is the different approaches needed to guarantee their survival.
You know, that's kind of obvious but it'd never occured to me. I'm always worrying that I don't backup my digital photos, but never once have I given any thought to the ones stuck in a drawer.
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
I started on a Pentax K-1000 in high school. I still have my old Nikon SLR, but since getting my digital SLR I don't use it.
While I am not talented enough to do so myself, I am a bit of a magazine and book junkie, and I've SEEN others (professionals) do everything on a digital that was once possible on film. Plus you can now make film negatives from your card now, and manipulate them in a darkroom. There was a big thing on old purists doing it in one of those ridiculously expensive UK mags I wore a hole through at Barnes and Noble one afternoon. :D
I used to like the control on my old film models, but the longer I push myself to learn more and adapt the more I find I can get that if I am willing to tinker and ask for help or look it up somewhere.
Also, there are some really good digital SLRs for short change. The Fuji S5200 is the one I use now and it only cost me $250 on sale. I also have a much more pricey Olympus but never bother to use it since I fell in love with this one (purchased for hubby and promptly stolen like all cool things I give him).
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
I use my digital cameras far more than my film camera, I must admit. I have a Nikon D70, with 5 assorted lenses, and just added a Nikon D200 (10.2 MP) Got it Saturday, for my birthday, so haven't used it yet. I also have a Sony cybershot that I never leave the house without. It fits comfortably in my pocket, and even at 5.1 MP, is good enough to make pictures that can't wait until I run home and get the SLR's.
BUT: Until the resolution of the digitals can equal that of film, I will not stop using the 35 mm. The last tech data I read indicated that the resolution of film is in excess of 24 MP. And for some photos, I opt for the highest resolution I can get. I have sold prints blown up to 16" x 20" and at that size, you can tell the difference. The great thing about it is that my film camera uses the same lenses my digital cameras use, so I don't need a whole new setup.
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
I never took so many pictures before having a digital camera. The freedom it brought to me... I can take as many pictures I need, without paying anything. It's wonderful! But I know many people still uses film cams... so, not dead yet.
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
I voted dead as well, but for economic reasons. Without a strong market for film, new products will be slow coming or stop entirely. I will mourn that (I have a nice collection of 35mm bodies and lenses) but only a bit.
A couple of considerations... first digital, even at 6MP is excellent. Far better than I've seen from amatuer shots on cheap film. Arguing about resolution of film being better is moot... and 8X10 camera is best of all but I'm not going to shoot one anyway.
Also digital cameras are not created equal. I'd rather have my 6MP Pentax SLR than a point and shoot at 10MP. There is a huge difference in performance, sensitivity, color depth and shutter response between the two classes and the p&s will lose on each count despite the pixel numbers.
Finally there comes the whole issue of acessories. The Pentax SLR I have is fully compatible with my historic collection of film-based lenses, stereo adapters and bellows units. That power combined with digital can be absolutely magic.
Film can't compete with that line up. If we add in cost of processing ($6 for film and $17 for processing on a 36 exposure roll of high quality film) in my neighborhood, and my digital SLR paid for itself in 2 months.
Film is dead, though it may not know it yet. Some areas in the industrial and medical fields will continue for a while but their days are numbered too.
...Doug
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
Some good points brought up in this thread...
I am not much of a photographer... snap and digital process all the way for this kid... :D
Oh CCD, Oh CCD, the world's sure a chang'n.... ;) :D
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
DougW
Without a strong market for film, new products will be slow coming or stop entirely.
I don't see it stop entirely, for the same reason why some people are still, believe it or not, buying vinyl records. Vinyl sales actually slightly went up according to a recent TV news report. :D
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
I still have/use all my film cameras as well as my Nikon coolpix 8800
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
I have been shooting the positive film for more than 25 years, Canon EOS 1V and 1N are my favorites. Despite I have more than 100 roles of Fuji Velvia 50, Kodachrome 25, 100 in the fridge, I am afraid to agree that the film camera is not dead yet, but getting close. And the film camera will eventually be fading out.
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Re: Is the film camera dead? Discussion and poll.
I'm afraid that the film camera is fading away :(
The high end digital cameras are getting better with each new generation and will become almost as good as film. There are a lot of effects that can be added to digital images that are extremely difficult to do in the dark room. But there are some things you can do in the camera and/or in the dark room that are extremely difficult to duplicate using software.
I haven't seen a digital camera and software that can duplicate many of Ansel Adams' photographs accurately.