I don't know if it is of any interest to the readership of this list, but I sit on the same fence as most of you, albeit behind a video camera (broadcast quality, �40K's worth), I am a lighting cameraman in TV.
I used to shoot everything on 16mm film, all over the world, and I was always a little nervous to return from a long trip abroad, with unprocessed negative stock. You didn't know if it may have been fogged by the unwelcome intrusion of a customs officer, damaged by humidity or heat, or if the stock was operating at consist (ISO) speed. But when that footage came back from being processed, by god it looked good. As time went by and Kodak kept coming back with better (faster) and finer grained film stocks, wow! Then - about ten years ago video started to creep into mainstream TV, and it became obvious that I would have to make an investment in this technology - but I continued to work with my trusty Arri 16 SR film camera. I finally let the film camera go about six years ago, and video cameras went digital, and in my mind they are very good indeed. They are reliable (and I have taken my Digi Beta camera ALL over the world - deserts, rainforests, up mountains, in submarines). You can check the image has stuck to the tape when you are away, you can view everything back. But Digital video is NOT as good as film. It doesn't have the same contrast ratio or depth. But like you guys we can get around those kind of problems with, in my case, 20 years of experience. It is that experience which makes me reliable, I get the pictures. They are correctly exposed, they are in focus, they can be cut into sensational, interesting films that people want to watch. The down side is that the programme makers I work for don't have that kind of experience (as a rule). They shoot excessive quantities of stock (because video is cheap!). And nowadays, they would rather - because of ever diminishing programme budgets, shoot on low cost digital video formats, being shot by school boys wearing nappies, who can suck a lolly and not a lot else. They don't know what overexposure is, and use autofocus which is not very good. The end result is what you, the viewing public of Great Britain, are forced to watch on Television (most) of the time. The problem is that nobody bothers to complain - do they? So I scan and print, because if people like my stills they will say so, and it keeps me occupied during my increasing numbers of days off. Nobody appreciates craftsmen any more... I hope this view is of interest. Steve. PS I am enjoying reading all the things that get written on this list, I am learning much... =============================================================== GO TO http://www.prodig.org for ~ GUIDELINES ~ un/SUBSCRIBING ~ ITEMS for SALE
