What do professional photographers use nowadays?

Question

I've been out of the loop for more than a decade. What do the portrait guys use nowadays? Have they all gone digital? I'm thinking about a comeback, but I only know film.

**aww...do i HAVE TO convert???***

Answer 1

You can shoot anything you want. You'll hear a lot of BS about digital v. film, but, especially when you look at the pragmatics, for portraiture either is fine for quality.

In terms of business, digital has tremendous advantages re costs, productivity, flexibility and delivery and can deliver the same quality as film.

If you are re-entering the field, digital has to be a very serious consideration, especially if your income is going to require a high level of production.

Personally, I have more years behind me using film than some of the 'filmy' people (looking through some sort of romantic lens) have been alive. I am fully digital and, except for special situations, have no intention of looking back. It has reinvigorated photography for many of us.

Everything you know from film translates directly to digital. Keep your eye on the function and not the form and you won't have any problem. If you used a lot of darkroom work in film, then you'll find the digital equivalent, post-processing, to be a liberation and a curse. You'll be able to do the things you did before with more precision and control than you ever dreamed possible. On the other hand, you won't know how to do it until you go back to 'school'. There is a real learning curve involved, but there was in the darkroom, too.

Vance

Addendum:

Shooting digital is like shooting transparencies as far as exposing goes. You are exposing to keep the details in the important highlights. However, the dynamic range of current sensors for prosumer and pro cameras exceeds that for transparencies, being more like the range for color neg film. This shouldn't be a real concern for portraiture work where you have control over the lighting and, therefore, control over the dynamic range.

Answer 2

I have never used film but I can still give you my two cents worth.

Most of the top photographers in my country use digital. Some use film but digital can be manipulated to give the same result as any film in cluding B&W film. The only drawback is you really have to know a lot about digital imaging in order to get those results.

As far as using a digital camera, it's the same as using colour slide film.

Well I hope this helps a little.

Answer 3

mr fudd, if you have shoot film you will find digital easy -my experience

most portrait shooters shot digi now, its cheaper and easier, the masters still use film - anne geddes et cetera

your next question could be what lenses you have and what digi body will go with them

nothing in digi will beat a 50iso film, but really for portraits that much detail is not required

from film to digi is easy.........where people struggle is if they only know digi and get a job from a magazine that insists on transparency film.........

so again if you know film, digi is kids play

a

Answer 4

Mostly digital, Canon and Nikon are the two top brands Pro's use. Nikon recently stopped making film cameras.

Answer 5

John P. nailed it, Nikon DOES still make film camera's(that was bad info) Glad to have you back shooting, happy picture making!!!

Answer 6

Go with what you know, while at the same time learn the other formats. YOU WILL NEVER STOP LEARNING IN THIS FIELD. The day you do, is the day you better hang it up.