I own a few different digital cameras. My Leica M9-P, at base ISO and good light is unparalleled in producing a sharp, clean, colorful image. The Leica Monochrom rivals DSLR’s with much higher resolutions and because it lacks an AA filter, some say it even comes close to medium format cameras (slightly hyperbolic?). My newest toy, the Sony a7II is a lowlight monster, producing clean, sharp images in almost everything short of complete darkness. They are all impressive, and each of them could give me almost everything that I could want from a camera.
Everything, but the imperfections of film.
The color of Kodak Portra is magic to my eyes. The tonality of a low speed black and white negative such as Plus-X is incomparable. Then there is the grain. Whether there is just a hint of fine grain or it is big and gritty, I love it. It is organic and cannot be reproduced digitally.
These images are from a roll of new Tri-X shot at box speed and developed in Rodinal at a 1+50 dilution. Purposely exaggerating the grain of the film is enjoyable to me. Giving a new look to neighborhood scenes that I have photographed for years.
