The Future of Colour Sheet Film: A Personal Perspective – Mark Darragh

Gary Sauer-Thompson in his recent article has eloquently covered some of the philosophical considerations and broader challenges relating to the future of colour sheet film in Australia.

My contribution touches on some practical considerations and my personal experience as someone for whom colour sheet film has been at the heart of their photographic work for over 20 years.

Before talking about the current situation, I’ll give some context and background on my history of photographing with large format film. I’m a generation younger than the photographers such as Peter Dombroskis, Chris Bell, David Tatnall, and Harry Nankin who inspired me to pursue large-format wilderness photography. Like many who grew up with film photography, I started using a 35mm camera with colour and black and white negative film before moving on to colour transparencies. In those early years, my camera largely served as a documentary device rather than a tool for artistic expression. As my interest in photography and bushwalking developed, I became frustrated with the limitations of a 35mm system, as convenient as it was to carry into the wilds.

I began working with large-format film in the late 1990s. My initial reason was the pursuit of higher-quality reproduction in publication and, eventually, exhibition prints. After a few years of using a view camera and getting to understand its capabilities, my choice became based on the movements and perspective control offered by a view camera. That continues to be the major reason why I use 4 x 5 and 8 x 10 cameras.

In the late 2000’s, Fujifilm and Kodak ceased production of their respective 4×5 Quickload and Readyload pre-package films. This marked a time of transition for many large format landscape photographers. The decision by both companies was, of course, a commercial one. As the quality of digital camera systems improved, these quickly became the norm for many professional photographers who had previously shot 4 x 5 film. The market for those willing to pay a premium for pre-loaded film was obviously too small to be economically viable for either company. For many photographers shooting 4 x 5, Quickloads or Readyloads were the most convenient way of carrying film. The end of their production was a reason for many to transition from large format film to digital cameras. 

The rerelease of Kodak Ektachrome 100 sheet film in 2019 did provide a degree of certainty that colour transparency sheet film would continue to be available and that, in turn, E-6 processing of sheet film would continue in Australia. When Ektachrome 100 was released in the Australian market, it was priced at around $4–$4.50 per sheet. By the time I finished my review for View Camera Australia about six months later, the price was around $7-8 per sheet. Current prices are in the range of $12.50–$15.00 per sheet, and the cost of colour negative film has increased to similar levels. Part of this is due to the fall of the Australian dollar relative to the US dollar, but given the trend of price increases for sheet film by both Fujifilm and Kodak, it’s unlikely that prices will come down any time soon, if ever. In addition, the supply of colour sheet film continues to be an issue both in Australia and globally. The global disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has played a significant role in this, but there are no doubt other factors involved too.

All of this has created a perfect storm, one that started with the “digital revolution” in photography but really accelerated in the last three years. Transparency film was long the mainstay of the publishing industry, which was very quick to convert to digital capture for a whole host of practical and economic reasons. The already small market for processing colour sheet film in Australia, particularly E-6, quickly dwindled. As a result, many labs either closed or stopped processing film. Decades of processing experience were lost as technicians left the industry or retired. That has impacted the availability, consistency, and quality of the processing for colour negative and transparency sheet film. Demand is likely to continue to fall as the cost of film continues to increase. 

In discussions I’ve had in the last few years regarding the future of colour sheet film in Australia, the subject of processing one’s own film comes up frequently. The chemicals for E-6 and C-41 processing are readily available, and that will continue to be an option for some photographers. As a general rule, colour processing requires more precise temperature control and timing than black and white. In my own case, although I process my own black and white film using small daylight tanks, the lack of a darkroom or space for a processing unit such as a Jobo has meant that colour processing hasn’t been a viable option. Arguably, E-6 processing is better suited to a lab using a replenishment system, provided they have sufficient volume of film to maintain the stability of the chemistry.

As someone who often photographs in remote places, there are many practical reasons why working with a digital system would be far easier than large format film. Even though I’ve used digital cameras for over 15 years, a view camera is still my preferred tool. Digital backs such as the Phase One or Hasselblad systems work well on medium-format view cameras; the downside is that they are extremely expensive. The cost is not just in the camera back itself; the lenses needed to get the best from digital backs are far more expensive than comparable large-format lenses. For many photographers, a DSLR or mirrorless digital system coupled with a view camera platform such as the Arca-Swiss Universalis or the Cambo Actus provides a viable, less costly alternative.Since 2016, I have been using the Arca-Swiss Universalis paired with a mirrorless digital camera as well as in 4×5 film format. Initially, I used a Sony “full frame” camera, and more recently, a Fuji GFX 50R. The GFX is a remarkable camera, and I’ve been happier with that than with any other digital system, whether used as a standalone camera with a GFX lens, adapted medium format lenses, or as a “digital back” on the Arca-Swiss Universalis. The Arca/GFX combination has allowed me to make photographs that would not be possible using a film camera. 

Overall, I still find that using a view camera and sheet film results in my best work. This is not simply about nostalgia or reluctance to change. Film and digital sensors are fundamentally different in their response to light and rendering of colour. In the last few months, I was able to print some recent work for exhibition and compare film and digital versions of the same scene or composition. In all cases, I preferred the reproduction from the film originals which is what went on the wall in the exhibition. A well scanned 4×5 transparency holds more detail and has higher resolution than a single file from a 50 mb camera. Even when film is scanned and digitised, there is a difference in how film grain appears in a print compared to digital pixels. The chemical reaction of silver halides and dyes exposed to light and the stochasticity inherent in film also play a part. This translates to differing spectral response, colour rendition and saturation. I still find film has a better ability capture subtle variation in colour, particularly greens. Whether or not these differences are important is ultimately up to each photographer to decide.

Looking to the future, the decision to keep working with colour sheet film or to move to a solely digital workflow may not be mine to make. Firstly, the continued manufacture of colour sheet film by Fujifilm and Kodak is far from assured. I still have enough stock of 4 x 5 and 8 x 10 colour sheet film to see me through the next few years. Beyond that, even if colour sheet film remains available, the cost of new film may become too expensive to continue to work with it in any meaningful way.  Since its inception, photography has always been a changing medium, and I’ll be interested to see what the photographic landscape looks like if the day comes when I’ve exposed my last sheet of film.