Here is an embarrassment of riches, really. LA photographer Zoe Wiseman generously sent several images done with 55 including this Triptych1 that I think encompasses many if not all the qualities we admire, including but not limited to; tonal range, resolution, flattering skin tones, detail, texture - - not to mention fun, humor, wit and time. Time? Yes of course, the ability to see nearly as being done, with a short delay, may allow some changes to be made, some subtle, others not so subtle!
Here I go again playing art critic - please indulge me so my frustrating years in art school will not have been totally wasted:
The case for a field-processable, high quality monochrome negative film in 4X5 or perhaps even 8X10 isn't hard to make among the 55 aficionados - we already know that. But what is happily evolving is a strong demand, from artists, art collectors, fashion designers, art editors, curators and other interested parties, for the continuance, and furtherance, of the enabling powers afforded by this unique product or something like it. It is good stuff, but also by its very imperfection and manipulable tendencies, which often read like an archive of the artistic process, we can follow this series (not knowing the sequence except as told by the artist) in a way not nearly as well expressed by digital's "metadata" - don't you think? Do you agree? I know we can't ask everyone to toss their new 5D MKIIs, but we can ask them to notice the optical/chemical/magical processes for a while longer, at least.
Whether this is persuasive to the likes of Fuji or Impossible remains to be seen, but one could imagine it is, or at least might be, as we build the consensus, show that market demand, and be ready with the needed know-how to make it happen.
Or we'll just do it ourselves, implement improvements, and snatch this opportunity.
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