It is common these days to discount the value of anecdotal evidence, yet I think it is still very much the case that, as individuals, we generally trust our own personal experience. That's how art gets made, right? One of the attractions of continuing to work with analog media in the 21st century is that, in my experience, even the mistakes look good. On the other hand, when digital cameras or software fail us, the results usually look like crap. Anecdotally, that is. Maybe it is a generational 'thing'; maybe something more fundamental. I wanted to find out. So, last year, I purchased a Foveon camera after years of prevarication. The general wisdom is that these cameras should be shot at their lowest sensitivities, so naturally, I wanted to see for myself. I found that the files broke down with a certain amount of grace, but were useable, at least when converted to black-and-white. Now I know where the limits are, and can decide if I want to stay with in, or venture beyond, the pale.
