This is part of a new series I am writing — no video or images— just philosophizing on art and other random thoughts.

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Over the next few days, I’m running a comparison test between real 35mm Tri-X—shot in a Yashica T4 Super and developed in D76 1:1—and two digital cameras: the Ricoh GRD4 (CCD) and the Ricoh GR3 (CMOS). My goal is to see how closely these digital cameras, using film emulation techniques, can approximate the look of true Tri-X.

Of course, the Tri-X will be scanned, and anyone who has worked with film knows that scanned black-and-white film doesn’t look quite like a darkroom print. Add to that the fact that most film emulation software—regardless of the developer—tends to overcook the “film look.” Whether it’s grain, contrast, or tone curves, these presets often exaggerate characteristics rather than replicate them authentically.

That’s where experience matters. Only by having spent time with actual prints can one truly begin to dial in these emulations with any degree of accuracy. But that raises a deeper question: does it even matter in 2025? Most photographers today shoot digital. Those of us working in film or hybrid workflows are a small minority. So when someone selects a Tri-X or Fuji Acros preset, is the goal accuracy—or just style?

If you’ve never seen a Tri-X darkroom print, how would you know what it’s “supposed” to look like? Film emulation today often functions less as faithful reproduction and more as aesthetic shorthand. And yet, I’m still interested in doing this side-by-side. I suspect one thing that will become clear is that the higher resolution of the GR3 actually works against it—making it harder to convincingly simulate the look of 35mm film.

This is something I keep coming back to in these tests: once you get past 18 to 20 megapixels—think Leica M9 territory—it becomes difficult to mimic the visual character of 35mm film. High-resolution sensors in compact or full-frame digital cameras often push images into a zone that looks more like medium format, or even large format. Even when you apply film emulation, it often looks too clean, too detailed. It doesn’t feel like 35mm.

But maybe that’s the point. Maybe we’ve moved on. Maybe this is just the new aesthetic standard. I’m not sure. These are just my thoughts as I explore this further.