From Film to Artificial Intelligence (2000–2026)
PART I
THE END OF FILM
CHAPTER 1
When Film Could No Longer Keep Up
By the end of the twentieth century, film photography appeared to have reached its ideal state. Cameras had become reliable, fast and ergonomically refined; film stocks were stable and predictable; professional laboratories delivered consistently high — and, crucially, repeatable — quality. Cameras such as the Canon EOS-1V seemed to represent the pinnacle of engineering in the film era. They offered high shooting speeds, endured extreme conditions and fully met the demands of professional motor racing photography.
At that moment, the transition to digital technology did not appear inevitable. On the contrary, it seemed excessive. The quality of film images satisfied editorial standards, large-format printing remained beyond the reach of early digital systems, and photographers were accustomed to the predictability and control that film provided. The film ecosystem was familiar, proven and dependable.
Yet beneath this apparent stability, pressure was building. The world around photography was beginning to change faster than photography itself.
The key factor was the evolving demands of the media. Editors required more images, delivered faster and in greater variety. The emergence of online publications and early digital news feeds gradually transformed the very notion of immediacy. Photography was no longer merely the outcome of an event — it was becoming part of the event in real time.
Film photography struggled to adapt to this new reality. The limited number of frames per roll imposed restraint. Processing, scanning and transmitting images required time. Even with perfectly organised logistics, hours — sometimes an entire day — could pass between capture and publication. For print magazines this delay remained acceptable; for the emerging digital media landscape, it did not.
It is important to understand: film did not lose because it was inadequate. On the contrary, technically it was at the height of its development. It lost because it could no longer match the pace of a world that was no longer willing to wait.
The transition to digital photography was not a revolution in the romantic sense. It was a period of stress. Photographers distrusted early digital bodies, questioned image quality, worried about dynamic range and the loss of the distinctive “film look”. The infrastructure was unprepared: computers were slow, software immature, storage media expensive and unreliable.
Nevertheless, environmental pressure proved stronger than professional inertia. Motor racing — both automotive and motorcycle — was among the first fields to expose the limits of film photography. Not aesthetically, but physically. Not creatively, but technologically. It was here that it became clear that the next step was inevitable — as inevitable as the arrival of the new millennium.
Film did not disappear overnight. For years it coexisted with digital systems, particularly in the hands of experienced professionals. When leading manufacturers such as Canon, Nikon, Kodak and Olympus introduced their first digital bodies capable of covering Formula 1, 500cc motorcycle racing and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the question was no longer whether digital was necessary, but when it would become reliable enough to replace film under the harshest shooting conditions.
Motor racing provided the first honest answer to that question. But the journey was anything but instantaneous.
CHAPTER 2
Motor Racing as a Testing Ground for Photographic Technology
In motor racing, photography has always been a test of equipment. An autofocus error, shutter lag, a camera freeze or a memory card failure means a lost moment that cannot be recreated. There is no opportunity to reshoot, no possibility of asking a driver to repeat a manoeuvre, and no explanation that will satisfy an editor if the decisive frame is missing. A car passes a shooting point once — and if the photographer is not ready, the moment disappears forever. For this reason, professional trackside photographers have traditionally approached changes in camera systems with caution, and sometimes with open scepticism.
For decades, motor racing functioned as a proving ground for photographic technology. If a camera could cope with Formula 1, it could cope with anything. If a lens performed reliably on a racing circuit, it was considered suitable for any other genre. This unspoken rule within the professional community long predated the arrival of digital photography.
Historically, automotive and motorcycle racing became a domain dominated by Japanese manufacturers — above all Canon and Nikon. This dominance was not accidental; it developed over decades, beginning in the film era, when mechanical reliability and predictable results were valued above experimental innovation. At the same time, the companies’ approaches differed noticeably. Nikon traditionally pursued a more conservative strategy, prioritising proven technology and equipment dependability. Canon, by contrast, repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to experiment and take technological risks.
The gallery was not found!A revealing example was Canon’s sponsorship of the Williams F1 team in the late 1980s and early 1990s, during its championship seasons, when the Canon logo appeared on the cars of Frank Williams’ team, including Nigel Mansell’s machine. The company invested heavily in optical technology, introducing complex and expensive manufacturing solutions — notably the use of fluorite crystal elements in professional telephoto lenses as early as the 1960s and 1970s. These developments, which at times appeared commercially excessive, ultimately shaped Canon’s reputation as a manufacturer prepared to accept engineering risks in pursuit of practical advantage. On a racing circuit, that advantage was not expressed in marketing specifications, but in the real-world behaviour of the system — in rain, dust, sudden temperature changes, and situations where equipment was pushed to its limits.
Motor racing influenced not only camera development but also the professional culture of sports photography. It was here that expectations were formed regarding high continuous shooting speeds, accurate tracking autofocus, body ergonomics and the logical placement of controls. Many of these solutions later became standard not only in sports photography, but in photojournalism more broadly.
It is important to emphasise that the development of photographic technology in motor racing has never been linear. Transitions between eras — from film to digital, from DSLR to mirrorless — were accompanied not only by technological progress, but also by doubt, compromise and occasional setbacks. In this sense, the history of photographic technology in motor racing is not a list of camera models, but a living chronicle of the search for balance between technical capability and real-world practice.
For this reason, the primary focus of this book is not on formal specifications, but on equipment behaviour under actual racing conditions. Each camera discussed in the following chapters is considered as a working tool tested at Formula 1 circuits, endurance races, motorcycle competitions and rally raids. This approach allows for an objective assessment of each system’s contribution to the development of professional sports photography and helps explain why some technological solutions endured while others proved to be dead ends.
CHAPTER 3
Canon EOS-1V as the Final Chord of Film
At the beginning of the twenty-first century, film photography in motor racing stood at the height of its development. Over decades, not only cameras and lenses had been refined, but the entire ecosystem of professional practice: trackside workflow, interaction with editors, delivery deadlines and the demands of print publications. In Formula 1 and other top categories of motor sport, film remained the benchmark of quality and reliability right up to the dawn of the digital era.
Canon’s final professional film camera, the Canon EOS-1V, was introduced in March 2000. In essence, it represented the culmination of the company’s film SLR lineage. The camera featured a full-frame shutter, a 45-point autofocus system and could achieve continuous shooting speeds of up to 10 frames per second when paired with the Power Drive Booster and high-capacity battery. Even by contemporary standards, these specifications remain impressive; by the standards of the late 1990s, they made the EOS-1V one of the most advanced film cameras ever produced.
It is important to recognise that the arrival of the EOS-1V did not mark the beginning of a new era — rather, it signalled a final crescendo for film photography. Even then, it was evident that digital technology would eventually displace film, yet the professional community was in no hurry to transition. The reasons were both technical and psychological. Film offered predictable results, wide dynamic range and exceptional print quality, particularly for large-format reproduction — a critical requirement for magazines and advertising.
In motor racing, film retained its position longer than in many other genres. This was largely due to the nature of trackside work: high speeds, the need for precise anticipation, complex lighting conditions and the absence of immediate image review. Formula 1 photographers were accustomed to working “blind”, relying on experience, knowledge of the circuit and trust in their equipment. In this respect, refined film cameras inspired greater confidence than early digital solutions.
The EOS-1V was widely used at Formula 1 rounds in the early 2000s, often alongside the first generation of digital bodies and continuing into the mid-decade. Many professionals deliberately operated with two systems simultaneously: film for key images intended for print, and digital for rapid transmission to editorial offices. This hybrid approach became characteristic of the transitional period and illustrates the caution with which the industry embraced the digital shift.
Significantly, even years after film largely disappeared from motor racing, the EOS-1V remained in demand among enthusiasts and professionals working with film. Production of the camera was not officially discontinued until 2018, underscoring both its durability and continued relevance. Symbolically, in 2024 Sony introduced a mirrorless reportage camera equipped with a mechanical shutter capable of 10 frames per second — precisely the benchmark Canon had achieved with the film EOS-1V nearly a quarter of a century earlier. The film era in motor racing did not end abruptly. It gradually flowed into the digital age, leaving behind not only technical heritage but also professional principles, many of which remain relevant today. It was on this foundation — the experience of the film era, the demands of the circuit and the conservative logic of the professional community — that the introduction of digital SLRs into Formula 1 and other racing series began.
To be continued…
Alexander Seregin
