Lens Flares and the End of Film  Master cinematographers on the
end of a medium  Daniel Mindel, ASC, is part of an ever-
shrinking population: cinematographers who have yet to shoot a
feature digitally. He acknowledges that he "will be forced" to
do it eventually by "the corporate entities that drive our
industry," but he believes "there is no need to use an inferior
technology at this time."  Hollywood hardly debated that
"inferior technology" before studios, filmmakers and exhibitors
began adopting it more than a decade ago. The digital transition
is now nearly complete, with 35mm screenings already special
occasions trumpeted by fans and preservationists. Proponents
routinely cite the benefits of digital photography: the freedom
to shoot in low light; smaller, more mobile cameras; the
elimination of the laboratory process. But what is being lost,
and how do those most directly affected by the
change—cinematographers—feel about it?  Mindel is best known for
his feature collaborations with Tony Scott and more