Are you new to film, did you go back, or did you never leave?

Are you new to film, did you go back, or did you never leave?

  • I am (relatively) new to film -- that is, I *never* shot film in the pre-digital era.

    Votes: 1 2.3%

  • I went back -- I shot film in the pre-dig era, switched to digital, then picked up film again.

    Votes: 24 54.5%

  • I never left -- I have been shooting film (not necessarily exclusively) since the pre-digital era.

    Votes: 19 43.2%
  • Total voters
    44
Originally shot film because that was all there was. Then got caught up in the Digital Dark Age. Then I ended up stuck in a darkroom in wildest Cheshire with @Andysnap in 2010, and continued to dabble until going about 90% film a few years ago.
 
I was actively shooting b&w film until about 2007 when I suffered serious skin problems, mainly on my hands. Since I was doing my own processing, this had to stop immediately until it eventually cleared up, I had begun using digital for colour, so was able to carry on with that. I started back mainly with Poundland Agfa film to try out cameras I hadn't used for years, then got back into b&w processing. I'm still shooting refrigerated 2007 film stock from when I gave up! ;)
 
I started with film in the 1950s, and still haven't found a compelling reason to switch - except if I want immediate results or colour. I don't like colour photography (too difficult for me artistically) except for record shots, and I think that the Sony a7rii that is a cast off from my wife does better than 6x7. So, for me, I'm a black and white photographer who sometimes drops his standards and turns into a digital snapshotter!
 
I learnt most of (the little) I know about photography in the 70s. Film and paper, all done on the cheap.

I was a late adopter of digital, and was impressed (and still am) by many aspects of the technology. But I was very happy when I came back to film two years ago.
 
I would say I'm new, certainly not experienced. I did use a film camera as a lad for a while, a Kodak 110. The next camera I picked up was a digital, many years after.

I recently bought a Canon SLR, about 3 years ago now, I've only put one roll of film through it and not long started the next.

If you asked me though, I would say I'm a digital photographer.
 
I started my photography in the 60,s with a Zorki 4 and then a Canon AT1 which I used through the 70,s 80,s and 90,s when my children were going up. I must have

over two thousand film photographs. I have over thirty Nikon film camera's, rangefinders as well as my voigtlander kit, Hasselblad kit and Bronica kit all of which are still used and now

two Nikon digital and two Fuji digital camera's which I enjoy using when it is more convenient than Film.
 
I have only been into serious photography for a 5 years or so, I had previously shot film for general snaps to document my holidays and kids and moved on to digital point and shoots to do the same at the time when they became cheap. About 5 years ago I went to Whitby Goth festival and got talking to many of the photographers who were taking pictures of us and thought I'll dig all the film gear out my dad had left to me out ( Hidden in a cupboard) have a go see if I like it and then sell the lot and go for a cheap DSLR. I really enjoyed the film stuff and started to collect cameras from junk shops and what not but at this point cheap film was still available. As I always used to send the film off and convert to digital ( have it scanned) in the back of my mind I thought this is madness spending money on film/processing and then still ending up with a digital file that I could have taken and had as a digital file for free with a digital camera. At first I had an old Canon DSLR (10d) with which I struggled with so stuck with mainly film but then found out from a friend that the camera was randomly changing iso settings. In the end I brought a new Mirror less camera and now hardly shoot any film, when the stock I have comes to an end I will probably stick to digital only. If I had more free time and money I'd probably go back to film as I did really enjoy it.
 
Started off with film. As did most people here, I think. Never got into the developing though. Then, I sort of drifted into the compact, digital wilderness before getting a proper digital camera a few years ago. I haven't really looked back. Although, experimenting with old vintage lenses did eventually rekindle my interest in film, and I probably shoot more of that now.
 
I started photography in the 1960s with 35mm, developing and printing in a converted loft darkroom. I steadily worked my way up through various cameras and then in to medium format. In a moment of madness I sold a large Bronica SQ-A outfit to fund a DSLR (it seemed like a good idea at the time). I soon found that for me all the fun had gone out of my hobby. I enjoy developing films, mixing up chemicals from the raw ingredients and everything else that the process involves. I genuinely feel sorry for those who have never seen a print 'come up' in the developing tray - it still thrills me every time. I have gradually replaced my Bronnie outfit, updating to PS lenses in the process. I also use a Mamiya RB67, Rolleiflex TLR and Contax IIa rangefinders for 35mm. I applaud the digital revolution for encouraging people to sell off their old gear to buy digital cameras. It has allowed me to be able to afford and enjoy using equipment which would have been well beyond my budget previously.
 
Hey all -- Really interesting to hear the stories, and I hope for more.

For those who care, here's mine: Started with film in the early 90s and was a pretty avid shooter, always had a camera with me. Shot a crap-ton of photos when the kids were small*. I started to gradually change careers to be an automotive journalist, and had to shoot photos for my job. I switched to digital around 2004-05 and as time went on I shot more for work and fell out of love with creative photography.

Fast-forward to the mid-teens -- I had fewer gigs that required photography and started to fall in love with photography again (I credit my Sony a6000 for helping!). I thought about film a lot. In 2019 I visited London (first overnight since I lived there half-a-year as a college student) and had a lovely photo walk, and that really cemented my urge to get back to my roots with B&W film and a 50-mm lens. I bought a roll of HP5, put a new battery in my Pentax KX, and brought it along on this dream-drive trip I did for work. And that was it; I was back in love.

I talked about what I was doing on social media, and a bunch of friends started lobbing old cameras at me, and another friend sent developing equipment for the cost of postage. It's been great -- I have four freshly-developed rolls (#s 111-114 since I got back into it) hanging up and drying right now!

* Reminds me of a funny story -- when the kids were little I used to get film developed at a local Big Box store. They'd put your photos out in this giant case for pickup, organized by last name. Problem was, here in Southern California, a LOT of last names start with G, including my own. Names were only there for pick-up, so I started putting my name as Aaron Quigmire or Aaron Zambanowscowicz or similar -- that way finding my film took seconds instead of minutes. Only problem came when a friend picked up my film for me. "No, it's not under Gold... Look under X, probably Xantapood or something like that..."

Aaron
 
David_Mug said:
I genuinely feel sorry for those who have never seen a print 'come up' in the developing tray - it still thrills me every time.
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OH YES -- I remember the first time I saw this. I always thought it was Hollywood trickery. I'm not currently wet-printing but after I finish the wash (and before Photo-Flo) I always have to unroll a little film and see... there's always that trepidation and that charge when I see an image. It's great magic.

David_Mug said:
I applaud the digital revolution for encouraging people to sell off their old gear to buy digital cameras. It has allowed me to be able to afford and enjoy using equipment which would have been well beyond my budget previously.
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Yes to this too! Still can't believe I own a Nikon N8008 with lots of fast glass... though truth be told it bores me a bit. I find I come back to my simpler cameras. My first SLR (Pentax KX) is still my favorite.

Aaron
 
I started taking pictures in the 1960s with a little 35mm Halina 35X that my dad gave me. I bought myself an Olympus OM1 in the early seventies, an OM1n in the late seventies and an OM4 in the mid-eighties (I still have them all). I took mainly photos of my kids, their mates, aerial landscapes and quite a few of aeroplanes and all things flying related (I was a flying instructor).

Despite having had quite a few compact digital cameras since the early 90s I only started using a digital SLR in early 2013 with a Pentax *istD. The freedom and extra control it gave compared to film was amazing and although it's cost me a small fortune since going digital it gave me a renewed enthusiasm. I really love using my Nikon D850, but I still like to keep my hand in with film too.

I have a collection of quite a few film cameras, but I mainly use a Nikon F4S for 35mm colour and a Bronica ETRSi for medium format B&W which I develop at home.
 
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I got back into film when I found an OM2 SP after doing a tidy up at work. Bought a couple of prime lenses for it and have been smitten ever since, now I have a collection of Olympus, Canon and Nikon film cameras and prime lenses.
 
I shoot both digital and film. although to be fair the last year or so not been shooting very much of anything.

Started in the film era, got GAS, like most, and bought loads of film odds and sods. Traded/sold a load of it to get some digital gear and since then have acquired a couple more digital cameras.
Couple of cameras I would not part with Yashica 124G, Nikon F4s and Olympus OM4.

I like using both film and digital, in the past I have taken both a film and digital machines to get images of racing cars, something I will do this year as well.
This last week I have ordered some batteries so, the plan at the moment, is to run some film through at least one film camera this weekend.
 
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