Since finding film is digital dead?

Mr Bump

Mr Bump

From under the bridge
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Paul
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Yes
dunno how others feel but my D7000 sits idle a lot lately and my FG is getting some miles done :|
 
I briefly flirted with digital but quickly returned to film.

I kept my DSLR for my kids but they prefer film too so its gathering dust really!

Mark
 
I think people are just getting bored with the negatives of digital cameras.i was gonna sell my film cameras but i have decided to keep them and if anything i have got my eyes on some classic cameras on ebay :)
 
No digital isn't dead.

Many of us on here shoot both film and digi alongside each other.

I have to confess that my own digi stuff gets little use in comparison to the film gear but it still holds a valuable place for me personally particularly for shooting wildlife and sporting events....the primary reason being that digi offers "all the settings" in one body ...in simple terms it is more convenient, but doesn't offer me the same satisfaction as film.
 
Thats me as well Asha my d7000 and 70-300VR is for wildlife an little birdies.

loving my FG got some show and tell items to pop up here that I just bought for it :LOL:
 
Mr Bump said:
Thats me as well Asha my d7000 and 70-300VR is for wildlife an little birdies.

loving my FG got some show and tell items to pop up here that I just bought for it :LOL:
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Mmmm some "show and tell items" eh?!! .....I'm already beginning to feel envious! :D
 
Is digital dead? Nah I wouldn't be without my half working digital P&S that was given to me for snaps of my film gear I've bought........to show here.
 
Both digital & film have their places. For me using a digital camera is just taking a picture & at times it suits me perfectly. Using a film camera, especially one of my old manual focus Nikon's is both taking a picture & much more fun with it. Slowed down workflow & the way that the camera handles I guess?

My latest show & tell item has been delivered today & is waiting for me at home. A Nikon F2. Can't wait to get my hands on it later.
 
I use both, but not because I feel that film is an inherently superior medium for my photography. I just prefer the handling and simple, direct, controls on my completely manual SLRs (F2 and FM), the big/bright viewfinders, and the whole experience of using them. The F2 and I go back a long way together too. I'm not very interested in the later Nikon film bodies, with AF and the all the rest of their electronic functions.


I don't regret buying my 30D, it's been an interesting journey. I would have preferred a Nikon body, so that I could use my old lenses, but I didn't like the entry level Nikon bodies and the D200 - which would have metered with them - was a long way out of my reach. The Canon, with the 17-85mm kit lens, cost about half what a D200 body was going for in South Africa at the time and it was a bargain. I've no plans to upgrade though, I don't have a big investment in the Canon system, and I doubt if I'll buy another DSLR when this one gives in. A lot of my photography is done when I'm travelling , and a digital compact works well with its huge capacity.

Horses for courses, personal preferences and a bit of nostalgia!
 
I also shoot both. Generally speaking I shoot digi for wildlife and film for most everything else, however, I shot about 3500 shots on the digi in Canada and only 13 rolls of 120....the best shot was taken on film though (y)
 
Mr Bump said:
Since finding film is digital dead?
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It was actually buying a digital SLR in 2007 that brought me back to photography, since then I havee bought far too many cameras but many of them I would never been able to afford when they were ne and now I primarily use my digi to shoot pics of my film cameras.
 
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I still use my dslr with a fast prime lens when I am going out later in the day. I like the flexibility of ISO on the fly. Film for everything else. I always have a camera with me as well. Either the Trip or one of the Minoltas with a 28mm on :)
 
I have both; I took a digital P&S on holiday because I wouldn't have room in the car for a gripped 5DII, lenses and battery charger. I also took one SLR and two lenses. When did I last use the 5DII? Can't remember in all honesty but its stablemate 1DII went on the Bay some weeks ago.

Responding to Norters comment, I also have a Trip and find that an OM system body and 28mm lens isn't noticeably fatter.
 
my D800 has been gathering dust since xmas now.

I am thinking of selling my wista though, 5x4 is just too damn expensive for an average hobbyist. So i might stick with my 6x6 bronny and get back to using the nikon a bit more. Ive sent a couple of my better 5x4 negatives off to ilford for printing though, so based on the results of what comes back i might keep or sell it.

Its not so much digital, its more SLR's are just too bulky. My x-10 and my little kodak retina are getting all the attention as they sit in my pocket perfectly well and the retina has an amazingly good lens.
 
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I now mostly shoot digital again because the Fuji S5 may as well be shooting Slide Film, it just skips the messy chemicals part and sloooow scanning part!
 
Only ever shoot digital for my underground photography, other than that its film all the way!
 
Most of my 'for me' photography is film. Digi gets about 5% of my attention.

I just feel more involved in making the picture. Particularly Black and White as I now process my own (come on Andy).
Love slide and have just taken delivery of some Porta in 120.
Back in 1900 and frozen to death I lusted after an out of reach F2. Today I can afford a couple, and a few other cams that were out of reach when new.

Nothing beats having a brand new sensor with every frame advance.
 
essexash said:
Its not so much digital, its more SLR's are just too bulky. My x-10 and my little kodak retina are getting all the attention as they sit in my pocket perfectly well and the retina has an amazingly good lens.
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I agree, and that's why I use a digital compact when I'm travelling. It's odd though, my F2 is probably heavier than my 30D, but it definitely feels lighter and more comfortable in my hands.
 
trevorbray said:
Most of my 'for me' photography is film. Digi gets about 5% of my attention.

I just feel more involved in making the picture. Particularly Black and White as I now process my own (come on Andy).
Love slide and have just taken delivery of some Porta in 120.
Back in 1900 and frozen to death I lusted after an out of reach F2. Today I can afford a couple, and a few other cams that were out of reach when new.

Nothing beats having a brand new sensor with every frame advance.
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I know, I know.....its getting nearer, just have a few other things to get sorted first but I will be having a go very soon.(y)
 
Some great comments on here, its amazing the passion film has.
keep them coming.
 
RaglanSurf said:
It was actually buying a digital SLR in 2007 that brought me back to photography.
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Much the same here. Before 2003 I had one camera. Then I bought a Nikon D100 and quickly got bored with all the computer based post processing and started buying and using film cameras. I now have lots!


Steve.
 
trevorbray said:
Back in 1900 and frozen to death I lusted after an out of reach F2. Today I can afford a couple, and a few other cams that were out of reach when new.

Nothing beats having a brand new sensor with every frame advance.
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Wow Trevor, I think that must make you, let's see, around 120???:D

BTW I think your last sentence is the best strapline for film photographers I've ever seen!
 
I should have added: I've never owned a DSLR and I don't think I ever will! I do have a X10, which i really enjoy for its IQ, versatility, size etc. I'm a little bit lustful for either a Fuji X system camera, or something like an OM-D, but never a DSLR. Now a Mamiya 6, a Bronnie SQ, or even a 35mm f/2 Pentax-M, those make my pulse race a bit!
 
ChrisR said:
Wow Trevor, I think that must make you, let's see, around 120???:D

BTW I think your last sentence is the best strapline for film photographers I've ever seen!
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Thanks Chris, I wear it well...but not according to SWMBO..
 
I still use my D7000 a lot, I took it to Wales and shots lots of stuff, same with Copenhagen. I use my digital for the quick shots and my film stuff for the more snapshots of people as I find film better for skins tones.

That may have changed with my TLR though.
 
Alan Clogwyn said:
I now mostly shoot digital again because the Fuji S5 may as well be shooting Slide Film, it just skips the messy chemicals part and sloooow scanning part!
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Well they do say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, can't see me dumping film and buying an s5 any time soon though.



Digital is pretty dead to me, I mean, if you only shoot it for Ebay or to illustrate a point or whatever, to shoot a picture has become quite a utilitarian act.

Not so with film, to some peeps digital is the economic method of shooting things that don't really matter that much, which is kinda sad since you still have effort invested in the capture.
The lengths I go to just shooting digital for Ebay is crazy, but in the end I just don't care about them.


I'm all about film, the gear is secondary, its nice to use mech gear with cogs springs and levers, its nice to use gear that is actually beautiful to look at in its own right, but when push comes to shove if it doesn't produce a film frame, I can't work any care up for it.
Can't get my head around digital film synthesis, or the old 35mm camera shooting a digital cartridge, can't see the point.

That's a lot of "can't"..:cautious:
 
I hung on to film to the bitter end, then affordable DSLRs came along and I got one (Nikon D70). I’d had a Coolpix 950 for a while beforehand, and while it had its uses, it never was going to replace my FM2n. The D70 did, and now I have a D7000.

So am I going to ditch DSLR? Nope. Never. It knows what time it is, my GPS logger knows what time it is and where it is, and each pic had details of everything about exposure settings etc. No more looking at a picture and wondering where it was.

But I will also never ditch film, you only need to look at a 35mm slide projecting onto a screen to see how good they are. 35mm slides also san very well… which is why I bought Andy’s MF Fuji, which will scan even better!

Why can't you enjoy both?
 
kenm said:
Why can't you enjoy both?
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I feel the same way, but in my case when I hold in my hands a SLR is something completely different, the viewfinder is like looking though a window, is all clarity.

I have a Nikon D5100, an Olympus OM-1, a Yashica FR-1 and a KIEV-4M, but if I see myself under the condition to keep only one camera, the DSLR will be at the bottom of the list. :)
 
I love all my 30 film camera,s and use as many of them as I can, the joy of construction of the shot and the expectation of the outcome is fascinating to me, also the snappy,snappy of my compacts.

I would not trade any of that for my D200 and all my FX lenses, which are to me equally important in this day and age of technology and of course my Grandchildren's speed:)
 
I use a D7000, but having head-to-headed it against my F3 several times, I know absolutely that film is better - better dynamic range, texture, skin tones, tonal gradation. I work almost exclusively in B&W. However, I just don't have the time to process film, so I seem to devote all my PP to trying, with some measure of success, to make digital files look like film!
 
Digital definitely isn't dead for me, I love my DSLR's and I love digital as a format but I certainly don't get the same satisfaction shooting digital that I get when shooting film. I possibly don't have the same kind of connection with the image after it's taken either, there's definitely something special that happens when you press the shutter release and fire what you see onto a little strip of film rather than straight onto a memory card!
 
The rise in affordable DSLRs coincided with the improvement in my financial situation and while I've kept my film bodies (modern AF SLRs), they don't see much daylight I'm afraid. I keep meaning to drag them out for a roll or 2 but my impatience means that I haven't yet done so! I'm afraid the lure of a thousand or so shots on one media item that can be seen instantly and printed promptly and relatively cheaply at home is too much of a lure for me. I do like film and keep being tempted by the idea of an MF kit but have so far resisted the GAS. Have to admit to a slight draw towards an old Speed Graphic too...
 
For me, digital is something I use to supplement film. If, for example, I take a sheet of slide/neg, I'll probably take one or two shots on the D700 just in case. The reason is simply that now, if a photograph isn't worth taking on the large format, then what's the point in getting it on digital? That way my D700 lasts longer, I improve and I get a better total photographs to good photographs ratio. It also costs less!

Equally though, There may be certain circumstances when I can only take one system, for weight saving for example, and in that case I may take just the digital. Also, I utterly love my D700, so wont ever stop using it :)
 
Nod said:
The rise in affordable DSLRs coincided with the improvement in my financial situation and while I've kept my film bodies (modern AF SLRs), they don't see much daylight I'm afraid. I keep meaning to drag them out for a roll or 2 but my impatience means that I haven't yet done so! I'm afraid the lure of a thousand or so shots on one media item that can be seen instantly and printed promptly and relatively cheaply at home is too much of a lure for me. I do like film and keep being tempted by the idea of an MF kit but have so far resisted the GAS. Have to admit to a slight draw towards an old Speed Graphic too...
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Yip. I enjoy travel, and I'm interested in history. These go together pretty well, and I prefer a small, light, digital compact that fits in my pocket and doesn't get in the way. A couple of 4GB or 8GB cards are plenty. To be frank though, the travel and history are usually more important to me than the photography. I want good images, obviously, but I'm not trying to create art work!
 
It's amazing to think I was head over heals in love with my dSLR a year ago, but that I only ever begrudgingly use it now.

Since I've started using film cameras, especially medium format, I just cannot get excited about digital cameras or digital photographs.

For a variety of reasons (e.g., waist level finder, smaller DoF, different film stocks), I find the film cameras are far more fun to use and I think that I get much better results.

Nod said:
I'm afraid the lure of a thousand or so shots on one media item that can be seen instantly and printed promptly and relatively cheaply at home is too much of a lure for me.
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The accumulation of thousands of photos is one of the reasons why I don't enjoy digital as much. I end up running around taking any and every shot numerous times.

I never know what to do with all of those photos. Most end up sitting on a computer where only I can view them, never to see the light of day. What's the point in taking them if most aren't ever going to be enjoyed?

With my film cameras, I find the shot that I want, take it, and then move on. A few days later I have a dozen or so unique shots from a roll of 120 that I'm more likely to print.

That said, I acknowledge that the flexibility for shooting thousands of photographs would be more important to me if I were shooting more sport, were getting paid, or had a deadline.
 
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