While this is a digital photography site – I do know that some of our regular readers shoot in both digital and film.
It got me wondering:
Looking forward to your answers.
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118 Responses to “Do You Still Shoot With Film?” - Add Yours
October 5th, 2007 at 1:23 am
The last time I used film was September 2004 and I never looked back.
October 5th, 2007 at 1:29 am
99.9% Film. The .01% is when I pick up a digital to check it out, usually on an occasional photo shoot. On any photo shoot I shoot film or digital but never both.
October 5th, 2007 at 1:47 am
I still have some film loaded in my film body (Canon EOS Elan II) usually black and white. Most of my pictures are taken on my digital (Canon EOS 10D) though. Digital is a lot cheaper, and easier to share in our internet age.
October 5th, 2007 at 1:49 am
I always used slide film, and the switch to digital was natural and painless. But lately I’ve really been drawn to do some medium and large format photography… call it retro futurism or what have you…
October 5th, 2007 at 2:05 am
Even my wife no longer shoots film, which she did until about a year ago. I haven’t shot film since I got my first Polaroid digital point-and-shoot camera back in the late 90’s. Back then they didn’t even talk about megapixels. I think the images might have been 640×480.
October 5th, 2007 at 2:05 am
I have for class, but I generally don’t. Although, there is something to be said for the film grain on a good B&W film like Tri-X 400.
October 5th, 2007 at 2:27 am
Nope. Left if behind since I got my first digital camera. Why use film when there’s something better?
October 5th, 2007 at 2:37 am
I’ve been digital for quite some time, but I’d like to eventually get a MF camera and shoot film again. I’m still trying to find some MF digital that has the same look as film without crazy amounts of Photoshop and I’m just not seeing it.
October 5th, 2007 at 2:48 am
Nope. My Pentax K10D is so much better than my 1982 Nikon EM that I doubt that I will ever shoot film again. Besides, I have so much to learn about digital, there’s no reason – for me – to go back.
October 5th, 2007 at 3:00 am
Digital all the way since 2003!
October 5th, 2007 at 3:06 am
I have an old canon ae-1 i inherited that i use for “remembrance” photography: the pictures of my friends and family that i take mainly for sentimental reasons and not “artistic”, that i glue into an album (which i would almost never do for digital photographs). i am always surprised at how good the photos look while simultaneously disappointed at the impossibility of getting them into digital format at a decent quality. the photos just have a different feel to them, and i enjoy shooting film every now and then for a change.
October 5th, 2007 at 3:06 am
I’m completely digital since Dec 2005, though I still have my film cameras.
October 5th, 2007 at 3:07 am
I actually gave up photography for awhile in the 90s due to the expense and delayed feedback of film. I’ve embraced digital with no looking back.
October 5th, 2007 at 3:08 am
I shoot film at school but shoot digital for everthing else.
October 5th, 2007 at 3:19 am
I’ve never even owned a film camera. Watching the rigmarole that others had to go through with their film cameras convinced me that digital was the only way to go.
October 5th, 2007 at 3:35 am
I started out with the standard B&W + film camera combo. Then switched to digital when the digital rebel came out. These days though, I’m finding that I shoot a mix of everything from the old packfilm polaroids to 120 film along with digital. I’d say a 30% analog / 70% digital mix.
It’s satisfying for me to see the results on film. A lot of times I get the kind of picture I want the first time without the digital processing that I need to do to emulate the look.
October 5th, 2007 at 3:40 am
I shoot with lomocams too, but I’m not sure that counts. :)
October 5th, 2007 at 3:47 am
All digital for me since I finished a class that worked with film last year. There’s a certain deliberateness involved in using film that I enjoy, but it’s just way too costly, both in terms of buying film and taking the time to develop and make prints from it, for me to possibly justify using when my 20D can get equal or superior (e.g. photojournalism) results in most applications at a fraction of the hastle.
October 5th, 2007 at 3:49 am
I carry 2 digital and one film with tri-x 400….if u have alot of time to set up a shot sometimes film produces a much better result
October 5th, 2007 at 3:49 am
From time to time I run slide film through my F4. But, 90% of the time it is digital.
October 5th, 2007 at 3:51 am
Yes I still shoot film I think film takes around 40% of my shots, the rest is digital. And also depends of the mood and the purpose of the photography that Im looking for.
October 5th, 2007 at 3:55 am
Film, hmm, film, let me see, film, sounds familiar…Oh yeah! No. I actually got rid of my last film camera. The battery was dead and I couldn’t find a replacement any more. It wasn’t an SLR…I do miss it sometimes, but frankly, digital has just opened up so many more doors of creativity.
October 5th, 2007 at 4:12 am
100% film. Even I could afford to switch to digital I’m not sure that I would; there’s something very reassuring about a camera that I’m able to explain the full workings of. It’s built like a tank too, as are the lenses – much better build quality than some of the modern equivalent lenses I’ve tried out.
October 5th, 2007 at 4:20 am
Well, I seem to be the opposite of the responses here. After a brief romance with digital, I’ve moved to exclusively film, some 35mm, but mainly medium format.
October 5th, 2007 at 4:48 am
Been Digital only for about 6 years now. Had an old Canon A1 that was doing nothing but gathering dust so I gave it and 3 lenses away.
October 5th, 2007 at 5:17 am
I want to go back to film now that I’ve been working digital for along time. Digital is a bit like fast food whereas film is a proper meal.
October 5th, 2007 at 5:26 am
If I’m going out to shoot massive amounts of shots (at the track, a gig, or something similar) I’ll use my digital, but as it’s not a ‘real’ DSLR (Fuji s9500) I don’t like to use it for proper photography (Holidays, portraits, etc) primarily because you don’t get the same control over depth of field, but also because I know I’m limited to only 24/36 shots before I’ve got to find myself somewhere quiet and shaded to change films, I am more careful about my shots.
When I get back with a digital I’ll probably spend about an hour on them in lightroom getting them as good as possible for printing or uploading, when my film comes back, 95% of my shots are as I’d expected them.
I’m not sure of the merits of asking this question on a DIGITAL photography site, there’s obviously going to be a bit of a bias here ;)
October 5th, 2007 at 5:26 am
I love shooting film. It makes me slow down and think about composition. If I see something I want to take a ton of quick shots I will use digital, but I prefer film these days. I never go anywhere without my Nikon D50, Fujica ST901 and Lomo LC-A.
October 5th, 2007 at 5:33 am
I have relatives that use film only. Does that count? They don’t have computers either. In fact, when they come to visit us, they bring their film camera…in the box that it was in when they bought it originally…with a rubber band strapped around it to hold it together. Oh my!
October 5th, 2007 at 6:02 am
switched to digital in 2002 and have had 14th digital cameras since then.
October 5th, 2007 at 6:03 am
Yeap, a few times I’ll shoot some up with film, mostly black and white.
October 5th, 2007 at 6:35 am
digital
October 5th, 2007 at 7:22 am
I strayed away from film, ever since digital has become the new standard. Although I did find myself shooting with film to get rid of my stock that I’ve had piled up. Now that it’s all gone, I’d prefer never to deal with film again, unless (God forbid) we end up going back to the stone-age.
October 5th, 2007 at 7:39 am
I use film still. My camera bag has my Kodak Digital camera and my Ricoh SLR film camera in it.
October 5th, 2007 at 7:55 am
Film? What is this “film” of which you speak?
October 5th, 2007 at 8:15 am
I took a photo on film this morning but that is very rare for me. I shoot 99% Digital (10D) and 1% film (500N). I find myself looking at the back of my film camera after a shot expecting to see the photo I just took. I have been spoilt by digital!
October 5th, 2007 at 8:27 am
I shoot a few rolls of 120 every month.
October 5th, 2007 at 8:41 am
The more I get close to taking “photographs” the more I think of switching to film.
Digital is cheap. Digital is simple. Digital is modern. Digital is cool.
Film is good. It lets you create.
October 5th, 2007 at 8:49 am
Both.
Got a Canon EOS350D for general purpose and a bunch of junk cameras from ebay and camera fairs that do film – both 35mm and 120.
Lomo LC-A, Lubitel, Holga, Diana+, Vivitar wide and slim, Vivitar panorama, pinhole made from an old zenith SLR.
The cheaper and more basic the camera the better.
There’s room for both -it just takes a bit more time to scan the negs.
October 5th, 2007 at 9:35 am
i still use my reliable old (very old) canon ae-1 program,mainly with my 300mm lens at sporting events.went digital a few years ago,and love the imediate feedback you get and the fact that you can take so many more pictures and do so much with them.recently purchased a new canon s3is and am learning all about it.thanks
October 5th, 2007 at 10:46 am
It is true that with digital you can shoot a lot more pics…but I feel I can be more creative than I ever was with film. Finding the right lighting, field of depth, speed, is quite rewarding. I guess since I never learned to shoot manual with film, is why I am enjoying so much of what I do on my Canon EOS-1D Mark III or my older 20D. Also… it is great to have the convienence of seeing your results immediately and not having to pay for your mistakes. :) Digital & Nothing else!
October 5th, 2007 at 11:28 am
Use my Nikon F65 once in a while. Love the fact that it’s “full frame” : ) Use a D80 for the rest of the time. the F65 works great with my 50mm F1.8
October 5th, 2007 at 11:33 am
My hubby went through a weird phase where he was buying Box Brownings and Folding Brownies on ebay (the newest is from the 50’s). He’s not even into photography!!
If I can work out how to fit 120 film into a camera that was built for 620 (something to do with the reels), then I’ll be shooting film for the first time in 8yrs.
October 5th, 2007 at 11:55 am
My last video shooting in 2006 spring using my Sony D8, the output and experience is still great. But it take me more time to product the output into DVD.
In May this year, beside taking photos using my SP-550, I also take 20 second avi with my firend.
October 5th, 2007 at 12:06 pm
I shoot in film mostly out of necessity, because I don’t have the money to buy a digital camera. It’s a Canon T70 with a 28-85mm Vivitar. I have a point and shoot which I use occasionally (the battery is screwed, so I can’t use it too often). I’m looking to buy a Nikon this Christmas so I can finally start getting into photography intensely; one of my limitations is that I don’t know what I’m doing or how it’s coming out, so a digital camera should show me the results and I can learn what to change.
October 5th, 2007 at 12:40 pm
Im selling my 2 SLRs. anyone? :) As much as I want to go back to film, my pocket won’t allow me.
Going digital allowed me to experiment without me thinking that I’m wasting alot of money.
October 5th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
I currently only shoot digital but have been thinking of experimenting with medium format which would mean film dur to budgetary constraints.
October 5th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
I’m about 70-80% digital, I actually only got into film the past year or two because although I shot film as a kid (cause digital photography wasn’t as prominent) I only really became more serious about shooting in the past four years. I often prefer film because I like that it demands more, mentally and you rely more on your faith in your light meter, whereas when people shoot digital they often just shoot and play with the settings until it looks right, that’s both a advantage and disadvantage I guess.
Film is becoming harder to come by and as much as I enjoy the low cost of digital photography, I hope that film doesn’t die out because it’s still where the medium began and it would be a shame to lose touch with the roots, not to mention the artistic asthetic of shooting film.
October 5th, 2007 at 1:25 pm
Have not used film since 1999. I guess that makes me an early adopter. Even then I was using digital for work and personal projects more than film.
However I still miss it sometimes, and i miss using my old useless film cameras. I keep them because they are worth more as paper weights than they are for sale on eBay or trade-in sites!
October 5th, 2007 at 1:56 pm
Have never actually used digital and never would, why should I when film looks so good for my mountain expedition slide shows? digital can’t do that. Survive at -40 for weeks on end and produce photos which such depth and colour……. But then again digital is for folks of the texty age…
October 5th, 2007 at 3:34 pm
I’ve gone from film to digital & back to film again plus digital. In fact, I’ve become rather obsessed with old film cameras & getting different formats off ebay at cheap prices. I love both digital & film for many different reasons. Sometimes i shoot with film first & scan the negs after to work on them in the digital darkroom. Other times, i shoot in digital, then create new negs by printing them on transparencies & work on them in the old darkroom with alternative processes like cyanotype. The possibilities are immense out there & i love it!!
October 5th, 2007 at 3:57 pm
Lately I’ve been shooting film. I can’t stand the crop factor on my 30D. I’ll probably sell my 30D and wait until the 5D mk II comes out to upgrade. Or sell my 30D and just get the 5D. I honestly can’t stand the crop factor.
Whenever I shoot film, my 30D just sits in my camera bag. I feel a little bad, but the photos don’t come out as nice as opposed to my Elan 7.
October 5th, 2007 at 3:59 pm
I have at present, 5 film cameras, 4 of which are 35mm SLR’s, and a Ziess Icon Favorite 120 medium format TLR that my sister bought for 59¢ and gave to me as a paper weight. Well even the paper weight is loaded with film and has a ball mount mounting plate installed also. All of my film cameras get used, some more than others, but my Digitals, a Minolta Dimage7i, {which was my starter and now my grandsons starter) A Nikon D70s and a Nikon D200, seem to be used about 80 or more percent of the time. I always carry with me one of the 35mm film cameras as a backup. And when I return home, I will be taking the MF Zeiss Ikon along to shoot landscapes in Black and White. Dunno, perhaps it is only me, but I seem to get more feeling from my black and white work on film than I do with digital… I have never shot portraits, but with the Zeiss, I would like to try some when I return home. For sure I am planning on doing some landscape shots here using both digital and film… I have more cameras and lenses than I have sense. Surely more than I can carry on a shoot.
October 5th, 2007 at 4:21 pm
uhm. well i started with film, did that for about a year. at first with old communist cameras, zenit, smena etc. after them breaking up all the time, i moved to a canon film body. from there the pace picked up. then in about two years i went digital. mainly because shooting events on film is a bit difficult and takes quite an amount of money. still did some film for artsy shots though. reacently i went over to a medium format bronica. the past few months i’ve been shooting 89% film and the rest digital, mainly to test how the shot could look and then redoit properly on film.
the main thing that annoys me is the crop factor. shooting digital i feel like looking out of a tankwindow. when i porgress enoough to afford one, i will buy a fullframe digital and probably shoot a bit more digital again then..
October 5th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
i still do – with my old soviet time cameras – Zenit and Zorki. Black and white film is my favorite. It’s another fool of photo done with film.
Though i shoot with film rarely since i bought digital camera.
October 5th, 2007 at 4:57 pm
I have loaded my F90 with commonly a B/W Filmrole, but it’s expensive to handle with film. Usual i shoot digital. Film is the experimental part for me…
October 5th, 2007 at 5:21 pm
I am owner of a two Canon cases, 300 and 300D. If i realy had a lot of money, better digital camera would definitely defeat classic. As quality comes to first place i use a 300 model with dia film. For web and basic stuff 300D is much more appropriate. This means, that the use of “film type” depends of our usage type and expenditure.
October 5th, 2007 at 6:05 pm
I exclusively shoot film, but I am planning on buying a Nikon D300 when it gets out. I’ll still shoot a lot of film though, I just find it very enjoyable.
October 5th, 2007 at 7:31 pm
I’ve been shooting film again for six months now – but haven’t processed any yet. Does that count?
October 5th, 2007 at 8:13 pm
I shoot digital when I have a shoot I’m payed for, but I also carry with me a Holga most of the time. I have several antique cameras (brownies, argoflex) that I like to shoot with for artistic B&W photos that I develop at home. I like the convenience of Digital but I really dislike altering images in photoshop unless is very small changes since I like the “real film” look.
October 5th, 2007 at 10:08 pm
Digital, ‘f course, because I don’t have enough money to shoot with film.
October 5th, 2007 at 10:46 pm
Digital since my phones started to give a reasonable result then my fabulous girlfriend bought me a 350D. I always struggled with film because I’m too lazy (and tight) to get them developed and I’d rather know immediately if (when ;)) I’ve taken a load of rubbish.
October 5th, 2007 at 11:33 pm
If I am doing special pictures, I always use film with 2 cameras one using blk/wht the other color, but I have them developed on a CD, every day pics are taken with a digital. Maybe one day I will get a digital camera as good as my 35m and retire them,,,,but I doubt it,,,they are old friends!
October 5th, 2007 at 11:36 pm
When shooting just for me, I use digital 99.9% of the time. When helping out friends (e.g. shooting one friend’s costumes for a magazine), I use a 50/50 mix of 35mm & digital. The digital gives me the instant feedback, while my 35mm camera gives me greater control. Especially since I’m still using a P&S digital, as my budget hasn’t allowed me to upgrade to a DSLR yet.
October 5th, 2007 at 11:47 pm
… I am back in film after long time and it si great! I have Canon EOS 1000 and very old czech two lens camera Flexaret for 120 film
October 5th, 2007 at 11:48 pm
Still love my nikon F-4. Guess by using film, it makes you do it right the first time. ( not that I do ) Then you don’t have to spend so much time on the the computer making it right. Maybe down the road I’ll get something new, but for now, here to stay.
Love this web site, lots of goodies
October 5th, 2007 at 11:56 pm
I’m kinda new and i got very few experience in Films, i do use digital 100% of time. Its kind of complicated topic
Why people still use Analog Film?
I’m Originally from Srilanka and i know it for sure most of the people cant effort for digital equipments. and also most of the pro film user think that they cant get the same output from digital also many negative comments that they hate to use computer to edit pictures.
The place I’m working is a center of attraction for most international photographer (Medhufushi Island Resort -Maldives) i used to meet many people. i met this http://lgaparis.com/lga.htm he still use film that he trust he can be more creative with film.
October 6th, 2007 at 12:16 am
This is gonna sound weird coming from a guy who wears mechanical watches, writes with fountain pens and listens to vinyl, but…
Film was the biggest obstacle to my getting interested in photography. I used point-n-shoot film cameras back when digital was either awful or prohibitively expensive, but now C cannot even fathom it as a choice.
I just shot 8000 pictures at a half-marathon on Sunday. It cost me nothing other than time and I had nearly instant feedback and proofs online. How much would that have cost me (in time and materials) had I been using film? Yeesh!
Dane
October 6th, 2007 at 12:43 am
Left film behind a while ago. Digital photo was a boon to me. I worked on many early hardware-based image processors.
Joe
October 6th, 2007 at 12:53 am
I have an old EOS 1 film camera that sits in my kit. Its primary purpose is backup (I just feel like its reliable) however I do like to bring it out and take a few shots here and there.
I don’t have a full size sensor camera yet and for certain shots I like switching back to film.
October 6th, 2007 at 1:01 am
Film?!?!? whats that????jj
I have been using digital since 2001.
October 6th, 2007 at 1:38 am
* Do you?
Yes I do, actually because I like the minimal DOF and I can develop black and white by myself. In colour, I really like the colours. And maybe soon I will use a 6×6 cam, and that is in digital so expensive and stuff, so. Yes, I do shoot on film.
* If so – how much of your photography is film and how much is digital?
Much more digital. I think 5% is on film. But, when I have in my mind I’m going to shoot on film, then it will be on film.
I have a Nikon FM2.
October 6th, 2007 at 1:43 am
I shot digital but still enjoy the old B&W film.
October 6th, 2007 at 2:10 am
Yes, I shoot film.
Although I plan on shooting more and more film, I’m currently about 1/3 film (not including happy snaps with our family point and shoot digital)
I will shoot both in the same shoot partly for comparison sake, exposure verification sake, and partly to as a backup if the film gets ruined.
October 6th, 2007 at 2:41 am
Strictly digital since I got my powershot Canon in 2005. Now I’ve graduated up to a Nikon DX 40. I must admit, though, I have been tempted to buy a Lomo camera, ever since I saw one for sale at Urban Outfitters.
October 6th, 2007 at 5:10 am
After more than 50 years with the hassle and expense of film I am enjoying the digital world 100%. I worked on a newspaper for a while in the 50s, I remember the nearly impossible task of getting film processed and printed so it could be engraved for the afternoon paper. Yestyerday I took photo of a visitor and in less than 10 minuites it was in Florida. incredible!
October 6th, 2007 at 5:31 am
I still rely on my SLR in critical situations because I know I will get usable results, and because I am simply more in command of manipulating aperture, exposure and focus. However, convenience and the acceptable photos of my digital cameras have taken over about 80 of my usage by now and are gaining further.
October 6th, 2007 at 5:31 am
What’s film?
October 6th, 2007 at 6:51 am
I use film on my old SLR’s, the grain, the feeling of the film
is adorable.
October 6th, 2007 at 8:24 am
I use more a point & shoot digital camera we have and that I hate because I have no money to buy a good digital reflex I’m looking for. So I prefer my film camera but it’s very expensive. I think film’s still better but digital is cheaper, at least here in Argentina.
October 6th, 2007 at 8:35 am
Only with my Holga.
October 6th, 2007 at 9:06 am
I hadn’t shot with film for a long while but recently lost my digital camera (it died and I’m now the very happy owner for a Canon Rebel Xti!) but in the few weeks between bidding farewell to my Kodak and meeting my Canon I returned to my Minolta Maxxum Slr and forgot how much I liked it so I’ve promised to pick it up atleast once a month from now on (we’ll see if I can stick to it!)
October 6th, 2007 at 10:48 am
Well, I personally sold my last film camera over 10 years ago. I have been digital since before digital really had any resolution (Apple QuickTake). Now, I am so into digital cameras that my friend and I do what we can to help others out with product reviews and tests.
Take a look at http://www.l7foto.com
October 6th, 2007 at 11:32 am
I shoot digi for “work” and film for fun. I would love to shoot Large Format film again! I think once you have shot film and developed it you have a love for it.
October 6th, 2007 at 2:22 pm
I’m just starting out and I shoot digital but I’m wanting to shoot film more and more.
October 6th, 2007 at 4:01 pm
I shoot film and digital side-by-side. For work and subjects that demands lots of trial and error, digital is the way to go. But when I go out strolling on the street only film can bring the vibe
October 6th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
Digital gives me room for experiment, but film shooting is intriguing and interesting. For me shooting in digital is playing F1 on video game and on film is actually riding a real car.
October 6th, 2007 at 5:52 pm
about 5% of my total shots are still in film…if i am on a road trip wherein i can carry more gear ratio goes up to about 50%. though digital is more convenient, i still love the quality of film…
October 6th, 2007 at 8:07 pm
I’m just starting out, just got a nikon dslr and what i feel is that when your looking at taking a photograph with the digital you just snap away, but when i only have 36 black and white photographs to take on a film, i make sure everything is perfect. I’m finding it a great way to learn the trade.
October 6th, 2007 at 9:15 pm
Usually, when i want to make particular photos or I have the money for developing films, or I want to make very good and studied photos, i take mi old Nikon F2AS Photomic also on travel. I use the digital one only when i don’t have a lot of space (the body of my Nikon with lenses, flash etc is a little heavy), or I want to make a lot of photos or photos and videos, then I use my Nikon Coolpix 4600. Normally I prefer film ;)
Surely when I make photos underwater I use my Nikonos V, a film camera :)
Sirio
October 6th, 2007 at 10:29 pm
I shoot film almost everyday. In fact, I got back into it AFTER buying a fancy digtal.
Thanks to the forums here, I discovered Black and White. I started with digital, but I found it too flat, as I tend not to post process my images. Shooting with a true Black and White film really brings out the textures in the subject, especially with 400ASA and up.
I don’t think I’ll ever give up on film. There’s so much variety. Having just received my Dad’s Rolleiflex, I’m now into 120 roll film. For accessible digital this type of variety just doesn’t exist. Sure it might on a pro level with medium format digital backs etc, but with film even an amateur can now experiment with what used to be confined to the realms of the pros.
October 6th, 2007 at 10:59 pm
No, i’m not using a film
October 7th, 2007 at 1:17 am
I used to get film cameras for birthdays/christmas.. but rarely used them cuz film was so expensive, not to mention developing.. That was like lunch money. So when I could afford to buy digital… Yea
October 7th, 2007 at 7:24 am
I have not used film for seven years now. I have had several digital cameras, and they keep improving in quality and pixels. I don’t think I will go back. The flexibility of digital and the low cost is great. Plus I love the fact that I can go on a trip take hundreds, I mean hundreds of shots and then go home and pick out the best to be printed for a photo album.
October 7th, 2007 at 7:27 am
I shoot digital since I begin with photography but I’ve been experimenting with an old Minolta SRT-201 with 50mm lens and I love the results so I decided to buy a Canon EOS for film to use the lenses I have for the digital EOS and now I’m happy of using both, film b&w is amazing, I really enjoy it!
October 7th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
I shoot both film and digital – I’ve been shooting film since the sixties, and digital since 2000. They each have their own qualities. I shoot more film than digital, and don’t mix them on a job – I use whichever medium I think is most suitable for that job.
I do very little traditional printing now. For the particular image qualities that I want, digital printing has surpassed traditional printing. I can easily understand why other people prefer traditional printing.
October 7th, 2007 at 5:20 pm
I only use film, What you see in my pictures is what i created first in my mind and than on the film, not what a computer program creats for me
October 8th, 2007 at 2:08 am
I just was given a Minolta XD-11 so I’ve been doing some experimenting with that. Yes, it’s more expensive and yes there is not the instant gratification that comes with digital but I find I spend more time composing and thinking about my film shots than I do about digital. Digital tends to be “take a lot and hope one is a keeper.” I hope using film will influence the amount of thought I put into my digital photography.
October 8th, 2007 at 9:05 am
I shoot digital a lot with my advanced point & shoot, but recently I have been using my dad’s old (totally manual) Olympus OM-1. I use the P&S for some things that I want immediate feedback on, and shots that I want to be automatically focused. I use the SLR on shots where I want to use the wide-angle, telephoto, or macro lenses. Of course, film is expensive, and I want digital copies. I will probably end up ditching the film SLR when I get a DSLR and some lenses.
October 8th, 2007 at 6:04 pm
Yes I do. I have P&S digital and mostly it is used. When I buy dSLR, I may stop using film :-)
October 8th, 2007 at 9:19 pm
I have not shoot with film since I had a Nikon D70s. (nov 2005). Before then, I did not shoot too much because it was too expensive, though.
October 9th, 2007 at 4:14 am
every time I play with my holga and a hassle someone left me :o>
October 9th, 2007 at 9:28 am
Do you?
I do! And I love it! There are several reasons why I stick to film photography and coincidentally I have to give a speech tomorrow about this.
If so – how much of your photography is film and how much is digital?
In my Flickr photostream, 195 out of 655, about a 30% :-)
In my hard drive, about 400 out of 5000, just a 0.8%, I have to clean it up some day! :-D
Do you shoot both in the same shoots or do you mix it up?
I take my film camera when (a) I want to enjoy photography or (b) I know I’m not getting a second chance. My digital (non-DSLR yet) is for when I want to take many pictures without much worries. Both cameras came with me everytime I can carry them.
October 10th, 2007 at 6:32 am
Mostly digital, I have an underwater camera that uses film but have pretty much retired my old Cannon FTb. Digital makes it easy to experiment if the photo doesn’t look good you can ust delete it.
October 10th, 2007 at 11:07 am
I’ve been doing film photorgraphy since 1960’s
I purchased a 1MP Kodak Digital camera back in 1993 and haven’t shot film since.
It used to be that when shooting film, I was very cautious about experimenting with different filters, exposures, angles, etc. The cost of film and developing was such that it just made expirementation too expensive.
First time i went to New Zealand I took 20 rolls of 645 film, ran out, and had to purchase more in the local stores. The cost was 2.5 to 3 times the cost in the US.
With digital, I feel very free to try new things, and get the instant feedback with the digital camera.
My current camera is a Canon 5D and will likely take the dive and get the new 22MP Canon 1Ds Mark III
October 10th, 2007 at 10:28 pm
I keep a roll of slide film in my old camera specifically for shooting star trails. I still get too much noise from my digital. I like to shoot for 5+ hours so I have to charge the batteries for almost every shot. Alot of time goes into that one roll though!
October 11th, 2007 at 3:12 am
I only shoot film now. I used to be totaly digital, but after taking an honest-to-god black and white photography class using film, I have been hooked ever since.
So my workflow consists of shooting film, developing it myself, and then scanning it myself (or at a lab if my time is limited).
I get scans that are higher quality than most digital cameras, plus with the ability to get more exposure latitude out of my prints.
The deciding factor of film vs digital? Archival. Both in printing and in longevity of my work.
There is no guarantee that your digital work will survive. Whereas with film I always have a hard copy that is much more archival safe. Printing methods are the same. By using traditional fiber based printing I get museum quality archival safe prints. That is something that you cant get with digital printing in any means that is cost effective.
The other thing, is that I do not like the look of digital compared to film. Too clean. It just doesnt have the same look.
October 11th, 2007 at 6:54 am
I use both. I shoot digital (D80) more frequently, but when I have the time, I’ll shot a roll or two of film while I’m out, too. I’ve got several film cameras, some vintage, that I love to shoot with and get beautiful results out of.
I’m actually kind of saddened by the direction photography seems to be taking. It’s as if it is more about computer-manipulation than the original image itself.
October 12th, 2007 at 9:27 am
I started shooting with film back when I was 4 and continued to do so all the way into my professional career. So, it is embedded in my DNA.
Today, I shoot a mix roughly 60% Film, 40% Digital. All of my black and white and infrared is shot completely on film. My color shots have migrated to digital.
For me there is an inherent quality to film grain and contrast with film stock that is not readily duplicated or created in post processing using digital.
October 13th, 2007 at 2:40 pm
I walk around with my EOS Rebel XTI, and an Olympus OM2n 35mm.
I’m the head photographer for my school, and I love the photos I get from the 35mm Olympus, but I use my Rebel for most of the shots.
October 14th, 2007 at 9:14 pm
I gave up film when I got a Canon 20D and have not looked back since. The added nuisance of carrying film, worrying about losing it, processing it, replacing it when in the field etc all disappears with digital, though of course some other new issues arise (do I bring my laptop with me, or multiple cards, etc).
October 22nd, 2007 at 11:08 am
I began with digital, but It has resulted in me ultimately moving to film. The inherent issue with digital is the archival ability. It simply does not exist. Sure you can backup your photographs every thirty days to another hard drive, but even then… in thirty years, who’s to say that there will even be technology to read our files?
At least with film you have tangible results that you can actual hold and feel and see with simply a light table and a loupe.
I own a Nikon D70, but it is only used for shots i do not care about.
Everything else such as portrait documentary photography i do on film.
November 16th, 2007 at 1:54 am
I use film all the time. I don’t have a fancy digital camera, so I only use the digital for parties and quick shots. For ’serious’ photography (including family pictures), I’ve found my old-school SLR is unbeatable. That’s generally true of pictures taken by SLR vs. compact cameras – maybe one day I’ll plonk down a (few) thousand dollars for a good enough digital camera.
November 20th, 2007 at 12:09 pm
Whenever I decide to do a “shoot,” I always try and mix up film and digital. Film always . . . looks better to me. Digital is good in so many ways, but there is something I have yet to see in digital that I love about film.
December 18th, 2007 at 7:57 am
90% digital, 10% film.
I shoot film because I want to be a better photographer. Shooting film makes you think. The masses of digital users are moving towards the shotgun approach to photography. Don’t think, just hold down the button. Pick out the good ones later. They will have no idea how they made the shot or what they were thinking. Quite simply, lottery based photography. Create something. Have a plan, a vision, attempt it, looks at the results, and learn from them.
April 15th, 2008 at 1:26 am
Digital (Canon 10D) about 99% of the time. Sometimes I take the Elan IIe out and run a roll through it to remind me how taking the time to slow down and compose makes a difference. When I do that, I notice that my work overall improves.
March 30th, 2009 at 11:25 am
I shoot both, digital for when i need it and film for when i need it.
Digital is a business format for todays pro photographer, but film is for the purist and there are sometimes when a client will still ask me to use film for the grain and tonality it offers, especially b&w when compared to digital.
I shoot digital mostly..and when i use film it’s always in medium format, or normal slr film for winter scenes… i find digital cannot handle highlights of most high key outdoor scenes aswell as fillm.
I also find it amusing that, todays plugins ( exposure ) for photoshop give you the look and feel of film ” apparently” …so.. suck up the cash and shoot film..if you want it to look like film.
Long live digital, and long live film.
May 9th, 2009 at 10:29 am
I still shoot Tri-X in my Nikon F3, side by side with by DSLR. To me there is a difference between film and digital capture and I like the look of B&W film. But I’m also a digital geek who started with Photoshop back in the late 1980s. For me it’s a matter of choosing the medium that suits my vision.
Now I own a pro photo lab in Berkeley CA that does film and digital. We definitely see more and more digital but every day we receive film from local photographers and from all over the US. There’s a whole niche of modern wedding and portrait photographers who shoot film and do very very well. Toy cameras are very big now too. Lots of photographers in their teens and 20s seem fascinated with the look and feel of film.
So, from someone who sees the work of dozens of photographers every day, I’d say do what you like and don’t worry about what other people think.
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