Over the last few weeks we’ve been running a poll here at DPS that asked readers whether they still shoot with film. Here are the results:
Keep in mind that this is a Digital photography site – so we’d expect some skewing towards that medium!
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21 Responses to “Do You Still Shoot with Film [POLL RESULTS]” - Add Yours
May 9th, 2009 at 8:21 am
There is something satisfying in ending a roll of film and taking it out of the camera to reload the next roll. I shoot mostly digital, but I still feel more like a ‘real’ photographer with a film camera. Not sure why. I personally think that there is no comparison between black and white film or digital. All my b+w is film. I think it always will be.
May 9th, 2009 at 8:49 am
Yeah… Film is nice, but extremely inefficient in the 21st century.
May 9th, 2009 at 8:54 am
I’m surprised of how many of us still shoot occasionally with film. Recently I took my 35mm Canon to get it cleaned up and as soon as I got it I started shooting film for two weeks. I think that besides the down side of the cost of film and getting the prints, the fact that we have to wait for the pictures instead of just downloading them and see how actually they are, it’s a great old-school feeling that I still enjoy from time to time…
Cheers and great poll!
May 9th, 2009 at 10:19 am
Eventhough I recently started shooting digital, I still like film very much. It makes me a little sad to see that such a beautiful way to work seems to be on the verge of disappearing. i guess it won’t go away completely but still…
May 9th, 2009 at 11:51 am
Not very surprising given the name of the site, DIGITAL-photography-school. This probably isn’t the best place to get an accurate representation of the whole photography community.
May 9th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
I still shoot once and in awhile with B&W. I then scan to digital. I even used to have a darkroom setup but that went by the wayside several years ago. Still cling to the old school I guess.
May 9th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
Well, i wouldn’t say that it is dissapearing. on Flickr there is a huge pool of people who still shoot film (called “i shoot film”
)
I still shoot film because i don’t own a digital camera.
But i learned photography with my digital camera from work. The learning process was way more efficient than learning photography by shooting film. But after a while i returned to the analog slr i still had lying around. The color and toning from film is amazing. Limiting your possibilities is also a great way to boost your creativity.
I usually scan the negatives which cuts the costs a bit (2euro/film + 3euro processing/film, thats 5 euro’s/36 pictures (or 7 dollar)).
That being said, as soon i got the cash, i’ll be fully switching to digital and perhaps become an occasional film-shooter
May 10th, 2009 at 4:36 am
I have always loved taking pictures and found that I have a real talent for it. Would love to learn more of how to handle and adjust Nikon 35mm. Where can I go to learn more about my camera and what camera I should eventually upgrade to?
May 10th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
My guitar instructor is a photographer and he always says that Shooting with a film camera is like delivering a baby. Waiting at the photo studio while your roll gets developed and wondering if it would come out okay is well worth the effort and something which digital photographers will never experience.
May 11th, 2009 at 10:07 pm
I take my Ftb on vacation. No batteries to charge, I don’t worry about it getting stolen or broken and above all, I don’t overshoot.
May 15th, 2009 at 1:50 am
The last two cameras I acquired were film: an Olympus mju II Zoom 80 compact (£10 from a charity shop!), and a Konica C35 EF from my late grandmother. Love ‘em both
May 15th, 2009 at 2:11 am
I shoot people with digital, but for landscapes I use my medium format camera. I send the film for developing and scanning via mail and the results are wonderful. If I shoot 35mm color negative I get it develop and scan locally. I usually get better results with film than with my FinePix S2. I think I should upgrade my S2 for Nikon D90.
May 15th, 2009 at 4:40 am
Many years ago Ansel Adams wrote an article in a photography magazine relating to photo gear for the traveler. He stated that the way to go is with a compact body camera and one zoom lens. I have shot 35 mm for about 50 years, and travelled the world extensively on business and pleasure. I’m sure Ansel would be smiling at the compact body digitals with built in ultra zooms that can take excellent photos of most conditions. One fanny pack will accomodate 2 or 3 point and shoot cameras if desired, that will take superb photos that can be cropped and blown up to 13 x 19 size or larger. I still have several 35 mm cameras but haven’t used one now in over 5 years.
May 15th, 2009 at 4:58 am
I’ve been shooting only digital for about 2 years. I like the convenience, immediate results, and knowing eventtually my csmear will pay for itself in film savings.
But – I thknk digital has tken some of the fun out of photography. I used to shoot mostly slides, and liked being able to look at them, saying good, bad, or maybe.
And especially, I do not enjoy working at the computer. But I do it anyway. Oh well.
May 15th, 2009 at 10:50 am
I shot film (35mm) for at least 20 years and have to say that there still isn’t the same comparison when it comes to the clarity of B&W’s-film still wins in my books…..also I think having said that,With all the new digital cameras and the technology that comes with them,the real photographic skills(how to adjust settings, capture moods,time expose,etc.) are becoming a lost art and almost anyone now says that they are a photographer even though the camera (digital) is now doing most of the guesswork in my opinion…..and darkroom skills are something learned,not materialized with the click of a button…..
May 15th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
My first SLR camera was a Minolta XGM which i replaced with a X700. I still find joy in using my 35mm film SLR even though Im using a Canon EOS 40D now. I marvel on its big field of view and bright viewfinder. Plus the added ecitement while waiting for the developed pictures to come out of the developing machine. I use my old 50mm 1.7 MD and 35-70 3.50 MD lens on this camera body.
May 15th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
While I still have several film cameras, I shoot only digital. The one film lab in town closed. I can go to Walmart, but won’t, to get film processed. I even have film in my Mamiya C330 as well as in my Nikon FA. It will probably be there for a long time! I like being able to analyze the digital image as soon as I click the shutter release. I can either re-shoot immediately or modify the photo in camera. This is surely something impossible to do in a film camera. After shooting weddings with film , I always sweated until I got the film processed and back into my hands. Not a problem with digital. The same holds true for portraits and all other types of photography. I never thought I go digital. Seeing the results made me a believer. I’ve blown up film images to 18 x 24 with no appreciable grain. I haven’t done anything that large with digital as yet. Even medium format cameras don’t have the megabytes to produce really large prints. When you are at a movie, you are looking at a series of 35mm or 70mm slides. I don’t think digital is there yet and probably won’t be for a while. But, digital gives me the instant feedback on the quality of image in memory, Film requires you to wait a little longer, and maybe re-shoot, if you don’t get what you thought you got on film!
May 21st, 2009 at 4:54 am
Film i found to expensive, i had to give up shooting. Now that we are in the age of DSLR brill, the world is your oyster. I now can spend many a happy hour, not worrying about the cost of film, no good shots delete them!. That’s the beauty of digital. Spread the word my brothers and sisters, that once you get the basic DSLR kit you are laughing!. Carry on shooting and keep the faith
May 23rd, 2009 at 12:03 am
When I took my first photography course in college, part of the Journalism curriculum, the first thing the teacher did was write on the blackboard, “Rule # 1: FILM IS CHEAP!!!”
He went on to explain that film is cheap, relative to the chance to re-shoot the photo if you miss it the first time, which often is impossible. Consequently, I have spent a small fortune on film in my lifetime, so I don’t miss the shot I want, or need. Digital cameras make the expense question moot, as long as you have plenty of memory cards. My first digital camers, a Sony, had a max memory card capacity of about 200 photos, at lower than max reslution. And, I always carried a film camera as a backup.
My new Nikon D80 has a card that will take three frames per second and hold 2000 images at the top end. Now my only problem is editing out the non-keepers, but it’s a labor of love. I sold my Kodak stock since I am no longer trying to support them single handedly.
May 24th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
I started off with a film slr then went to a digital slr and now I’m back using a film rangefinder/slr for 99% of the photos I take.
I personally don’t find it expensive, since I do my own developing and scanning and the ocassional darkroom prints.
I chose to stick with film because in my eyes, film b&w’s are very very nice. Especially on fiber paper.
I also like the skin tones I get with with both colour and b&w films.
July 20th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
I still have my Pentax ME Super is there any value here.
Are there any adaptors available to use my Pentax 80mm – 200mm lense on my Canon 350
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