Film or Digital?

[Zot09]

So, I know the new in-thing is digital photography, but how many of you still enjoy shooting in film? I've been an avid photographer for almost four years now, and I still find myself shooting with my Canon Rebel instead of my 20D from time to time. I mean, digital does have its advantages(don't have to worry about carrying film, you can look at your images as soon as you are done shooting it, and it is much faster and easier to process), but I prefer the hard work an individual puts into developing film, enlarging the image, and then developing the paper. It's something about getting your hands in the developer, or the stop bath, that just turns me on to it. Not only that, but I hate when you see digital images that are modified beyond belief, so that they are unrealistic and just plain disgusting. I will always be a film lover.

[5vz-fe]

I am a lazy ass so ... digital all the way.

[Toronto]

i'm not going to get into the whole film vs. digital... but
the fact is film is going to disappear soon give it 10 years or less...
companies are already pulling back film, paper and camera production.

more and more pro's are switching to digital for studio work. digital is also easier to use now for print and web production (2-3 less steps, alot less cost)
and to the untrained eye, you can hardly tell the diff. (ie look ad the edges around trees, red ring around light and flames, etc)

[nthfinity]

the truth is, we dont know where digital is going... its in its' absolute infancy... even 5 only 5 years ago, it wasnt anywhere near as good as it is today... and what is available to the consumer now is beginning to replace the 35mm SLR camera...

what is important is that the SLR process is very much the same...

what may be disappointing to some people is that digital is making photography so muchmore available to the normal person... and may have prevented me from getting involved as well.

i sometimes wonder what i would've done with all the money i've spent on my cameras +equipment

that said...i choose digital

[TT]

Well I admit I enter my "photographic age" when film cameras where not "hot" anymore, so I only really shoot with digital camera beside an IXUS I had which used APS films...

But to be honest, beside the nostalgic charm film cameras have, I am sorry, the digital world catched up and surpassed them on every aspect. it might be too cold and too modern, but it's quicker, more practical and the pics when taken with a good camera and optic (I am talking about good digicameras, not the 200 USD pocket cameras) have stunning quality..
Also, in the internet era, it's much easier to share them...

Really, film cameras are somethig we could like today as we like an old phonograph.. cool, bring back memories and so on, but definitely present techniques are way better.

[MartijnGizmo]

I prefer digital because of the lower running costs, but I plan on buying a filmcamera like an EOS 650, as they only cost €50 or so nowadays on the second-hand-market.

Originally Posted by nthfinity what may be disappointing to some people is that digital is making photography so muchmore available to the normal person... and may have prevented me from getting involved as well.

It makes accesories more affordable, so I'd say make photography available to everybody. People have always moaned about new inventions, like when autofocus was introduced. With autofocus 'everybody' could make good photos. If you're worried about cheap opponents, you're just not good enough.

[gigdy]

I prefer film. But now i dont have access to a darkroom. And i was always too lazy to mix the damn chemicals. So i prefer digital now. But i would prefer to use film (black and white to be more precise). Its just not feasible. And im not bringing my film to some one hour processing thing.

[Fleischmann]

Digital. The quality difference is basically unnoticeable, many more pictures can be taken at one time, it's easier to use, you can transfer it easilyonto your PC etc. The film era is ending rapidly, aprantelly Kodak has been doing very poorly on the market during the past few years, since the digital camera become something everybody can afford.

[Dubai]

I got a Mac, with Aperture software, Plus internet a,d fast printers, All of these will help me very much if I have a digital camera, it will make my investment worth every $. So, should I give up my digi cam and go back to film..


I am only using film with Lomography cameras, it is fun and exciting to use, but I always carry my digi cam....

[MartijnGizmo]

Originally Posted by MartijnGizmo I prefer digital because of the lower running costs, but I plan on buying a filmcamera like an EOS 650, as they only cost €50 or so nowadays on the second-hand-market.

Heh, good to read this back, I bought a EOS 600 (sold as EOS 630 in the US) last week. Got it for €25 and it's in excellent condition, almost no scratches and everything works, the LCD-light, the AF-beep. Also the mirror-stop-bump looks like new, as these tend to disintegrate end mess up the shutter. It even came with the original manual, so this is an absolute bargain. I bought it from a student that had only bought it for the lens it came with, as he used that on his EOS 1V.

It's the last from the 600-series, having better AF etc than the EOS 650. As it was build before the line-up was split into Rebel/Elan etc, it is build like a tank. It's quite heavy and can get some impressive 5fps! And all that for a camera from 1989.

I loaded it with Kodak T-Max 3200 and am having the first film developed as we speak. I'll pick up my pictures tomorrow and am quite curious to see how it came out. I can't wait for spring to begin and load it with some Fuji Velvia 100 and get some landscape-shots. 8)


Sure, I'll still take most shots with my EOS 350D, but this EOS 600 is gonna give me a lot of fun. It just feels right in my hands and having the 17-40 f/4 L on fullframe is great! I'm already looking for an eye-controlled EOS 3 or EOS 5. An EOS 1V or 1N would be great, but those ware way to expensive.

[SDK2003]

The film industry is dead

[5vz-fe]

hahahahahahaha........as is Tube TV