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11/14/2008 12:21:26 AM · #1 |
I personally prefer film, but am more than happy using my digital(easier to toss the ugly photos). I like film just because the anticipation, and i take more time about shots, so I feel i do better work. I also love the winding and shutter sound. Digital has it's ups too, though. Sharper images, more editing choices, you can get away with taking more pictures.
Where do you stand?
{Please don't make this one of those debate threads, just thought it'd be fun to compare is all} |
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11/14/2008 12:28:08 AM · #2 |
Can't say I don't miss the film days, that's for darned sure, but I wouldn't go back to it.
Cost is the single biggest reason why too. |
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11/14/2008 12:38:08 AM · #3 |
| I have some film cameras and I really should use them more. I love the convenience of digital, however and not having to rely on anyone else to make my processing choices. |
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11/14/2008 12:39:05 AM · #4 |
Originally posted by K10DGuy:
Can't say I don't miss the film days, that's for darned sure, but I wouldn't go back to it.
Cost is the single biggest reason why too. |
exactly my thoughts. I have fond memories of the darkroom but I'll take sitting at my desk editing pictures with a pop in my hand over a chemical filled darkroom anyday |
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11/14/2008 02:05:04 AM · #5 |
the thing i missed about shooting with film (eventhough i wasn't an avid photographer then) was the waiting and the anticipation when you have your film processed by the labs, and the laughs when the photo didnt quite turned out the way you thought it would have.
nowadays, we just chimp on the LCD after a few shots ;)
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11/14/2008 02:05:17 AM · #6 |
I don't miss the days of film at all. You could never tell if anything turned out in unusual conditions until it was too late to reshoot after spending $10 minimum for every 36 exposure film and processing if you did it on the cheap. And I remember all the work I did for black and white processing that takes at most 1/10 the time on the computer to do a much better job in color.
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11/14/2008 02:52:10 AM · #7 |
| those of us who are the true old school still carve inside cave walls....i dont touch that new-fangled film |
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11/14/2008 04:13:30 AM · #8 |
I still have my K1000 and shoot a roll or 2 a year for nostalgia sake. There's a deliberate pace using an all manual camera that I enjoy, but would not want to give up my DSLR for it.
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11/14/2008 05:13:04 AM · #9 |
I kind of miss not having a bathroom because my tub was full of proofs and crap (don't worry I had a shower room) I miss that my tiny little storage place was converted into a smelly dark room with not enough room to swing a hamster round, but most of all I miss all the old stuff... OK day-dream over.
I do still have a Canon EOS-5 that VERY rarely gets a dust down and the odd roll of B&W run through it.
Digital has changed the life of many photographers, I can imagine a lot of the high end wedding guys are a bit pissed to have all these new digital age wedding togs rise up and take their bread N butter. LOL.
Personally I LOVE what digital has done for both my Favorite things.. Photography & Making Music.
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11/14/2008 05:52:05 AM · #10 |
i know it sounds stupid, but i'm really thinking about ditching my dsrl+lenses and building up a darkroom + getting a medium format system instead.
this step may sound regressive to some, but i just feel digital doesn't satisfy me anymore.
it was a great tool to start off with photography tho and it's really amzing how much i've learned with it, but i think i'm grown out of it now.
it's like, you can't trust a photograph anymore. everything can be photoshopped, overlayed, distorted and what not. don't get me wrong, i love all this, but also feel a little bit like cheating when doing it.
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11/14/2008 07:09:36 AM · #11 |
Originally posted by Mephisto:
i know it sounds stupid, but i'm really thinking about ditching my dsrl+lenses and building up a darkroom + getting a medium format system instead.
this step may sound regressive to some, but i just feel digital doesn't satisfy me anymore.
it was a great tool to start off with photography tho and it's really amzing how much i've learned with it, but i think i'm grown out of it now.
it's like, you can't trust a photograph anymore. everything can be photoshopped, overlayed, distorted and what not. don't get me wrong, i love all this, but also feel a little bit like cheating when doing it. |
I don't think it sounds stupid at all, but in reality, film or digital, small format or medium, and whether it is in the darkroom or in Photoshop, photos are retouched. Ansel Adams said that "photographs aren't taken, their made". So even in his day photographs were redone alot. It's just a matter of the processes you use to get to the final product. Snap a picture and it's perfect I don't think happens to often. And let’s face it, as technology chugs along even medium format will be digital and affordable some day. In fact I think there are some digital medium format cameras out there now but very costly for most people. |
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11/14/2008 08:16:02 AM · #12 |
Originally posted by The Eskimo:
Originally posted by Mephisto:
i know it sounds stupid, but i'm really thinking about ditching my dsrl+lenses and building up a darkroom + getting a medium format system instead.
this step may sound regressive to some, but i just feel digital doesn't satisfy me anymore.
it was a great tool to start off with photography tho and it's really amzing how much i've learned with it, but i think i'm grown out of it now.
it's like, you can't trust a photograph anymore. everything can be photoshopped, overlayed, distorted and what not. don't get me wrong, i love all this, but also feel a little bit like cheating when doing it. |
I don't think it sounds stupid at all, but in reality, film or digital, small format or medium, and whether it is in the darkroom or in Photoshop, photos are retouched. Ansel Adams said that "photographs aren't taken, their made". So even in his day photographs were redone alot. It's just a matter of the processes you use to get to the final product. Snap a picture and it's perfect I don't think happens to often. And let’s face it, as technology chugs along even medium format will be digital and affordable some day. In fact I think there are some digital medium format cameras out there now but very costly for most people. |
i'm not saying it's not ok for most people, just that *I* don't feel right about it. for me art is not only about the result, but also about the path and effort towards that result. i feel a lot more bound to my work when i'm shooting film. i appriciate it more. i'm taking more time figuring out the exposure, composition and situation of light when exposing the film. i also take more time when developing the stuff in the darkroom. and it makes me a lot prouder when i see a good final result than when i see the result after i edited a file in photoshop for 2 hours.
i'm sick of tutorials explaining model makeovers in photoshop or people telling me how good my processing skills are instead of seeing the effort that went into the composition and lighting.
from a more technical point of view, i think the amount of detail and dynamic range of film is still superior to any digital file.
not trying to turn this this into a rant or anything, just trying to express my very personal point of view, that you can agree or disagree with. i know digital has its place and i still appriciate it and will probably keep my dslr body and a lens or two anyways, but will also try to get into the more purist way of photography, that will hopefully help me be a better photographer all around. maybe it'll work, maybe it won't, i'll just see... ;)
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11/14/2008 08:29:10 AM · #13 |
Originally posted by Mephisto:
i know it sounds stupid, but i'm really thinking about ditching my dsrl+lenses and building up a darkroom + getting a medium format system instead.
this step may sound regressive to some, but i just feel digital doesn't satisfy me anymore.
it was a great tool to start off with photography tho and it's really amzing how much i've learned with it, but i think i'm grown out of it now.
it's like, you can't trust a photograph anymore. everything can be photoshopped, overlayed, distorted and what not. don't get me wrong, i love all this, but also feel a little bit like cheating when doing it. |
I'm thinking film too for some time now, although on a different direction. I find an SLR big & clumsy for some things, hate to drag it around all day and to some degree I feel 'disconnected' from what I'm pointing it to. I have an itch for a Zeiss Ikon with a C-Sonnar but for now I'm experimenting with a old SLR & b&w film :)
-n.
Message edited by author 2008-11-14 08:30:03. |
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11/14/2008 08:50:10 AM · #14 |
Originally posted by The Eskimo:
Originally posted by Mephisto:
i know it sounds stupid, but i'm really thinking about ditching my dsrl+lenses and building up a darkroom + getting a medium format system instead.
this step may sound regressive to some, but i just feel digital doesn't satisfy me anymore.
it was a great tool to start off with photography tho and it's really amzing how much i've learned with it, but i think i'm grown out of it now.
it's like, you can't trust a photograph anymore. everything can be photoshopped, overlayed, distorted and what not. don't get me wrong, i love all this, but also feel a little bit like cheating when doing it. |
I don't think it sounds stupid at all, but in reality, film or digital, small format or medium, and whether it is in the darkroom or in Photoshop, photos are retouched. Ansel Adams said that "photographs aren't taken, their made". So even in his day photographs were redone alot. It's just a matter of the processes you use to get to the final product. Snap a picture and it's perfect I don't think happens to often. And let’s face it, as technology chugs along even medium format will be digital and affordable some day. In fact I think there are some digital medium format cameras out there now but very costly for most people. |
i'm not saying it's not ok for most people, just that *I* don't feel right about it. for me art is not only about the result, but also about the path and effort towards that result. i feel a lot more bound to my work when i'm shooting film. i appriciate it more. i'm taking more time figuring out the exposure, composition and situation of light when exposing the film. i also take more time when developing the stuff in the darkroom. and it makes me a lot prouder when i see a good final result than when i see the result after i edited a file in photoshop for 2 hours.
i'm sick of tutorials explaining model makeovers in photoshop or people telling me how good my processing skills are instead of seeing the effort that went into the composition and lighting.
from a more technical point of view, i think the amount of detail and dynamic range of film is still superior to any digital file.
not trying to turn this this into a rant or anything, just trying to express my very personal point of view, that you can agree or disagree with. i know digital has its place and i still appriciate it and will probably keep my dslr body and a lens or two anyways, but will also try to get into the more purist way of photography, that will hopefully help me be a better photographer all around. maybe it'll work, maybe it won't, i'll just see... ;) [/quote]
Roger that. Processing is all about personal preferences and that's great and is the way is should be. All I am saying, and it's just my opinion, is that the days of film are coming to an end in spite of the high dynamic range film has over digital today. That will probably change as well and for me the film costs and processing was always a major consideration stifling my limited creative juices. There was just no way I could I afford to experiment much with film from an artistic and creative point of view. Again just personal preferences that's all. |
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11/14/2008 08:56:24 AM · #15 |
Originally posted by nikolaos:
Originally posted by Mephisto:
i know it sounds stupid, but i'm really thinking about ditching my dsrl+lenses and building up a darkroom + getting a medium format system instead.
this step may sound regressive to some, but i just feel digital doesn't satisfy me anymore.
it was a great tool to start off with photography tho and it's really amzing how much i've learned with it, but i think i'm grown out of it now.
it's like, you can't trust a photograph anymore. everything can be photoshopped, overlayed, distorted and what not. don't get me wrong, i love all this, but also feel a little bit like cheating when doing it. |
I'm thinking film too for some time now, although on a different direction. I find an SLR big & clumsy for some things, hate to drag it around all day and to some degree I feel 'disconnected' from what I'm pointing it to. I have an itch for a Zeiss Ikon with a C-Sonnar but for now I'm experimenting with a old SLR & b&w film :)
-n. |
I'm writing the following in a sarcastic/extreme/artificial tone to amplify a point.
I'm a purist, too. I prefer the old snail mail, I use pencil and paper Computers are not-natural, I'd rather walk, it's the only natural mode of transportation. Horses are meant to roam free, not to be ridden as a beast of burden. The barter system is better.
I long for the "Good olde daze", when competition was different and manual labor was more appreciated. To the contrary, Great Photographers have always used the best tools available at the time they were living.
Ansel Adams did not DRAW or PAINT his photos, he wasn't remeniscing nostalgia. Today he might have used a 38 Megapixel Hasselblad.
NOTE: New paradigms always require a change, in methods, discipline, and ways of thinking. More discipline to concentrate on shooting less shots, using skill instead of luck and post-processing.
Message edited by author 2008-11-14 08:59:42.
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11/14/2008 09:04:18 AM · #16 |
I found a film that I had not had processed, had no idea what was on it. Had it processed adn the anticipation was brilliant. Bought back memories on how it was fun to wait for the film. Turned out it was about 4 years old and my son was 2 years old wearing a tiara that he loved at that time. I had completely forgotten about that, so the memory was treasured and no on my fridge.
I think I am going to go and put my Minolta in my bag along with my digital and shoot.
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11/14/2008 09:21:58 AM · #17 |
Originally posted by justamistere:
I long for the "Good olde daze", when competition was different and manual labor was more appreciated. To the contrary, Great Photographers have always used the best tools available at the time they were living. |
that's not true. many famous photographers still use film cameras, i.e. many NG photogs use their Nikon F6, Canon 1 or whatever to go along with digital bodies.
also some fashion photogs use their rz67, hasselblad or even large format cams.
Originally posted by justamistere:
[b]NOTE: New paradigms always require a change, in methods, discipline, and ways of thinking. More discipline to concentrate on shooting less shots, using skill instead of luck and post-processing. |
true. but i think sometimes you have to make a step backwards to make two steps forward.
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11/14/2008 09:32:16 AM · #18 |
Originally posted by Mephisto:
Originally posted by justamistere:
I long for the "Good olde daze", when competition was different and manual labor was more appreciated. [b]To the contrary, Great Photographers have always used the best tools available at the time they were living. |
that's not true. many famous photographers still use film cameras, i.e. many NG photogs use their Nikon F6, Canon 1 or whatever to go along with digital bodies.
also some fashion photogs use their rz67, hasselblad or even large format cams.
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But they don't do that out of comfort or a sense of nostalgia, they do it because it's the best tool available for the job at hand.
BTW - I think you're wrong about the NG photogs. I remember reading a few years ago about how all but one or two of their photogs were shooting digital and the mag was headed to all digital. If they're using film cameras, it's because of the battery issue.
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11/14/2008 09:33:34 AM · #19 |
| I love spending time in the dark room, the seconds you start seeing the image appearing on the paper - no ddigital format can match that feeling. |
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11/14/2008 09:35:26 AM · #20 |
Originally posted by justamistere:
Originally posted by nikolaos:
Originally posted by Mephisto:
i know it sounds stupid, but i'm really thinking about ditching my dsrl+lenses and building up a darkroom + getting a medium format system instead.
this step may sound regressive to some, but i just feel digital doesn't satisfy me anymore.
it was a great tool to start off with photography tho and it's really amzing how much i've learned with it, but i think i'm grown out of it now.
it's like, you can't trust a photograph anymore. everything can be photoshopped, overlayed, distorted and what not. don't get me wrong, i love all this, but also feel a little bit like cheating when doing it. |
I'm thinking film too for some time now, although on a different direction. I find an SLR big & clumsy for some things, hate to drag it around all day and to some degree I feel 'disconnected' from what I'm pointing it to. I have an itch for a Zeiss Ikon with a C-Sonnar but for now I'm experimenting with a old SLR & b&w film :)
-n. |
I'm writing the following in a sarcastic/extreme/artificial tone to amplify a point.
I'm a purist, too. I prefer the old snail mail, I use pencil and paper Computers are not-natural, I'd rather walk, it's the only natural mode of transportation. Horses are meant to roam free, not to be ridden as a beast of burden. The barter system is better.
I long for the "Good olde daze", when competition was different and manual labor was more appreciated. To the contrary, Great Photographers have always used the best tools available at the time they were living.
Ansel Adams did not DRAW or PAINT his photos, he wasn't remeniscing nostalgia. Today he might have used a 38 Megapixel Hasselblad.
NOTE: New paradigms always require a change, in methods, discipline, and ways of thinking. More discipline to concentrate on shooting less shots, using skill instead of luck and post-processing. |
I would not say I seek the pure or nostalgic. I'm mid twenties and never tried film before, so, I want to try it now. After all, if you have not tried something you can't really appreciate the new also.
The reason I said 'distanced from the subject' is because when I looked from a RF viewfinder I so much more possibilities than from the narrow SLRs viewfinder. Plus the size and weight (I like small & light things). If I could afford I would by an M8, but have no money for such thing. So, I'm focusing on film, more as an experiment than something big. Further I would not say that there's something nostalgic about film, I know many people who still use film together with digital, as they're still painters around too. And I don't care what anyone else would use today.
-n.
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11/14/2008 09:40:37 AM · #21 |
| I still have a Pentax Spotmatic and a Spotmatic II and the photographs that they take have yet to be rivaled (by me) on my Canon DSLR. It's been said, but the anticipation and "forcing yourself to pay attention to all details...subject and camera" I think made me (at one time) a much better photographer. I enjoyed the smelly darkroom and actually doing the hands on manipulation rather than just pushing a slider and a computer doing it. The "fruit of your labors" type gratification. I do love my digital, but *I* feel that I've become a different photographer in the digital world. |
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11/14/2008 09:45:38 AM · #22 |
I had a bit of an interest in photography for many (film) years, but never did much about it due to cost, only once I got my first digital camera did I really get stuck into it.
I am happy to leave film behind, the same way I gladly use a washing machine instead of bashing my laundry against a rock, or emailing someone on the other side of the world within seconds instead of wondering for several weeks if my snail mail letter actually made it there. |
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11/14/2008 10:20:26 AM · #23 |
Originally posted by Mephisto:
i know it sounds stupid, but i'm really thinking about ditching my dsrl+lenses and building up a darkroom + getting a medium format system instead.
this step may sound regressive to some, but i just feel digital doesn't satisfy me anymore.
it was a great tool to start off with photography tho and it's really amzing how much i've learned with it, but i think i'm grown out of it now.
it's like, you can't trust a photograph anymore. everything can be photoshopped, overlayed, distorted and what not. don't get me wrong, i love all this, but also feel a little bit like cheating when doing it. |
I still have my darkroom stuff (its all boxed up at the moment waiting for our future house expansion). I am so looking forward to getting it set back up. I am currently shopping around for a desktop film developer. Not sure I'll get back into doing my own color printing (I'll probably scan that). Part of it is also I miss my Pentax 645, and since used lenses have plummeted in price, I can get a pretty sweet set up on the cheap (well, compared to five years ago). I still want to upgrade my DSLR- which will probably happen in about six months, but I also want to get back into some "wet" photography. |
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11/14/2008 10:23:19 AM · #24 |
I took a film course in college and ended up working as a teaching assistant for another two semesters because the professor and course were so good. I had an old Canon A-1 that was like brand new and there are still days I'm sad I sold it.
Film was a lot of fun, as was the darkroom, but in the end I couldn't justify the cost. Getting one or two printable photos off a roll of film was considered a "good roll," and in my mind that's too much waste. On top of which, in the time it takes to make a single print in the darkroom, I can process 100+ digital shots.
After graduating I just couldn't justify the cost in materials and time, especially without a dependable darkroom available to me. Film is fun and I think all serious photographers should work with it, just so they have some sense of where digital came from, but I'm afraid that it's day is past.
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11/14/2008 10:42:56 AM · #25 |
Originally posted by iColorCrayons:
{Please don't make this one of those debate threads, just thought it'd be fun to compare is all} |
So much for this! |
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