Do you really want to buy a film camera?
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- Опубликовано: 1 июн 2024
- Vintage and retro are in. I am 69 and I will be racing a 1978 Yamaha YZ400 vintage motocross bike in April. I get why people like vintage. When it comes to a film camera, however, you really have to ask yourself if you will shoot film, get it developed and have it end up as a digital file anyway? Is that worth it? Are you actually willing to go all in on film and setup a black and white darkroom? If you buy a film camera and lenses, will your kit end up like most stationary bikes as well intended but seldom used?
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You had me at “you don’t need to like and you don’t need to subscribe”
In some way this channel is better than many others where they try to get as many views as possible, using click bait titles and / or reviewing gear.
Film is making a come-back with young people. I'm currently taking a photography class at my local university and the 20-something crowd is keen on film. They like the look and they like the hands-on aspect. They grew up in a virtual world so analogue gives them contact with reality.
I believe AI and its implications for photography will further raise interest in film as a method of retaining creativity and control.
@@uncunvenchunalwisdom With film, at least you captured what you saw on the viewfinder (darkroom manipulation notwithstanding). AI can create a photo that was never actually there.
Awesome
I went to school for photo and worked in a darkroom years ago. I shoot with film because it makes me to slow down, stop and really think about the process. I spend more time in the moment, not looking at the back of a screen, overshooting. I also enjoy not having to rely on batteries being charged to take great images. I also enjoy not having to deal with memory cards that will fail. I have binders of negatives that I will always physically have, unless a disaster of course. The results are exactly what I want.
The analog community is also full of creatives that I enjoy being apart of. At this moment I don't have a personal darkroom but I have a small mom and pop shop that develops my film, in turn I spend money to help keep them in business. It is a ecosystem that I appreciate and I want to continue to see it thrive. Great video and topic!
I will never ever go back to work on film. No way.
To do your job right is not about the medium, it´s about you. And I never allowed anyone to develop my films for me…
@@panorama4526 I think a major difference is I shoot film as a hobby. When you mention doing it for a job that is a perspective that I don't have.
Thank you for making this. I echo your sentiments. I've been a photographer for almost 5 decades and I've shot film a good part of those years. I started on the Canon FTb then progressed to the AE-1 and then the AE-1P before switching to the Nikon FM2 and F4S. While I miss the tactile experience of shooting film cameras, the smell of Dektol, and getting my fingernails dark, I really don't look back that much anymore.
Today's film shooters will never get the full experience as film has become a luxury item and photofinishing labs are not as prolific as they were back in the day. Shooting film was a three-part process: the camera, the developing and the print itself and the image could be controlled from the moment of capture up until the print is hung to dry.
As a photojournalist and advertising photographer, we shot film like it was on tap! With my FM2 and the F4S, there was no way of telling what you got until the contact sheets come back after several hours or a day! There was always that risk so we took extra shots and used bracketing just for insurance because as we say, "Film is the cheapest part of the shoot!"
For advertising layouts we had; the Hassy, the Mamiya RB67 and a Sinar 4x5. All those were had the appropriate instant film "Polaroid" backs and we used up Fuji FP-100Cs well before the last image showed up on the instant prints!
I converted to digital rather late, around 2007 but since then, I've appreciated the distinct advantage of the medium in as far as the workflow--I get the instant gratification and insurance of "spot checks" even before changing layouts; I don't need to wait hours or days to get proof sheets or trannies and I can send out my photos and make the deadline from anywhere in the world!
Surprisingly, despite the fact that digital images are cheaper to create than film, I still maintained the same deliberate execution whenever I trip the shutter button. I don't use the playback feature, preferring to check my shots on a computer and I don't use up too much memory on the card just to get "safety shots".
These days, I've simplified my life shooting with an entry-level, Canon EOS R100 and a mechanical lens which has both the focus and aperture ring on it. I can still feel the mechanical experience of controlling the exposure trinity and although I don't get that cocking lever action, it's fine because I was always used to the motordrives back then.
It was great when we shot analog but those days are gone and seriously, today's film shooters will never fully go through what we have back in the analog era.
F4s is when Nikon photogs went to Canon.
I could never afford an F4. My experience with it was when I worked as a first assistant for a prestigious studio back in the '90s. I did like the Canon EOS-1N a lot but I never owned one.
I never transitioned to digital. I have my Canon AE1 and a 4x5 Zone VI field camera. I've since bought a Rolleiflex 3.5E and a Hasselblad 501CM. Now that I have some " top of the line" film cameras I never have to worry about upgrading my camera every few years to keep up with advancements to digital. I had a B+W darkroom set up in the 90's but I mothballed it while raising my family. Now I've got it set up again to play with in my retirement. I have a lot to learn and re-learn but it's fun. There's just something special about holding a print in your hands instead of viewing it on a screen. Any hobby is going to cost money. So film, chemicals and paper is just the cost of my hobby. After I'm gone, there will be boxes of photographs to look at that you won't need a password to access. All those digital files will probably die with you. Lost in the cloud or your hard drive. All the negatives will still be accessible too. In 2075 will you still be able to open up a hard drive from 2024? Probably not, with the swift advancements in technology. Anyway, film is fun.
" I never have to worry about upgrading my camera every few years to keep up with advancements to digital"
There is zero reason to 'upgrade' just because new models are available. Your camera does not stop working when the new ones come out.
@@theronwolf3296
Of course you DON'T HAVE to upgrade your camera, but you will. Just like you upgrade your TV's from a 42" HD TV to a 65" OLED TV or bigger. "But the picture is SO much better". It's just human nature.
I agree with you. I started on film, use digital now, but the way it's implemented on most cameras sucks. That's not to say that you can't make your photos look like anything you want, using almost any digital camera. You can. But it's just a simulation, isn't it. I know saying this will make some people barking mad. Oh well.
You're right about storage, etc, as well. What you've said applies to all digital media IMNSHO.
I get your point about longevity, but I'm no Ansel Adams. Hell, I don't even look at the thousands of negatives slides and machine prints I made. I don't expect my kids to be particularly interested beyond a few family photos, which I print on a pigment printer so they'll last too.
So much of upgrading is just to keep up with the Jones'.
There are 2 things I never want to go back to:
1: analog photography
2: analog music media (vinyl & tape)
I get that people born in the digital age may find it interesting but man, was I glad with all the advantages that digital brought us!
Funny, your ex says the same about you
@@cowarddonnie-ji5yz You mean my ex has a digital boyfriend now?
That's great. Then she won't hurt any real people anymore.
I am 78 and still have my own darkroom. Can't afford film and chemicals now.
I am exploring the older CCD sensor cameras to get a filmic quality. Its free and for me living on a low UK state pension is an important factor.
I use an original Ricoh GR digital from 2005 for black and white and a Nikon D40x with a 18 70 afs DX f3.5 to 4.5 lens for colour. I love the results when printed, especially with the Ricoh.
I started shooting with film in 2023 and it is the best decision I’ve ever made. I can’t believe the quality I am getting from my 1982 model film camera.
From India..70 years of age..all my feelings are spoken by you bro..God bless you.
Thank you for your kind words and may God bless you as well.
I'm also an old timer, and recently took up film. I've always disliked darkroom work. So now I get my rolls of (C-41) film developed locally for $5 or $4.5 per roll. Then I camera scan them myself with a digital camera and macro lens. The I play around with that digital negative in the Adobe programs (I know...) And it's fun. And they look different from digital camera photos. And they teach you to see differently. And the camera is fun to use. Just sayin...
I shot b&w film in college and now shoot all digital. My favorite aspect of film was using a fully mechanical system, knowing that the shutter, aperture, timer, and all that was driven from cranks, gears, etc was so cool!
I still have my Pentax k1000 from back then. I have dug it out of storage and will see if I still enjoy it enough to justify the cost. I’d love to own a F-1 because you can remove the prism and see how the thing works from both sides. I love having stuff like that around, to show people. I’d also love to setup a b&w darkroom one day just for fun, printing with enlargers like we did in school!
I've shot film since 1983 and still love it. I have 2-cannon F1n, 2-nikon F5, and a mamiya rz67 pro ii bodies. I'll likely never quit shooting film if available. What I love most is the 3D view through the rz67 waist level finder and the 3D view looking at slides on a light table. Amazing hobby!
I shoot film because shooting film creates a totally different creative mindset within me than with shooting with digital. No amount of digital film simulation can do that.
It's about the interface between a creative mind and the medium used to express that creativity. Film and digital are totally different media in the same way that a paintbrush and a pencil are different media. You wouldn't try to create a painting with a pencil would you. Even different formats within one medium speak to the artist in different ways.
The only way to shoot film is to shoot film. There is no substitute.
Black and white film isn't expensive or difficult and expensive to develop, it costs pennies per image and can easily be done at home.
Film is more difficult to master.
Digital is orders of magnitude easier to do. Pretty much anyone can make a reasonably technically acceptable digital image with a digital camera or phone. That's why digital was developed and produced in the first place.
You cannot simulate film shooting with a digital camera. The only person you'd be kidding is yourself.
I will never shoot 35mm again for sure. I am toying with 4x5 though. I agree with your take on processing. It does not matter which digital camera you use, the camera does not determine the look. It is all in the raw processing. Just like film was with the dark room.
Agreed. I am toying with buying a Hasselblad 500cm to shoot black and white film that I would then develop and scan myself. I shot a Linhof 4x5 back in the day. I am not ready to go that far :)
I purchased my first SLR in 1988, a Yashica FX-3 Super 2000, which I still have. I seriously doubt I will ever go back to film.
Yes. I do. I have 8. Lots of fun when i get bored with digital. And the suspense to wait for the results 😅😅😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
Developing film at home is really great I didn't do it for the past 2 years but a week ago I started and that changes the user experience. It's lovely! I still havent gotten to the Enlarger part and creating physical photographs directly from Negatives but i'll get to that. For now i am just scanning them and printing on a modern printer but it is not the same i think.
Good video. Nikon F100 at home, but I share just a few digital files of people, and hang no pics of mine at home.
Today, my best MF experience is on new Nikon Zf with adapted F mount Voightlander (and may be one or more of them for Z mount. So even in my retirement and budget, transition of Z , just for my own enjoyment and mostly walk around, did start!
My film experience was with Minolta HiMatic 7s. Pics of the guys at college 1973-on, and then friends thru the 1980s approx. I treasure the old pics. Not my developing, on then, ever, though.
A pristine Nikon F100 was bought used, several years ago. it is what I could not afford when it was new. Sitting with partly used roll. I can get processing and hi res scans of the negatives here in NYC, but am not motivated to use now. Uses AA batteries, removed for storage. Maybe if a mood and good light strikes, another try.
We all have a different life story. In mine I was a 12 year old in 1970 and lusted over the F-1 but it was waaaay out of my budget! My life has always included photography as a hobby with the only work I got paid for being in skydiving still using film but going to digital when it came out. When I retired and the crazy active side of life came to an end I picked up a mint F-1, several viewfinder options and a few lens to "take my time"with. No regrets, it's my go-to for going to vintage motorcycle and car shows even tho I have quite a collection of other cameras. We all have a reason to justify our purchases, mine was strictly nostalgic. I hope your ride was epic....go fast, take chances! ✌
It was super fine even though another guy took me out mid air on a jump. Even so, I did win one of my race classes and had a blast doing it.
super fun...
I stuck with film for a number of reasons. First, I like the process. It's like putting paint to canvas or pencil to paper. I develop my own film, and I have printed, but I don't really have a good space to do so.
Next, when I have rolls of film in the fridge, I feel the need to go shoot them, so I'm more likely to go out and do that. With digital, I figure I can go out any time, so there's never the urge to shoot.
Third, they don't make cameras like they made film cameras anymore. I have a Yashica-Mat LM TLR from the mid-'50s. I don't use it that often because it's so heavy, but there's nothing designed like a TLR anymore. I've also used 100-year-old box cameras, and you just don't get the sense of history with digital. My main camera is a Canon AE-1. Not particularly fancy, but a decent workhorse.
I do shoot digital, but I prefer film.
I too sold all my developing kit much regret, but I still have my Pentax MX which I bought in 1976 😊. Great listening to your story
I remember it too, I am happy not to have to touch film again…😮
I’m also a greybeard and remember digital entering the arena. What I enjoy is the commitment of film work. Only in the darkroom do you find out if things went well. My favourite is B&W and I roll my own films so can do short runs, say ten frames, when experimenting. My advice to anyone curious about film is to go slowly, sort out processing the film first off. Once you’ve sorted getting good negatives then think carefully about setting up a darkroom. Go gently, it’s really satisfying but also can drive you mad with frustration. ……that’s when to have a film holiday and go digital for a while.
A great video which resonates with those of us of a certain vintage.
Like everyone else back in the 70s, I shot film as there was no other choice. I did shoot transparencies though to avoid the whole negative and printing thing, so it was purely 'straight out of camera' results for me. It did teach me to be careful though!
Digital for me was a revelation and made things so much easier. A digital camera and Photoshop made picture taking and editing a breeze. There's no way I'd go back to film. I guess the fascination with film for some younger photographers is finding out what it's like to work with film and to see if they're missing out on anything. Had I not already been there and done that all those years ago, I guess I would be just as curious. :)
I shot tons for transparencies for publication. You had to be at the right place, at the right time, and get just the right exposure. This was particularly challenging when I was shooting 4x5 film with the drape over my head, etc.
Boy am I glad someone asked this question. I still have a functioning F1 with standard glass, as well as Vivitar (remember them?) wide angles and zooms and strobes (remember them?), and I used to process both BW and Ektachrome and Cibachrome myself. A completely different workflow than Lightroom/Photoshop etc. I loved the accidental nature of developing film and paper, and the tonal ranges you could acquire with pushing development or using color filters and different papers. HOWEVER: I haven’t yet been able to see the point of using film to get a digital end product. Furthermore, I really can’t imagine going someplace like Iceland to shoot the aurora with a camera where I can’t be sure of the exposure settings and won’t see the results until I get back somewhere the film can be developed. So while I might have nostalgia for the 35mm days (and the F1 was a workhorse, but a *heavy* workhorse), I have never been a happier photographer than with the power of my Canon R5. Thanks for this video, though in my case I guess you’re preaching to the converted.
I guess my nod to film is to fit vintage lenses to my Fuji which gives quirky results - but all power to those who still shoot film.
I got my first SLR in 1969. Periodically I think about pulling one of my film cameras off the shelf and shooting a roll, but really, beyond a bit of nostalgia, I don't see a reason to go back. Limited to 36 shots on a roll, no rapid fire shooting, crazy long exposures for dim light situations, messing with chemicals (and of course film cost). I'll stick with digital.
[I also have no strong desire to go back to vinyl records or vacuum tube amplifiers either]
I am enjoying my turntable...
Great info JB! Thanks for sharing
I started photography with Mju II back in 2007, then moved to DSLR with Nikon, but still keep my film cameras (Mju + Nikon FE). Sometimes, I feel the need to slow down, reset my thinking or don't want my skill to rely on the gears. I shoot film. No digital camera, no high-resolution sensor, no photoshop etc...
I'm a few years older than you and I have also been shooting 50+ years. My favourite was Canon F-1 and later on the T-90. In 2003 I bought my first digital DSLR. After a couple of years I went fully digital and I have never since looked back. My Fujifilm X100V fulfilles my need for being nostalgic.
I started shooting professionally in 1969 when I was fortunate enough to become a staff Photographer for my university newspaper. I continued to shoot film for quite a while and worked at a lot of different aspects of photography as a freelance photographer. I started shooting weddings, rather late probably 1999 and shot weddings with some great film cameras. When digital came along I continued to shoot full frame, Nikon. But when the first Fuji x100 came out, I fell in love with it… Because of the look because of the analog feel and because of the film simulations. And I’ve been shooting Fuji ever since for all my professional work. But I still take out my Classic camera‘s because I just love using them and even when the film is scanned, it still has that different look.
I am going to shoot some film very soon. I haven't owned one of the Fuji cameras, party because DXO did not support the Fuji raw files for a very long time and I am very committed to DXO Photolab. I may pop for a used X-T4 as it checks all of my boxes and then some.
I've been shooting for 20 years and will never go film. But I do want to have those skills and long time experience of shooting film. It's another ballpark coming to photographic skill set, I have noticed that several times over the years. Watching the work of your generation. Thx for the upload, a pleasure to watch and listen to.
I still have my film cameras from the 1980s and I still occasionally shoot a roll of b&w film and develop it at home. I never used a darkroom though ( I mostly used slide film). What I do now is develop and scan to then process on the computer. That’s why I rarely do it - it’s easier to cut out the middle man and use a digital camera.
Some beautiful film cameras you have.
In my early teenage time 80ties I grew up in Poland. My cameras that I had were mostly soviet like Zenit or Smena always fully manual. A bit later I moved to Norway were I was able to afford Nikon or Canon. Later came automatic cameras and digital. Since a few last years I came back to film cameras, kinda nostalgic and beaty of it. Im collecting different cameras also those I couldn't afford before, buying different films. To me it's also kind of art. Im glad my son loves shooting on film. And I can see that many young people are taking their adventures with film photography. Thank you for your interesting videos. Cheers from Poland :)
Thanks for your thoughtful comments and have fun with shooting with your son!
I know film doesn’t really make sense in 2024, but I like the way the cameras work, I like the increased difficulty, I like the delayed gratification etc. Having a roll off from in my camera really motivates me to go out and shoot.
I get it. Based on all the feedback from this video, I just fired up my film scanner and I am going to shoot some film!
Best videos so informativ and pleasant to listen - looking very forward to the coming videos
Like Your Videos and info. Thank You.
Thank you
It was great to hear your take on the subject .
Like yourself I went through the same experience.Glad to see people like you helping others in possibly getting back to film photography!
You are most welcome
Nice video thank U
I agree about the darkroom. And a great taste in music.
I started to shoot SLRs in 1978 when I got an AE1 as a birthday present.
The viewfinder is bright and clear even to today's standards. (I've got a Fuji X-H2 digital to compare.)
Meanwhile bought an AE1 again plus an F1 as backup and for BnW / color film choice, but do only shoot about 4 rolls a year.
But I like the taktile and noisy experience of shooting film. ❤❤❤
I like the experience as well. It brings back lots of memories.
Bought a used epson RD1 from Japan, and couldn’t be happier.
I still have my old 35mm SLR camera. I also have equipment so I can use the bathroom as a darkroom. My passion is liquid emulsion. It takes some long nights of work to make pictures on beach stones, pieces of driftwood, etc. I have not found a digital solution for this.
I shoot both film and digital. I like the convenience of digital, and its results, but I find the shooting experience on film to be more satisfying, I enjoy the anticipation of waiting for the results from the lab to arrive, and the tactile feel of film cameras. Print is the final destination and where the photos really come to life.
I also like the tactile feel of the cameras, especially focusing cameras from the late 70s.
Love your conclusion being up front, as yes film is a beginning to end process that you have to invest time and effort into.
Great video, color and contrast looks awesome. Great points!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Nice video! I started photography in the mid 90s with film. I still shoot film quite often, both 35mm and medium format. I do really like the Fuji line of cameras like you mentioned because of the tactile use and feel. Thanks for sharing. I'm looking forward to seeing more. I just subbed your channel. 👍
I got into photography through my mom who had her own bw darkroom. Shot film in my late teens and twenties, and fully embraced digital since it became attainable in the mid 2000s. Although I do love the 'film aesthetic' that i'm still seeing in today's film photography, I couldn't ever go back. Too much toil and time missed out on life. Capture One is my darkroom.
Love your channel btw 🙏
Thanks! DXO Photolab is my darkroom. At some point I will do a video comparing Ansel Adam's Zone System for black and white photography with today's post production work flow options.
Great look back in time! I don't think things will quite be the same as they were 40 years ago, but I think developing and then scanning at home with a digital camera, processing through Negative Lab Pro, and editing digitally is about as close as we will get.
I just picked up a Minolta X570 and a 50mm f/1.7 lens for about $120 used, and have been loving shooting it. The thing digital gives you that film doesn't is instant gratification and feeling of "disposableness" if that makes sense. I don't feel the pressure to get everything right with digital, but with film I make sure I triple check that I am metered correctly and that focus is good and aperture is set properly. I'm still working through my first roll of Cinestill 400D, but I have been acquiring the tools to scan with my modern mirrorless camera at home. I have a Fuji X-T5 and while film simulations are really great, you cannot fully replicate film. I like shooting both for their own reasons. Happy shooting!
Wow I would love to buy you a bevy. We're worlds apart but speak the same words. Love it. Thanks.
❤ When I shoot color film, I just let develop and scan. I like the grain out of 35mm film. ❤
Very interesting. I recently geared up to shoot some film again. I have a film lab nearby that I want to support, which was part of why I wanted to do it. I'll tune in next time for more.
I had the AE1, A1 and FM, FM2 etc and have a Nikkormat here and had my own darkroom. I'd never go back to film. Something I do love is a Nikon D3x. It has that sort of film quality that modern digitals don't have. I'm really sad they're removing aperture rings from lenses... but cameras are going the same way as cars - can do a lot but mostly are full of annoying, overkill features.
I got back into film, I had a collection of 35mm medium format and 4x5. I used to have them processed by a lab before digital really took hold but since then I have been at least processing black and white negatives. The allure of film never left me but cost has been a barrier.
Wow! This is one quality content I stumbled upon while browsing. Glad that the YT algorithm got me here :D
Glad you found it interesting.
Thanks for a 'retro' look... Had a Leica of some model or other from 1960 till this year... sold them all ... Got the Nikon Zf and a Nikon FM... so I can still use roll film occasionally..The Zf is a good fit for my hand size, good viewfinder, manual controls... Love it.
yes. I took a used F2 with a 50mm to Vienna in 1993. I was lucky to get a few good shots for each role. those were great days. I wish I could go back with a digital camera now. memories are everything.
I understand the attraction to film,I used film from my early teens to 50 years of age,I have been involved in digital photography for the last 16 years, I would never go back to film cameras, I have full frame, APSC and micro 4/3. I have Pentax, Panasonic,Olympus, Fujifilm, Nikon and Sony cameras, I have glass from all the above and Sigma, Viltrox and a few manual focus Voightlander glass. My film camera right now is a Nikon ZF with Voightlander manual focus lens, it gives me a feeling of shooting film with out the drawbacks. When I used film I had Kodak do my prints, today I have printed my own work for the last 16 years and during this time the switch to digital has allowed me to photograph things that I would not have done with film and I also had been involved in event photography for over five years shooting weddings, baptisms, birthdays, portraits, family photo shoots and pets, I also have sold prints both framed and unframed so digital photography for me has been liberating and a special kind of experience, the landscapes, seascapes, wildlife and birds along with events that I have been able to photograph while I have complete control over the entire process from taking photos, post processing files and printing photos of various sizes on many different paper types has been amazing.
Glad to hear you are having such a great experience.
I feel like a dinosaur! I'm 58 years old, and I grew up with the smell of chemicals in the darkroom, and a wonderful meopta enlarger with a Rodenstock Rodagon lens. I enlarged photos up to 1m long, and I always loaded my film (Kodak Tri-X) from a huge can. My favorite camera was (and still is) an Olympus OM1n, with an unrivaled viewfinder and a fantastic shutter sound. The lenses were amazing. Now I'm shooting digital, but I miss those old film days!
Brought back some great memories working in the darkroom in high school. Still have a few film cameras, love the idea of shooting film but unfortunately they don’t currently get used much. Guess we are all looking for that film look with our digital cameras. Look forward to your future videos!
Thanks. I started looking at enlargers on EBAY. Lots of Besler 23cs out there. It would be a big step to do that again :)
So, so true about the big, bright optical viewfinders of some classic film SLRs. I still own and occasionally use three of my old all-metal Nikon bodies. I was playing around with my early '80s F3 recently, and looking through the viewfinder is like looking through a picture window. It is astonishingly different than the much smaller, dimmer viewfinders of my autofocus cropped-sensor Nikon DSLRs.
Love the video I still have my canon f1 camera which am still using teaching photography at a summer camp
The Canon F1 may have been overshadowed by the Nikon F2, but the F1 is a wonderful camera.
I started out in 1966 with several Nikon F's and four lenses. I still have and use that first kit. Many cameras and lenses have been used since then in film and digital but I still shoot film whenever it suits the circumstances. I prefer wall prints to be film while I use the digital mostly for on-line use. As long as I can get film, I'll shoot film.
The hours and days experimenting with different films. Trying films in the 100, 200, 400 iso or your chrome films. Getting to know how much you can push your film, it certainly was an art. I miss those days but it just got to expensive. Then there is processing your own film, darkroom techniques, darkroom equipment, no computers! Boy, we have it easy today.
I shot film from 1968 to 2008. Professionally from 1976 to 2007. I agree with everything you said about that. I overlapped with early digital cameras but once I bought a Nikon DSLR in 2008 I never shot film again. There was just no reason at all. I have now maxed out with a DSLR with 4x the resolution of that first one, which more than replaced 35mm film. In fact the latest camera is close to 6x6 film. This film thing now is only silly if you want to get paid for your work. No one will pay you for film work.
My first film camera was a Praktica MTL-3, then on to Canon A1, F1-N, etc. etc. Shooting for local press, weddings, sporting events, all back in the 80's. Many hours spent in my darkroom, endless dodging and burning and experimenting with different paper grades. It was enjoyable at the time, but I don't have the desire to stand in a chemical-filled room anymore. I still shoot film, these days with a Nikon FM3a - arguably the best 35mm film camera ever made. But now I just process the film and scan it from there. There's a whole generation that have never known film, which is why the price of film cameras has gone through the roof. What was once old fashioned and 'dead' (to some), is now considered hip and trendy 🤷🏼♂
I just shot two rolls of black and white in my Canon A1. Now shooting some color. I am having a local lab develop the film and I am scanning the negatives. I will be doing a video called "My Hybrid Film Shooting Experience"
Awesome video JB liked and subbed. Fine collection of cameras there, and great taste in music. I shot film pre digital days I printed all my own black and white work. Stupidly I sold my darkroom gear 8 years ago, still miss it but have no space these days. I still shoot film at times just because I enjoy the challenge of picking up old tech and trying to get a result from it. I also got back into shooting film to add content to my channel, mix things up a tad. I found that I love the whole process. I still dev my own film, and scan it I quite enjoy it. Anyway looking forward to more of your thoughts cheers Paul
Cheers to you and thanks for your comments.
What I liked about analog film was being surprised at the results. One also wasn't trigger happy when shooting. Having studied film production, B/W photography class to include developing and printing was required. In the 80s, I brought my Nikon 8008 which provided me with the ability to shoot 9 frames on one frame, which was fun to do. I eventually used Fuji film exclusively, having worked on productions, and the DPs preference were Fuji at that time. With digital I'm far from being trigger happy, evaluating my shot choices, which improved when having a short course under the guidance of a former long time photo editor for Nat'l Geographic. My approach to photography has changed to one which gives me the most fun when shooting pictures.
For most of us, having fun and creating some lasting memories, is what it is all about.
As someone who's interested into getting into photography more seriously, thanks for sharing your expertise! I honestly don't think I can imagine myself actually setting up a dark room, it's really cool hearing about film and the differences of different types of cameras though.
If you're just getting into photography, save yourself the hassle and get a digital camera.. The real film era is gone.. what we have these days is some wanna-be .. Digital is far more flexible....
Another great video JB! I have about 4 older 35mm cameras and I love them. Despite digital, there's still a connection to my past and trying to "learn" to shoot and pefect them. 35mm gets costly to shoot as you said and scanning the negs are not the same as developing, pushing, short stop, fixer etc. I won't setup a dark room at this point but I'll always keep those cameras close by. Thanks to the incompetency of modern day USPS, I'm still waiting for a roll to arrive at Darkroom out west for my latest B&W film adventure. Hey, maybe I will setup a darkroom after all... LOL. Thank you again!
I just bought the kit to develop black and white film. I am going to give it a try and will report back.
I just received delivery of an Asahi Pentax SV camera and a Pentax Spotmatic II camera yesterday. The SV doesn't have internal light metering and doesn't use a battery while the SPII is one of the first to have TTL metering. A battery for it is available and costs about $3. I also bought a digital light meter that mounts on the camera's hot or cold shoe for about $30 with shipping. It can function as a reflective but also as an incident light meter. (It's Chinese, of course, and available on eBay.) I have over 50 m42 lenses that I shoot on my Sony (digital) bodies, but it seemed fitting to get a couple of camera bodies they were originally intended for. I, too, have been taking photographs for fifty years and miss having a B&W darkroom most of all when it comes to film.
I am lucky. I live south of Salt Lake City and a lab called the Findlab is going to open rental black and white darkrooms for only $15 per hour.
@@uncunvenchunalwisdom Wonderful! I hope they are successful. And I hope you can find good papers to print on and at a reasonable price. You might want to get your own enlarging lens, too, if you don't have one.
I got myself a few point and shoots for $20 or so each. Put different brands and ISO film in each for different looks and for use in different lighting conditions, which eliminates the limitation of having to finish a roll to change settings. One of them (Canon Owl) has an amazing viewfinder, so I know what you mean. It's a pleasure. Film costs $8 and I get development and high res scans for $6! I know you probably aren't the type to consider P&S cameras. I have a mirrorless digital, so I don't feel the need to have my film cameras be super complex SLRs. I really enjoy the different mindset of the process of film photography, and the exercise in delayed gratification. Also I feel like people crave the anticipation of waiting for something exciting, and film photography is probably one of the cheapest things that could satisfy that need.
I have some expired film in stock (I am sure it is still fine), so I am going to fire up one or more of my digital cameras, have the film processed and scanned by the local lab and go from there. I will do another video once I have had this experience.
I shot thousands of film shots and not one frame of film since getting a digital camera.
I have a fugi XT1. that's great.
No more film for me, Enuff of that in the '50-'70's. Still have a camera and lens and developement stuff around somewhere. Love the modern simple stuff. Canon M50 my main camera now days.
I moved to digital many years ago when I moved continents. Digital saved my photographic hobby as in my new house I had no room for a darkroom. So I embraced digital. At no time have I "over shot" images, I use my MF digital camera the same way as I used my Mamiya RB67 Pro S..which I still have, framing and composing and getting it right in-camera. Usually I take one to two images per scene, subject..just like film. Further, I don't try to emulate the film look with my digital files.
Shooting digital in a manner to shooting film just requires self discipline.
@@uncunvenchunalwisdom Exactly!
I took my best film camera shots with the cheap Russian zenith E. I liked the old Ilford HP5 film as you could get away with murder in terms of pushing it for low light shots. I love digital cameras but the one problem I've found is shutter lag. Even it its only a fifth of a second it can be a nuisance. Its shorter with a film camera focal plane shutter but with the shutter on the lens it practically zero. Having said that I've only got a old Canon SX20is that my house share partner gave me but its wonderful with all the things it does and so many people see your pictures on social media etc.
I still own a Nikon F100 that I foolishly bought new thinking I was going to use it for the rest of my life which was mothballed after 2 years of use. I got a D810 recently to use my old lens. I can say I don’t miss film one bit.
I still use my Canon film cameras since I have quite a few lenses, some still in mint condition, all Canon FD fixed focus lenses.
great video, i shoot film when I'm really feeling nostalgic but the workflow is tedious and costly depending on processing.
I started "serious" photography in 1972 with a Minolta SR-T101. I've used a variety of film cameras from Minolta, Pentax and Canon, as well as a Leica M3 and a couple of medium format cameras. I had my own darkroom for many years and actually enjoyed it. A couple of years ago I thought I wanted to get back into shooting film. Just buying and processing the film is expensive. I considered just developing the film and then digitizing it, but that opens up a whole new can of worms. No, thank you. I'll stick with digital.
Thanks. I have a bunch of 35mm film cameras. I am going to shoot some B&W and have a local lab develop it. For the cost of developing, they post fairly low res jpegs for download. They want to upcharge for higher res scans, but I am going to play around with it in Topaz photo AI including using their Gigapixel AI. This is the easiest way I can think of to dip my toe back into film. If I like the results, I will share the experience on my channel.
I have my 65th anniversary of starting to shoot and develop film in June. You are absolutely right, the cost factor is enormous if you send it out for develop and scan. i was paying $25 for shipping both ways, develop and scan on top of the cost of the film. On a 10 frame RB67, that's $3.50 per click. Now, i just develop and scan with a 46 mp camera and zeiss makro lens on a rolling stand I already had. For someone who shot film for 40 years, detoured into digital for over 10 before getting bored with sterile images, film gave me something that digital didn't. FUN. I chose from any of 12 cameras from 35 mm, 645, 66 and 67. I get to chose film stocks in b&w and color. Color is easy to develop using the sous vide to control temperature that will be cooking my corned beef for 2 days. Now my developing and scanning cost is more like $1.50 and turn around is 3 hours not 3 weeks. Now for someone new to film, especially folks who shot on auto modes, it can be a nightmare of expensive failures. Have a light leak in a film back and bingo you just pissed away $35. I'm old school studio guy so have 3 meters and on my modern film slrs with accurate meters, exposure is a piece of cake. But for newbies what is a simple measurement is daunting. Many folks in digital bought into believing the next newest piece of gear would transform their work soon learn they have been duped. But looking for another easy path to photo art, they think film will do it. Instead of sharper and better exposed digital crap, they produce less sharp and poorly exposed crap. Developing opens a whole range of creativity. Mastering the craft is too hard when you can just plunk down a credit card for gear that promises to make art. Many follow what ever hipsters are doing no matter how stupid. Here's a suggestion, let's get up this morning and let someone punch a hole in my nose, lip, tongue and put some metal in it. Then have some dirt bag drill holes in my skin and inject an ugly green die. Buying a film camera to be hip is a piece of cake in comparison. However, they have the attention span of a piss ant and will move on to the next fad when it comes along, dumping their little used gear. The digital fad has peaked and crashed. Ask nikon and canon. But those of us who shoot film for the aesthetic, we will keep shooting til we die. It not only fulfills our vision, but is FUN.
Wow...this is definitely a very engaging comment :)
@@uncunvenchunalwisdom This is an important subject and so many folks have picked up a film camera for the first time and I just hope they have a good experience. Unfortunately, so many try it for the wrong reasons and with unrealistic expectations. Hey, just means more lightly used gear for sale.
I started photography in the late sixties with a Pentax w/50mm lens; then an antique 4x5 and 5x7 view camera. I rolled film and prepped plates. Lots of darkroom work. The chemicals gave me headaches, so eventually I abandoned photography for painting (also toxic!) Now, over 50 years later, I'm thrilled with digital cameras because I can use DXO to change the raw files straight to film looks, and proceed with processing from there. Works with ANY digital camera! Limitations are great for the creative process!
I love DXO. It is my digital darkroom and more. I will make a video regarding my passion for DXO in the near future.
Thanks for your comment.
@@uncunvenchunalwisdom I look forward to it!
Nothing is better than B&W film. I have tried every digital ”trick” to get close. Even the Leica M Monochromes. But, no.
And there was Kodachrome 64, the best color slide film.
Agreed. My M10M is nice, but my M3, 50mm APO and Ilford XP2 is better.
I’m 65 shot since the 70s with cannon f1 ,A1 pretty good at zone system printing worked for Surfing mag as a water photographer for almost 20 years
I wouldn’t trade my new Fuji digital ever hated the slow process of film
I was an Army photographer during the film era. I switched to digital. But have switched back to film. While my digital camera is great and takes exceptional pictures. I would use digital now if I were working again as a photographer, but I love film, and I like the darkroom process. I have set up a darkroom again, but I only plan on shooting B&W, or color slide film. I don’t think you can get the archival quality print from digital that you can get from FB silver gelatin paper. I know I can work the image in the darkroom to make the best photograph I can do.
Is it worth it. Yes, I think so. My friend and son can do digital but they didn’t understand photography until I got them using a manual film camera.
*eyes the Sony A7*
Eeeh no. As long as I can get a lens on this system. I am fine.
I looked at film, shortly, saw how much WORK it is, and decided I rather make digital pictures and send that off to the printer instead.
But is that all? Well I do have a Fujfilm Instax camera. Oh I love that one. It is flawed, but fun.
I kept my f4 because I saved so hard for it & it's so beautifully designed. I've not used it for years. Clients want the speed of digital and for myself, it's too expensive. I won't get a(nother) film camera but I won't give up my voightlander bessa, my kiev (imitation minox) ... Because they're great
You bring up a good point about B&W developing. Even if you eventually scan rather than print from your negatives anyway (like many RUclips film "influencers"), you have already given up a lot of control and possible "looks" but having a lab develop instead of doing it yourself. You loose the effects of so many different developers, methods of development, etc....
I agree. Having a lab do the development then scan the negatives means you really aren't very far into the b&w film process.
@@uncunvenchunalwisdom Back in my 20s I loved doing all the steps and practically lived in my home darkroom. Now at 68 I find it is just not as practical for me and I have gone to mostly digital. At this stage in life it gives me much pleasure but occasionally I do miss th4e film experience.
Yes.
I set up my Fuji XT1 to be as close to the film era experience as i can...i will admit to usin auto iso. I use adapted Olympus Zuiko vintage lenses. It feels like shooting film. The Fuji "recipes" are the icing on the cake. I have a collection of beautiful Olympus SLRs. Im frightened to use em...and not just because buying and developing 10 rolls of film would cost than i paid for the four cameras and lenses! So, manual focus, manual ss/aperture....whats not to like?
Seems like a really satisfying approach.
Just purchased a Nikon FM2 in pristine condition. Not a scratch on it. Ran into it for a really good deal. I normally shoot Fuji GFX and X systems and use Nikon F mount lenses in manual focus since that’s what I prefer, so I said hell why not get a camera. It’s very cool but very stressful to shoot since each shot is costing about $2 all together. I plan to use it on more special occasions, and keep shooting digital and practicing the manual focusing. Never considered all the waste involved on film but that’s another good reason to shoot digital. Cheers!
The cost of film, etc. can create a slower and more calculated photography discipline.
Well you can buy a new digital camera for a few grand. Or a film camera for a few hundred. That few grand pays for a lot of films processing. I scan using my digital camera. It’s actually kinda fun.
I would suggest that the new photographer get a scale focus camera. He will be most self reliant and if something good is produced, he can more easily reverse engineer the process, than using a behemoth system camera. A scale focus camera, Sunny 16 and 1 type of film that is used for a long time, 400 speed.
Good insight. What I get from shooting film comes mostly before the developing. FOR ME, there is no way to shoot my Canon 5Ds or my Sony A7rII or my Olympus E-M1 the same way I shoot my Leica M3 or Canon New F1, or Mamiya 645 Super. The fact that I end up with a digital file that I then print to Instax Wide is wonderful. FYI I developed and printed my own photographs for many years in the late 80s and early 90s.
Do you do your own scanning as well as developing?
@@uncunvenchunalwisdom Not yet, but I am looking forward to it as soon as my new scanning kit arrives from the UK.
When I shoot BnW I just develop the film, then scan the negative with a macro lens. Not so much space needed.
I loved developing B&W film and shooting color in the eighties and nineties but when I had my first experience with digital photography in 1998, I was sold.
I will not go back to these limited and expensive pictures and not knowing if your pictures are any good until they return from the lab.
There are too many influencers trying to create (analogue) hypes and they succeed. It’s perfectly alright for youngsters to try film cameras but digicams have allowed me to take many thousands of pictures I would not have taken if we still had film.
It is kind of like going back to a 60s pickup truck. It will get you there, but you probably don't want it as your daily driver.
I grew up with black and white film with a darkroom in the basement. It was a lot of fun, but I wouldn't go back.
Thanks for a very nice video on analog photography. I have been photographing myself since the early 60s and I still do. I develop my film myself and also enlarge in my own home laboratory. I agree with what you say in the video but want to add a few things that are rarely brought up and that I think are extremely important.
Firstly, my interest lies in the photography itself. I don't want to be a computer operator who has to manage files. Problems with backups and disk management take too much time away from creative photography and darkroom work.
But the biggest problem with the digital technology is poor archival durability. There are two parts to this problem. The first is software compatibility. Today there are probably hundreds, perhaps more than a thousand different RAW image formats. How long will the software companies support all the old image formats?
But perhaps the biggest threat is how long stored information is secured. A hard drive that has not been used for 5 years is in most cases unreadable. A big reason for why I myself shoot with film I can explain with a true story. When my dad passed away a few years ago, I found a box in his attic. In this box was a collection of negatives from my grandfather. The pictures were taken between about 1895 and 1910. All could be used!! For me a real treasure.
Thanks for your excellent insights.