Originally posted by gofour3 Shooting a roll of 120 film with my Pentax 6x7 costs between $2.00 to $2.50 per shot depending on the type of film. (That cost includes the film, processing, lab medium resolution scans and all taxes).
The 300 digital shots you took could have been done with no more than 30 film shots, as with film you tend to slow down and take your time instead of firing away.
Also don’t forget the initial cost of the 645D, which is now worth 1/5 of what you paid for it. So you lost probably 8K in depreciation in a couple years. You can buy more than five used Pentax 6x7, 67 or 67II bodies for that cost and they will not depreciate in value.
In the end film will turn out cheaper, especially when you now have to buy the new 645D2 as your 645D is obsolete. That will be another 12K or so.
Phil.
I suppose depending on where you live the costs and certainly the taxes will be different. For me, since I only shoot chrome, the cost for a roll of 120 is $10 + $11 for processing + $11-$29 for scanning the ten frames depending on resolution. = $3 per shot (with local 9% sales tax) not to mention my time, gas and wear and tear on my car to go get the film, drop it off and then go pick it up.
I understand your point regarding depreciation, but still over time you will have more money in your pocket shooting digital than continually spending it on film, processing and scanning. My depreciation on the 645D is around $4,000 since I didn't pay anywhere near $9,999 for the body as I had purchased it from an actual store and not from an on-line retailer who's subject to MAP rules and regulations. As for used gear no longer depreciating, all one has to do to see the validity of that argument is to just look at the used prices for a 67II from the time they were in production to now.
As for what I could have bought used, well that's not exactly comparing apples to apples. A new 6x7 body is around $3,900 which might be what a used 645D will be soon going for once the 645D 2014 hits the shelves. Comparing the used price for both film & digital is fair, but still in the end digital must come out ahead because of not having the continuous expense associated with film. How long that'll take obviously depends on how much you shoot. The camera MFRs know this, which is why there's a hefty premium on digital cameras, especially in the pro markets. You want to see some real depreciation, compare the new/used price of a EOS DCS 1 which was $35,000 new and now can be purchased for about $400.
Either way, I'm just glad to be shooting with a camera that I love. And no, it's not obsolete as still has better image quality than any non-medium format DSLR and many MFD too.