This thread resonates with me, but perhaps for a different reason than introduced by the OP. At one time, I owned an Olympus OM-10 and a couple of lenses (50mm, 135), and used my modest gear to the best of my modest abilities. It was not a top-end camera, but it was fairly easy to use, and served my purpose. I've used Pentax DSLRs since only several years ago (K-7, K-5, K-5 II). Although I have several modern AF lenses, I also often use older Pentax and Takumar MF lenses.
IMO, the issue extends beyond the simplicity or complexity of the camera
per se. While it takes some effort to become familiar and adept with a modern digital SLR, what I find more distracting and tedious is the '
overhead' necessary with running the gear and - especially - maintaining digital libraries/archives and post processing.
Consider the essence of making a photo with a traditional SLR or any analogue camera: select your film; mount the chosen lens; set the exposure for each shot; compose; take your pictures; etc. Develop and print your own photos (which entails another level of dedication) or have them developed commercially.
In the digital world, the lenses, exposures, and composing can be similarly simple and straightforward, and we can decide to just ignore many of the features on our camera. However, there are all sorts of other complications to distract the photographer from the pure essence and joy of photography. For example:
- focus calibration
- batteries (oh yes, must remember to charge them again)
- digital storage space (dang, my hard drive is almost full, need to buy another external drive)
- computer (with its own set of problems)
- firmware updates (will it 'brick' the camera?)
- user manual woes (now where in the manual do I find info on this question...)
- post processing (software choices, market research, complicated/bloated software)
- etc.
I don't necessarily think it's a film-vs-digital problem. It's just that the digital world brings the consequential overhead, and a distraction from the basic joy of photography.
- Craig
Last edited by c.a.m; 09-08-2015 at 05:45 PM.