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06-30-2010, 03:48 AM   #91
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QuoteOriginally posted by goddo31 Quote
I am another with similar feelings; I think it is hard to explain the historic or nostalgic feeling to someone else, unless they themselves experience it too.
I am a bit too young to connect to my own history, although I do like using a camera that was constructed at a similar time to when I was born - I also do this with cars to some extent.
Other than that, I also have my grandmothers folding camera from the '30s. While I have only shot one completely fogged roll of film with it so far, it helps to connect to family history.

I am also hopelessly addicted to metal bodies, loud shutters, manual advance and MF metal lenses. The 'machinery' of film cameras is great IMO.
I believe many of us are experiencing this. It is an intangible, even emotional response. When everything around us (modern day technology) works without being able to understand it or at least visualize what is going on, a mechanical body with film allows us to appreciate the simplity of the process. That in itself makes it enjoyable and emotionally satisfying. But that's just me, and I'm an electronics technician.

06-30-2010, 03:38 PM   #92
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I too am a professional techie (for almost 25 years! ) and I'm sticking with film. Is see no compelling reason to go digital.

I can pick up nearly any unfamiliar film camera and within minutes be shooting properly exposed photos, with no instructions.
Try that with your new digital camera, each of which has completely different controls and commands, and a 200-page manual...

Chris
06-30-2010, 04:43 PM   #93
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QuoteOriginally posted by ChrisPlatt Quote
. . . and a 200-page manual...

Chris
In 4 or 5 different languages with a couple of independent publishers releasing 1 or 2 manuals.

Edit: And 2 years after you have been using it, you find out it will grind coffee beans.
07-01-2010, 12:10 PM   #94
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Another reason for me is the variety of b&w films being produced. I’m enjoying trying different b&w films and seeing the results with having them developed as a regular negative or as a positive with the “dr5 CHROME” process.

You will never get to experience some of these great colour and b&w films if you only shoot digital.

Example, I was in class last night taking a photo course and the teacher and I were talking about our favorite films. (Of course I’m the only student shooting film.) The teacher was showing images from great photographers and up popped the Afghan girl shot from the National Geographic photographer Steve McCurry. I piped up and said it was taken on Kodachrome film, “The best colour film of all time”. The 20ish digital shooter beside me replied “What is Kodachrome?”

Phil

07-03-2010, 12:13 AM   #95
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Better dynamic range, nicer tones especially with b&w, smaller dof than APS-C with equivalent lens and aperture, and if you do your own film developing (not that hard especially for b&w), the magic satisfaction of pulling a home developed roll from a daylight developing tank and giving it a first examination.
For me dynamic range and tone are the most important. For even better b&w tones go to medium format or higher.
I have also noticed that having a much more limited amount of shots on a roll of film helps me to focus more on composition and hitting the decisive moment. With a memory card that can contain hundreds of shots it's easy to just start spraying and lose mental focus.
09-17-2010, 08:21 AM   #96
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oh my...a lot of souls bared on this thread. the passion just poured from everywhere. i love it.
i've come to the right place i see.
09-17-2010, 12:24 PM   #97
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QuoteQuote:

I can pick up nearly any unfamiliar film camera and within minutes be shooting properly exposed photos, with no instructions.
I can shoot a bow and arrow with no instructions, but that does not make me a good hunter :-)

09-17-2010, 03:36 PM   #98
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For me best time to shoot film is when i'll be where there is no electricity and definitely nothing suggesting a modern civilization; film, full manual camera not needing batteries (Leica MP, Pentax SP oldest one i have )same with lightmeter if you need one ( i have a couple of old new seikonics)...when the lights go out one day and you need to record it film B&W and basic knowledge of field processing without standard chemicals is a must...i hope i never see that day...but i believe it's coming.

printing might be a problem other than contact prints from 4x5/8x10, i wouldn't know how to enlarge from 35mm
09-18-2010, 12:27 AM   #99
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Everyone else has pretty much said it all but my main reason for using film is that I enjoy it! The equipment is beautifully made and I like the anticipation of waiting for the films to come back from the lab. I'll admit to grinning inwardly when people look at me and say... 'oh, you're still using film?' Best of all, I seem to have a much higher "hit rate" with film than with digital. No logical reason why that should be so, but I do. For work, however, I use digital. The speed, convenience and cost makes it the only sane choice.

K.
09-18-2010, 02:09 AM   #100
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i've a friend who while i was struggling trying to understand how to expose film and it complexities he would explain it to me and break it down in layman's terms .he helped me so much. he later got a job shooting photo's of college graduates. and that's all he does. travels around from college to college.the place he works for turned strictly to digital about ten years or so ago. he got rid of all of his film cameras (about five hundred or so) and anything to do with film and made the switch himself. he'll have nothing to do with it. i keep thinking that this place he works for has taken his soul...... because he's not the man i remember.
09-18-2010, 12:03 PM   #101
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QuoteOriginally posted by ragamuffin1171 Quote
Is there any reason why someone would use film slr over digital slr? What are some good reasons to use film slr other than for nostalgic value?
The most important reason to use film is the fact that you don't have immediate feedback like with DSLRs. This is an important learning process, IMHO, for it forces the photographer to think before actually making the exposure, instead of shooting and looking at the histogram to find potential errors. That's the best school for becoming a better photographer, at least technically.

You have to use transparencies slide film for that, though, because color negative allows for too much margin when it comes to exposure errors, thanks to an excellent dynamic range (8 to 12 stops!), while slide film has about 5 stops of DR, a little less than most modern APS-C DSLR (8-9 in lab 7-8 in real world shooing, with about 1 stop more in RAW).

On top of their respecive DR, negative color film also as an exposure error margin of about -3 EV to +2 EV, while a transparency slide film has an exposure error margin of about -1 EV to -0.5 EV.

Because of the less forgiving nature of slide film, your exposure as to be spot on, otherwise you'll get underexposed or overexposed pictures with highlights or shadows that are near impossible to recover.

B&W negative film usually has less DR than color negative, but more than slide film, with similar results on the exposure margin error they allow.

This is especially true for ultrafine grain film (Kodak T-MAX, Ilford Delta), which requires more accurate exposure than older film (like Kodak Tri-X Pan) with coarser grain, which are usually more tolerant of exposure errors.

***

Out of the learning process, the increased DR of color negative film over digital sensors might be another reason to use film instead of shooting with DSLRs. But with HDR imaging, the advantage is to DSLR for static subjects.

Also, B&W film, when carefully processed, can also show more subtle gradients in the shades of gray than most DSLRs do, even when processed from RAW files.

You can also get very interesing results using specialized films (Fuji Velvia, with its vivid but natural colors) or techniques (cross-process, bleach bypass), but most of these results can be mimicked in post-processing (DxO film pack and Silver FX are great software for that).

***

Other than that, DSLRs beat film SLRs hands down IMHO: much more sharpness, more accurate colors (well, usually), much, much better low light performance and an unbeatable flexibility, including the possibility to change ISO at will.

There's one last reason to use film: the magic of using old cameras and developping pictures yourself. People might be nostalgic or not, but the sound of an old film SLR is truly unique, as is the feeling of its metal body and using its simple commands. Then, seeing your B&W image slowly coming to life in a developper bath is another unique moment DSLR can't offer. But quite frankly, I'll pass on the chemistry odors... it just stinks!!! By comparaison, my CaptureOne RAW developper doesn't smell anything!

Haven't touched a film camera in 5 years... I need to shoot film soon, if I don't want to loose the "craft"!

Still shopping for a Mamya 645 AFD, so I can fit in a (rental) digital back when needed. These machines are a bit too expensive for my wallet right now.

Last edited by tigrebleu; 09-18-2010 at 12:13 PM.
09-18-2010, 01:57 PM   #102
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QuoteOriginally posted by SpecialK Quote
I can shoot a bow and arrow with no instructions, but that does not make me a good hunter :-)
Okay, prove to me that digital will make me a better photographer and I'll switch.

Chris
09-19-2010, 12:56 AM   #103
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One big advantage of film is dynamic range. Real life is analogic, as such you can over- or underexpose film while developing by some points and still retain details. Digital sensors have to compress data to 8 (JPG) or 14-16 bits (RAW), so it clips more information. For most purposes though, some extra bits of a well exposed shot are enough room to catch up with film on this aspect. It's a good trade-off considering the amount of flexibility and comfort you get with digitals.
09-19-2010, 01:02 AM   #104
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QuoteOriginally posted by tigrebleu Quote
The most important reason to use film is the fact that you don't have immediate feedback like with DSLRs. This is an important learning process, IMHO, for it forces the photographer to think before actually making the exposure, instead of shooting and looking at the histogram to find potential errors. That's the best school for becoming a better photographer, at least technically..
I often use a DSLR as an exposure meter or Polaroid, before I shoot a film shot, especially medium format. It is not an either-or proposition.
09-19-2010, 04:00 AM   #105
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QuoteOriginally posted by tigrebleu Quote
The most important reason to use film is the fact that you don't have immediate feedback like with DSLRs.
This is an important learning process, IMHO, for it forces the photographer to think before actually making the exposure,
instead of shooting and looking at the histogram to find potential errors.
That's the best school for becoming a better photographer, at least technically.
I agree 100%.

A prerequisite for me to purchase a digital camera would be the exclusion of the LCD panel and its attendant controls.
Deleting this single feature would be a good first step towards simplifying operation.

And no, turning off the LCD is not the same thing.

However no manufacturer seems brave enough to produce a model like this.

Chris
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