Back to the joy of film photography, but now it is Digital

[kshapero]

I recently got a Leica but this time it is digital. I got a slightly used M Type 262 with a Zeiss C Sonnar 50/1.5 lens.
I started in earnest back in 1974, when I bought my first "real" camera, a used Nikon F meterless prism. Wow. I learned aperture, Shutter speed, ISO (I think we called it ASA back then). Somewhat fresh out of college and finally living in a house versus to a tent. Worked part time in a photo Co-op in the basement of a church ( something I really miss; six or seven guys developing Tri-X and making prints with old Stones albums playing.)

Then I got a Nikon FE which had aperture preferred exposure. Wow, this was a great fit for me as I nevered really warmed up to using an external meter. Now I was getting really great shots. With centered weight metering, we would set the aperture, compose, focus then set the exposure by just pressing the shutter or if the subject was backlit I learned the trick of half shuttering (a half press of the shutter) then pointing to the ground to lower the shutter speed. Recompose and voila! You do this enough times, you will get good at it.

Why am I saying all this? Because the Leica M 262 allows me to do this with a digital camera with the same ergonomic as the film days. Not trashing film by any means (still have my F and FE). Just film does not work for me anymore.

So there you have it. An ol' timer finally makes peace with Digital cameras.😀

 

[Vince Lupo]

I’ve pretty much had the same feeling with the M-D (and also to a lesser degree the Monochrom 246). I’ve been using digital for work (all Nikon) since 2000, yet, try as I might, I couldn’t reintegrate film into my personal workflow. Unfortunately (fortunately?) my work has dictated the direction I traveled, and the personal workflow went along with it. Like you, I started in the 1970s and held onto film and my darkroom as long as possible. I’ve made peace with it as well, and like you am just as happy. To me, at the end of the day it’s just the media onto which the image is recorded.

One way I’ve managed to bridge my ‘previous’ world with my current one is by using old lenses with the M-D. I’ve been on a Visoflex kick for a while and just bought a 400mm f/5.6 Telyt lens for it. I always like a good challenge 🙂

 

[Richard G]

Well done Akiva. I still recall the miracle of my M9-P bought in 2012, coming home with it and attaching my Summicron and taking pictures which were soon on my computer to look at. It's easy to forget such marvels. Soon I will have the new CFV50 II for my Hasselblad. That will be amazing.

 

[farlymac]

I've come to the realization, Akiva, that I can either have the things I need, or I can do film photography. It's just getting too expensive anymore to get the developing and scanning done, plus the 120 mile round trip to the camera store.


You're getting some good images with that rig. Hope to see many more in the future.


PF

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Digital is not film. But M is always M. It doesn't matter which number or letter is after M.

 

[Richard G]

Digital is not film. But M is always M. It doesn't matter which number or letter is after M.

Well put. So often we hear that with Leica/Leitz it's all about the 'glass', but the M ergonomics are so lean and logical and familiar and that's what counts.

 

[dourbalistar]

I recently got a Leica but this time it is digital. I got a slightly used M Type 262 with a Zeiss C Sonnar 50/1.5 lens.
I started in earnest back in 1974, when I bought my first "real" camera, a used Nikon F meterless prism. Wow. I learned aperture, Shutter speed, ISO (I think we called it ASA back then). Somewhat fresh out of college and finally living in a house versus to a tent. Worked part time in a photo Co-op in the basement of a church ( something I really miss; six or seven guys developing Tri-X and making prints with old Stones albums playing.)

Then I got a Nikon FE which had aperture preferred exposure. Wow, this was a great fit for me as I nevered really warmed up to using an external meter. Now I was getting really great shots. With centered weight metering, we would set the aperture, compose, focus then set the exposure by just pressing the shutter or if the subject was backlit I learned the trick of half shuttering (a half press of the shutter) then pointing to the ground to lower the shutter speed. Recompose and voila! You do this enough times, you will get good at it.

Why am I saying all this? Because the Leica M 262 allows me to do this with a digital camera with the same ergonomic as the film days. Not trashing film by any means (still have my F and FE). Just film does not work for me anymore.

So there you have it. An ol' timer finally makes peace with Digital cameras.😀

Congrats on the new (or new to you) camera! I think one of the most important things about any camera is that you enjoy using it. Doesn't matter if it's film or digital, doesn't matter if other people think it's a good enough camera. Only matters that you use it a lot, and use it to take photos that you love.

Just out of curiosity, though, what about film doesn't work for you anymore? I'm not a film old timer like you or many of the other commenters on the thread. If anything, I'm a "middle-timer" that started on digital and went the other way to film.

 

[robert blu]

I also started end of '60s beginning '70s my journey into photography as pure amateur.

I still use film sometimes but the M10 gives me exactly the experience you are describing.
I use digital in a similar way I was using film cameras.

And I 100% agree what Ko.Fe says:

"Digital is not film. But M is always M. It doesn't matter which number or letter is after M"

robert

 

[kshapero]

Congrats on the new (or new to you) camera! I think one of the most important things about any camera is that you enjoy using it. Doesn't matter if it's film or digital, doesn't matter if other people think it's a good enough camera. Only matters that you use it a lot, and use it to take photos that you love.

Just out of curiosity, though, what about film doesn't work for you anymore? I'm not a film old timer like you or many of the other commenters on the thread. If anything, I'm a "middle-timer" that started on digital and went the other way to film.

Love love film. But sending it off for 2 weeks is not practical for me. DIY developing days are gone for me. And oh it is nice to go from ISO 200 -800 or even 1600.

 

[kshapero]

I also started end of '60s beginning '70s my journey into photography as pure amateur.

I still use film sometimes but the M10 gives me exactly the experience you are describing.
I use digital in a similar way I was using film cameras.

And I 100% agree what Ko.Fe says:

"Digital is not film. But M is always M. It doesn't matter which number or letter is after M"

robert

The M10 sounds awesome but the M 262 is a great fit for me as it fits my budget. 🙂

 

[Michael Markey]

Still only film M`s with me but the cost of film development soon mounts up.
These latest Leica digitals seem a much better proposition than the earlier models.

Enjoy the 262.

 

[robert blu]

The M10 sounds awesome but the M 262 is a great fit for me as it fits my budget. 🙂

I am aure you’ll be very satisfied with your 262. It’s a Leica 🙂

 

[Vince Lupo]

Love love film. But sending it off for 2 weeks is not practical for me. DIY developing days are gone for me. And oh it is nice to go from ISO 200 -800 or even 1600.

Isn't it also nice to go into the back garden, take a photo, then go to your computer, download it and instantly work on it and see the result?

I have tried to get back into film over the last few years, but lost the battle each time. Funny but I've been hankering for a Nikon F recently (there have been a couple of tempting examples in the RFF classifieds), and have been trying to convince myself that 'yes this is the time I'm going to truly get back into film'. But I then look at a pristine Ricoh 500 that a friend gave me last year and its still half-finished roll of Fuji 400 loaded in it, and I put Nikon F fantasies out of my head.

 

[Keith]

Just imagine how happy you'd be if you had an RD1 ... 🙂

 

[Mcary]

Isn't it also nice to go into the back garden, take a photo, then go to your computer, download it and instantly work on it and see the result?

I have tried to get back into film over the last few years, but lost the battle each time. Funny but I've been hankering for a Nikon F recently (there have been a couple of tempting examples in the RFF classifieds), and have been trying to convince myself that 'yes this is the time I'm going to truly get back into film'. But I then look at a pristine Ricoh 500 that a friend gave me last year and its still half-finished roll of Fuji 400 loaded in it, and I put Nikon F fantasies out of my head.

I've also thought about getting back in to shooting film and have lost count of the number of times I've check the prices of M6, M4 and M4P on here and other sights but the question that keeps coming up for me is do I really shoot enough to warrant using both film and digital and the answer is always no. Realize some people might suggest shooting film for a month then going to digital for a few weeks while I wait for the film to comeback from development and scanning. Realize that works for lots of people but I just prefer sticking to one camera works best for and really don't feel like going back and forth so if I went with film, even for a short while say a year or so my M9 would just be sitting around and then what happens when I decide to go back to digital do I just let the film M sit around unused or sell it. Now maybe down the road when my M9 shoots its last frame I may decide that my next camera should be a film M.......

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Digital M has not so much functions to be worried about ergonomics.
But many Leica lenses have superior ergonomics to Zeiss with pimple instead of tab and crude 1/3 aperture rings.

Well put. So often we hear that with Leica/Leitz it's all about the 'glass', but the M ergonomics are so lean and logical and familiar and that's what counts.

 

[Tom R]

I've also thought about getting back in to shooting film and have lost count of the number of times I've check the prices of M6, M4 and M4P on here and other sights but the question that keeps coming up for me is do I really shoot enough to warrant using both film and digital and the answer is always no. Realize some people might suggest shooting film for a month then going to digital for a few weeks while I wait for the film to comeback from development and scanning. Realize that works for lots of people but I just prefer sticking to one camera works best for and really don't feel like going back and forth so if I went with film, even for a short while say a year or so my M9 would just be sitting around and then what happens when I decide to go back to digital do I just let the film M sit around unused or sell it. Now maybe down the road when my M9 shoots its last frame I may decide that my next camera should be a film M.......

I would assume that this topic is perennial ... . In my case it's a matter of vision and workflow. If I'm planning a portfolio of film images, then I use the digital camera as a "sketch pad," knowing full-well that this only works if one has continuous access to the worksite. I use an M8.2 because it was the most affordable Leica digital body that I could find that supported my lenses (that I have owned and used since the late 1970's), processed with Capture One. Once I'm confident with the sketches, I put the film on the cameras (old M4Ps) and get the job done. And yes, this means development, scanning and post-processing (Affinity, etc), and finally rendering all files in whatever format the printer requires ... usually JPGs with sRGB or CMYK profiles, etc.

Now, if I'm interested in "digital" or in mixed media delivery, then the M8.2 is used more frequently than the film M's ... again, depending.

I realize that this workflow will not work for everyone, but it's just an observation based upon the last few years.

T

 

[Ko.Fe.]

This thread quickly turns into d vs f.

I quit from lab developing and scan in 2007. It was already expensive back then. And obviously not convenient.
Now I develop C-41, E6, ECN2 and bw at home. 35 mm scanner is on sale periodically for under 300 usd.
We have thread about English photographer who still using bw film and darkroom.
Whatever Peter makes some arguments about it, but truth is with this English photographer.
I still use film, because I develop, scan, print like him at home.
But I'm not in need of film often. And then I want picture quick, but still getting pleasure of taking pictures, it is only digital M. The rest of digital cameras are not pleasure, but just regular tools for me.

 

[Ste_S]

Then I got a Nikon FE which had aperture preferred exposure. Wow, this was a great fit for me as I nevered really warmed up to using an external meter. Now I was getting really great shots. With centered weight metering, we would set the aperture, compose, focus then set the exposure by just pressing the shutter or if the subject was backlit I learned the trick of half shuttering (a half press of the shutter) then pointing to the ground to lower the shutter speed. Recompose and voila! You do this enough times, you will get good at it.

Just in case you pick up your FE again, half shutter press doesn’t lock exposure. Need to press the self timer towards the lens to do that

 

[philosli]

My only digital camera is in my phone.

I shoot about 60-80 rolls a year. 135 & 120 mixed. I develop BW at home and send out E-6 and C-41 to a local lab.

I scan the images myself, then upload to Flickr/FB/Google Photos for sharing.

I maintain about 100-150 rolls of stock of all kinds of films I have a fancy with in a freezer.

I used to have a makeshift darkroom that I set up in a bathroom over weekends. But after a move I'm still waiting for the right mood to give it another go.

My next step is a 4x5. Still hesitating, because I hate carrying a tripod around.