film or digital and age

film or digital and age

  • <20, predominantly film

    Votes: 12 1.9%

  • <20, predominantly digital

    Votes: 3 0.5%

  • 20-29, predominantly film

    Votes: 89 13.8%

  • 20-29, predominantly digital

    Votes: 23 3.6%

  • 30-39, predominantly film

    Votes: 103 15.9%

  • 30-39, predominantly digital

    Votes: 33 5.1%

  • 40-49, predominantly film

    Votes: 87 13.5%

  • 40-49, predominantly digital

    Votes: 44 6.8%

  • 50-59, predominantly film

    Votes: 73 11.3%

  • 50-59, predominantly digital

    Votes: 49 7.6%

  • >60, predominantly film

    Votes: 59 9.1%

  • >60, predominantly digital

    Votes: 71 11.0%
  • Total voters
    646
  • Poll closed .
I go for a period mostly with film, and then for a period mostly with digital. I voted "predominantly digital" only because it just so happened that I have been using digital cameras for the past 6 weeks.
 
Some very interesting results in the poll so far, I'm in the later end of the 40-49 group, I tend to mainly shoot film but use digital for ebay sales pics. Like many of my age I was brought up on film
 
I am 73 and use digital (M9, OMD) almost all of the time. I would be lucky to shoot one film in two months. As someone suggested above i suspect the poll is skewed by digital users not bothering with it.
 
I'm in the 50-59 group and I voted "predominantly digital". In many ways that's not by choice: I haven't lived in my own place (where my "film stuff" is) for some time, because I can't get work where I (would prefer to) live. Instead I've been working elsewhere - where I can, in fact, get work. (Thank you, Great F-ing Global Financial Crisis!). If it were up to me, though, I'd aim for 50:50 and probably end up more film than digital. But it isn't up to me...

...Mike
 
Certainly not a representative sample here. While the film industry isn't struggling, film certainly isn't being used more than digital, not even (I would guess) among RFF members.
 
I am 25 and shoot predominantly film. I have a nice digital kit of Nikons, but when I am shooting for fun, I always pull out my M6 or P67.
 
Started using film in 1982 with a RF camera, then in 1983 went to Nikon FE and had that for next 28 years.... until 2 years ago changed it for a Nikon FM3a - also only ever use 100 asa film sometimes 160 asa.

As long as I can get film processed and printed in Dublin - then I will continue only to do that. Not interested in digital - not because of the cameras or the capture but because of sitting in front of the computer and tweaking things and learning to use software etc is alien to me.

I have investigated using a film/slide scanner - but haven't made the plunge yet. I don't mind if I am the last film and manual focus luddite in Dublin, I just stick with what I know best and happy with.
 
That's a very interesting poll.
It seems that the "less young" people tend to use more digital (the only age fork where the two are about equal is the last one)
I don't know what is the reason, but I can guess:
older, wiser people, know by now that it's not about the camera but all about the picture? (wish I was there 😱)?
Or maybe physiological reasons? AF to compensate for a bad vision? IS for less stable hands?, camera weight?
 
If I had to guess, I'd say people in their later 30s, 40s, and 50s are fairly likely to have dependent kids, and therefore a severe lack of time. Digital might suit them better. Also I imagine these people may want lots of photographs of their kids, and might feel a digital camera is better for this.

Maybe also, older people may have grown up with film, and find digital a refreshing change. On the other hand, younger people may have grown up with computers don't find them new or exciting any more.
 
zuiko85 said:
If this poll represents a typical cross section of members then it's results are surprising to me. In every single age group film use is higher than digital use.
Click to expand...

There are two rather simple explanations to this:

1) People discover this forum when they start shooting film. This has, indeed, been my case. I found out about RFF because I bought a Zorki to play with, and I wanted to see how I can shim the lens. Needless to say, I found Brian's posts, etc... Now I have a Leica, and feel a part of the RFF cult, so, I am still here. I guess there are other internet resources that cater to more mainstream tastes, but I don't feel I belong there.

2) The second explanation may have to do with what we call "Social Desirability Bias". It turns out we may not answer a question honestly, just in order to look good in front of peers. Those among us who are in social sciences should be well-introduced to the subject. It happens in all surveys and even in elections, and it is pretty difficult to get rid of. If the vote is anonymous, the observed bias is normally of smaller magnitude, but it may still continue to exist because we may like our community to look good in the eyes of the community members (probably not even consciously).

Furthermore, people have a memory bias towards what makes them feel good, or what is inline with their norms and values. If we consider shooting film as a prestigious norm or much-revered value in this forum (doesn't even need a proof!), one can argue that having internalized this norm, most forummates have a memory bias towards remembering themselves shooting film, or only considering their film shooting as their serious work.

Anyway, I am in the 30-39 category and I responded mostly film, because I have just sold my digicam. For now I am into practicing with this "new" old medium that is film.

Cheers!
 
33, film

I'm going to draw a line between, quick grabs of the kids for sharing online/email/messaging and photography for the purpose of enjoyment and printing

So, the phone for the first option, film for photography.
Or to put it another way;
My main camera is film which sees a lot of use, but I take a lots of shots with my phone...
 
"Digital technology, you see, is not the villain here. It simply offers another dimension. I'm not sure if it's a farther remove from reality than analogue. I think if we can speak of reality, if reality and representation can be spoken of in the same sentence, if reality even exists any more, digital is simply another way of encoding that reality."

- Lewis Baltz ,"Subjects and objects of the new technological culture: Interview" in: MediaMente. 1998
 
I'm 50 and I shoot more digital in terms of number, but more film for the stuff I really care about. I grew up with film of course, but never liked photography that much until digital made it a lot faster and easier, but then I got lured back to film as I advanced. Perhaps not a normal path for people my age? I dunno....
 
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