Why Do You Still Shoot Film?

I think Rhoyle says it all. And, may I add that as for digital cameras there appears to me two types small and large. The small I need to hold at arms length to obtain a view of the image which makes it just perfect for indescreet street shooting or large and cumbersome and not inexpensive. I can purchase film cameras with fantastic optics for under $100. The choices for experimenting are enormous.
 
I shoot film only for personal work because I shoot digital all day at work. Wish I could go back to film at work but its a lost cause.....
 
As someone said I shoot film because I own film cameras; however I the reason I don't buy a digital camera is my fear as a geek [I've a degree in Computer programing] that if I got my hands on one I may never shoot film again and I believe that film, developing, printing etc are important skill sets.
 
Once a year - to keep in touch with my photographic roots. But I must confess that I am happy to return to my M8 each time. I would have to shoot 645 slides to draw equal. Don't shoot me, it is just me and my taste, not a sweeping statement.
 
lubitel said:
I am just an amateur, but I shoot both film and digital. Film because I can use rangefinders and MF when i feel like it, and digital because I have better control of the final image on the computer (I dont have a darkroom).
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I fully agree.

I'm a business consultant. I love photography since I was 12.

I started with my mother's Brownie Fiesta passed through the mandatory Beirette and my Minolta SLR.

Thousands of pics, prints and lovely moments. As many here, I started with my first darkroom very early (13).

BUT:

At some point, as part of my job (Business consultant) I decided to deliver shoots and images to my customers and suddenlly, photography became part of my business. (does that make me a Pro?)

I bought my D-200 because it's practical. I love to shoot, edit (even with no Photoshop skills); post in a website for customers to watch, and deliver to my designer-partners in less-than 4 hours. Customers love it. I'm even taking product-shots.

I'ts funny but I always try to get the best "artistic" and "enjoyable-to-the-eye" results with my DLSR. I'm a composition freak and I LOVE to C R O P every digiltal image I shoot (do I sound pathetical?)

It's just about been practical, not about my artistic point of view or my phylosophy. If I can make some extra bucks with my digital photography, why not?

Recently I re-discover my grandpa's Super Ikonta, and I love it !!!

I'll keep doing my digital thing for work and it'll be most of my photography. But I'll remain using the Super Ikonta for my personal pleasure, as well as the Minolta SLR (it's my son's now...).

Having both worlds is nice... I think.

Regards.
 
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I shoot both.

mostly RF film, why?
1. better lenses for less $$$$
2. less complicated cameras
3. smaller gear=smaller gear bags
4. BATTERIES I can burn through LOTS of batteries on DSLR but many rolls on the same set for the Bessa
5. needing to remove the batteries so they don't drain/destroy the camera between uses

BECAUSE I CAN! still lust for the Canon 70-200 ISM zoom 😀
 
35mmdelux said:
One Word:

Kodachrome 64
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That's three! 😉 😀

Just got back into film, particularly black and white, whilst still using my Digilux2; which got me interested film again. I'm itching to get a darkroom at some point, because i can smell the fixer in my head, and i need to scratch it.

I just think film has a presence.
 
I still use film for few primary reasons:

1) I like to have something tangible, like film, to view in my hand. I have known a few people that have lost all their photo files due to various computer glitches. If I at least have film, I can always rescan the image.

2) I know this is slowly changing, but I feel that digital is all homoginized, the same look regardless of camera, since all the chips are the same. Film can have so many different types of look, depending on what type of film, film speed, developer, and temperature.

3) I like the fact that I am creating my values and tonal range with silver particles, instead of a greyscale that the computer is trying to register, and then just laying layers of ink on paper, it just does not feel the same to me.

Cheers . . .
 
Two examples...many more available...

I can buy expired film and be happy with the results.

I can take a roll of film, cut it into short pieces and wrap it around the inside of a can and take anamorphic photos.

Expired pixels I have not been pleased with.

I have not had good luck experimenting with inserting foreign objects into digital cameras. I enjoy taking them apart after them fail.
 
I shoot Kodak UC100 negatives. Having four young kids the negative work flow of dropping the negative at the developing shop and picking the photos the next day still the fastest for me, no time to PS on computer really. I own a DSLR and use it when need to shoot some equipment shots for posting on internet, to do quick projects for my kids, or for my wife to shoot for her business stuff.

To me, at this point of time, convert to digital is not an upgrade, especially for that type of money.
 
- Film is more fun.
- When you gotta shoot at ISO 3200, film grain looks better than digital noise.
- Fuji color is better than digital color. (I haven't used a Fuji DSLR yet.)
- I can't afford a Seitz digital panocam, but the newspaper has a Widelux in the cabinet I can check out anytime.
- Medium and large format transparencies. 'Nuff Said!
 
am i the only one that is offended by the fact that plasticy, toy-like offerings, with peep holes for viewers, and zoom lens inner barrles that wobble, have an asking price for more than the price off an EX condition F4s? sorry about the rant, i stopped by Best Buy yesterday. just when i thought i was readly to sell out!
 
more dynamic range and latitude (except for slides), smoother tonality, better looking grain, sharper enlargements, affordable medium and large format gear (not to mention rangefinders), and better designed cameras. only thing i'm missing is the ability to quickly post photos on the internet, which is no skin off my teeth.
 
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