How many of you still shoot film of some sorts?

From time to time I still use two old systems:

Minolta srt30b+50mm1.4, 135mm and 28mm

and

Minolta dynax si505 + extras

it is a different way of taking pictures.

I enjoy a lot using these old cameras probably i will keep the old one and sell the 'new' (505si).

Ricardo

Black and White Pentax 6 7, will be fixing up a room for a black and white [old fashioned wet lab] should be able to use it next winter.

Henry

bfunk said:

how many people still shoot film of some sorts?

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An SLR and a point and shoot.

I don't think film is dead or dying, and depends what format you are referring to as well. APS will soon be gone, well Polaroid obviously, as far as I know aside from Nikon no one is making 35 film SLRs. In terms of capability I don't feel that current DSLRs are lacking in relation to 35mm. Ascetically they are simply different, just like a painting painted with oil will look different than the one painted with acrylic, or watercolour. And there is still a place for that difference for the people that are looking for it. I had an OM1 at one point... did not suit me. I still have a Ricoh with a 50 1.4, Minolta Maxxum 7000 with couple of primes, and F80, Pentax 645, and my favorite Bronica Zenza 6x6. I have been shooting slide film lately and cross processing it. I got to say I love the Bronica, not even a meter in it. A lot of fun and it makes me engage the subject a lot more since you only have 12 shots, so you got to make them count.

i don't think film will ever be 'dead' - at least not anytime soon - in the same way that painting is still 'alive' even though there are more modern techniques of capturing a scene such as film and digital photography.

i've had a e-410 since january, which is my first SLR, and it's a truly brilliant camera and i don't think i could say a bad thing about it, but i was given a Mamiya C330s a couple of months back and this is just as thrilling to use - a couple of rolls of Reala and a summer's day is a day well spent.

the process of exposing is such a refreshing break from digital that as long as people can feel inspired by the use of film and getting back to basics, it will be hanging around for a long time yet.

thomasiains said:

the process of exposing is such a refreshing break from digital that
as long as people can feel inspired by the use of film and getting
back to basics, it will be hanging around for a long time yet.

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This is how I feel. Digital certainly has its convenience, and I will always be mostly digital. However, I feel like sometimes there is something missing. I go out and take photos, come home and load them up on my pc and stare blankly at them. I believe that the delay for processing before viewing can put just enough distance between you and the photo to clear your mind.

I figured out what my dads old gear was, a Yashica J3 35mm SLR with some lenses (three I think) and it still works ok as far as I know. However I think that going from a digital SLR to a film slr, even without any auto features will still be too similar. Maybe it will scratch my itch, but I'm feeling that it is too much like what I already have. I'm feeling the need to find a medium in photography that makes me feel more creative, inspired and in tune with the whole process. Lately I've been feeling like digital is everywhere. I guess I'm a quality over quantity guy.

bfunk

Love my classic cameras. Most all new cameras seem cheap compared to my Canon 7 rangefinder. My Rolleicord that's as old as I am can pull down detail with a 5D. Then of course you shoot B&W film and play alchemist. Whats not to like??

Looks like I am in the minority on this one LOL.

I dove into film in college, wanted to learn to develop and whatnot but just never got around to it. I also never took enough time to learn the absolute basics about the camera. I just got kind of lazy with semi-automatic settings. Then I dove into a couple of (at the time) expensive Olympus p&s's and finally to my E-500. Been digital about 9 years and never went back.

I still don't do a lot of completely manual settings, but I do love the convenience of instantly checking photos for composition and color. As I sit at a computer probably 10-16 hours a day, it seems like the perfect fit for me. Too bad I don't make more time to actually learn and use the camera more. I sure do love being outdoors with the thing.

--
Brian

My F3HP and FE2s are sitting on a shelf in the closet; too many blown highlights.

steve howard said:

My F3HP and FE2s are sitting on a shelf in the closet; too many blown
highlights.

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HA!

Heh...I shoot slide film mostly, which has latitude about as limited as digital. The thing that's always got to me about blown highlights on film is that a lot of times they don't go completely white like they do with digital. Sometimes they get compressed into kinda funky pools of color. I guess it's the difference between a chemical capture medium and an electronic one. Look at this shot, for example. See the yellow spotlight? See how it ended up with a red ring around it? How completely random is that? Those are the kind of funky things that "accidents" yield with film, and one of the reasons I still love shooting it.

RRJackson,

I was being facetious; tongue in cheek.

I guess you could say I’m an old timer. Let’s just say I started shooting with a Bolsey with Panatomic X and Kodachrome. I love film and learned the basics on film. I still sometimes spot meter off of my hand or green leaves.

When I transitioned to digital, I soon missed the realistic look of film versus the over sharpened, overly contrasted and saturated colors of most digital cameras. Eventually, I settled on a Fuji S3 (Nikon mount) for it's realistic "film" look. The four thirds format and IS brought me to buy an E510. It amazes me to hear how many users complain of “blown highlights” with the E510 and other DSLRs. Funny that I’m not having the problem anymore than with film and I’m not complaining about lack of DR. Now I understand why Photography Instructors start everyone with film.

Film captures the feeling of a scene and learning with film gives one an understanding of imaging. There are still a few rolls of Velvia in my refrigerator.

steve howard said:

RRJackson,

I was being facetious; tongue in cheek.

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I figured you were kidding. I just wanted to say something about how film blows out, 'cause it seldom ever seems to blow out the way digital does. The curve is more forgiving somehow. Not that you can't ruin a shot with film. I like digital, too. I think a lot of people who are into capturing images are going to be into just about whatever way they can do it. Now that I shoot digital I think I'm even more risky about the way I shoot film, though. Because it will do strange things that digital won't, so I'm doing more cross-processing and push-processing and long exposures than ever before. It's almost a sin how many techniques we have to work with these days.

One thing I will admit. I don't use my enlarger anymore. I scan and have things printed. Photoshop has removed my desire to optically enlarge.

--
Geoff_R

'Always look on the bright side of life...'

Still often shoot film - mostly Ilford Xp2 on a 6x6 and an old Leica M2. Love the results and the process.

I am with the OM-1 and OM-4 plus 5 Zuikos... and 20+ rolls of Fuji negative films ranging from Realas to 400H in the freezer...

now, the shooting rate maybe about 1 roll per year...

--
http://flickr.com/photos/mfahrur

Mostly for fun, and to give the kiddies an insight on how photography used to be. Use mainly a 6x6 Rollei twin lens reflex. Develop the film myself and have some darkroom equipment. This goes well with some good jazz, by the way.
--
Fritz Solms
[email protected]
E-3, 7-14, 14-54, 35 macro, 50 f2, 50-200

So I got my dads camera now (yashica j3 from the early 60's) Its cool to have a film camera, and I want to do some testing.

This is not about debating the merits of film vs. digital, I now have both and I dont care. I'm not a pro, in fact I kinda stink at photography, I'm learning. I haven't used a serious film camera since I was in junior high.

I was thinking of doing a series of test shots with both cameras, to familiarize myself with the ins and out with film. Plus I think i'm gonna need my E410 to play light meter for the j3, it seems they dont make batteries with mercury any more...

The setup:

Mostly landscapes, in black and white (this is why I wanted a film-er)

I was going to set the j3 to the aperture of my liking and set shutter accordingly metering through the 410 at the same setting.

I was then going to adjust the 410 to the corresponding f/stop for similarish DOF and adjust the shutter to that setting.
ISO will be equal to each other (I guess this is what to do here)
I'll then shoot the same scene with each.

After shooting I'll have all the digi files to see right away, I'll have the film developed and scaned at the lab in high quality (top notch lab down the street). My interest in analog photography stops after the film is developed, I'll never have a home lab/darkroom/printing setup, so digital post production is it for me.

Then I'll be able to have a side by side comparison of my 410 and my j3, at least within the confines of my experiment.

Should be interesting! If I get to it, I'll post some conclusions and sample images, I'm actually quite excited.

bfunk

That exactly what I do. Set up framing exposure etc with the E-1 and now E-3. Take enough test shots, get the immediate feedback and then switch cameras to my OM4Ti or Pentax 67II if the shot looks good enough for medium format.

Just make sure your film lens selection frames as close as possible to the digital test shot otherwise the exposure may vary - possibly by quite a bit if you are including/excluding extra dark or light areas in the frame.

I have found the E-1 and E-3 exposure to be very close to both film cameras as long as you are careful with the set up. Saves a lot of film.

Write down your film settings and corresponding digital frame number if you want to get really serious about the comparison.

Gary