Keeping a film camera too?

Paul Chiu · Aug 23, 2002

The Leica is a great camera, but there are plenty of other rangefinders out there worth looking at if price is an issue (when is it not?). The Voigtlander Bessa series for one. I bought the Leica for the lust factor, but there is no denying that it is a very good camera. In the end, rangefinders are not the end all and be all of cameras, but for the type of travel photography that I do, it is perfect. Small, compact, lightweight, unobstrusive. If I'm doing anything where weight would be an issue, I would bring my Leica.

Paul.

Andrew Grant said:
Paul Chiu said:

The point is, with my new Leica, I can pack three lenses in half
the space and go for a month long trip without worrying about
running out of film or batteries.

Click to expand...

I have thought about a Leica for the same reason. I have a D30 and
a decent set of lenses/EX strobes etc, so in many ways an EOS film
body would make more sense.

OTOH The EOS film body would still be very battery dependent and my
EOS kit is very bulky. The only advantage over a D60 would be
better AF (if I get a decent body) and wide angles.

A Leica could be the ideal travel camera. Very compact and
unobtrusive and it only needs a battery for the meter. Rangefinders
seem ideal for wide angle use (the lenses seem sharper and much
smaller than the SLR equivalents). The down side of course is cost.
Though only two or three lenses would be needed, they would not be
cheap.

Dan Leffel · Aug 23, 2002

philh said:
Maybe another alternative might be to purchase something like a
Nikon 5700 as a backup to your DSLR as opposed to Film. Anyone
backing up their DSLR with another Digital Camera?

I was thinking about backing up my D60 with the Canon G2 - same battery and CF cards as D60. It also has ISO 50, a wide angle adaptor to get to 28mm. It is only 4 Mpixel, but that should be OK in a backup mode. I do not plan to get a second DSLR body until they offer a full-sized sensor at $2k or less (no magnification factor). It could be a couple of years!

Tom O'Neil · Aug 23, 2002

philh said:
Maybe another alternative might be to purchase something like a
Nikon 5700 as a backup to your DSLR as opposed to Film. Anyone
backing up their DSLR with another Digital Camera?

I've got an S330 Digital Elph in addition to a 1D. It's probably inaccurate to call the Elph a backup because it's my primary camera when I don't feel like lugging all the EOS stuff around. It is more than good enough to take to Walmart and get 4x6 prints, if need be. I.e., snapshots.

I still have two EOS film bodies and will probably keep one for backup and landscape slides. I already needed the backup when my 1D battery died because I thought I could squeeze two days out of one charge. I have since ordered another battery.

For those trips to Nepal I've still got my Pentax K-1000 and a no-battery light meter.

mark kay · Aug 23, 2002

Idid not use my EOS 3 much at all, --- was spoiled by the instant feedback etc of digital, so I sold it and eventually got a second digital body. mark

danks said:
I have difficulty seeing myself reverting to film yet feel I should
keep a film body at least until I have a second digital body to
serve as a spare.

Don't want to be too hasty but I think the sooner my EOS3/PB-E2
gets to ebay, the more I will get for it. The value of film bodies
will erode significantly as digital SLRs become more common in the
marketplace.

How many out there are hanging onto their film bodies? Ever
actually use them anymore?

Amy Kleck111811 · Aug 23, 2002

...but it's more out of nostalgia. However, I have considered getting it out and trying some film just as a comparison with the D60. Trouble is - I haven't bought film in years! They must still sell Velvia....

Girish Jadav · Aug 23, 2002

EOS 3 no way digital comes even close for AF.

I have D30 what i should do?

GJ

dachshund1 said:
...but it's more out of nostalgia. However, I have considered
getting it out and trying some film just as a comparison with the
D60. Trouble is - I haven't bought film in years! They must still
sell Velvia....

Jason Hutchinson · Aug 23, 2002

You think an EOS 3 blows away a 1D for AF just because the 1D is digital?

I always thought they were close.

Girish Jadav said:
I have D30 what i should do?

GJ

dachshund1 said:

...but it's more out of nostalgia. However, I have considered
getting it out and trying some film just as a comparison with the
D60. Trouble is - I haven't bought film in years! They must still
sell Velvia....

Click to expand...

Fazal Majid · Aug 23, 2002

Sean Lowrey said:
Funny thing is that I bought my D60 and after five months I went
and bought a EOS3. Figured that I might need a film backup!

I got an Elan 7E as a backup, and a Nikon FM3A after my D30. I hardly ever use the Elan 7E, but quite often the FM3A (because it is so light).

Davidlw · Aug 23, 2002

I just bought a EOS3/PB-E2. I also own 2 D30's and 3 L lenses. I needed a fast focus camera for sports and weddings and could not afford a 1D at the moment. Also I am hoping that a EOS3D will come out one day that is fast and more reasonably priced.

danks said:
I have difficulty seeing myself reverting to film yet feel I should
keep a film body at least until I have a second digital body to
serve as a spare.

Don't want to be too hasty but I think the sooner my EOS3/PB-E2
gets to ebay, the more I will get for it. The value of film bodies
will erode significantly as digital SLRs become more common in the
marketplace.

How many out there are hanging onto their film bodies? Ever
actually use them anymore?

andyfrazer · Aug 23, 2002

I'm keeping all my film cameras (OM's) because they're part of my life, and most of them were gifts that I could never part with. But they're also practical for:

1). infrared (the D60 requires looooonnnnng exposures for IR).

2). night photography in less-than-perfectly-safe neighborhoods (a $200 OM-1 is more expendable than a $2500 D60 and CF).

3). very wide-angle stuff (it will be a while before I can afford a super-wide Canon zoom)

4). lightning photography (a $200 OM-1 is just as un-water-resistant as a $2500 D60 and CF).

Andy
http" www.gorillasites.com

Joachim Gerstl · Aug 24, 2002

So far I kept my film based cameras ( F100, F801, Contax T2 and Lomo ) but never took a single shot since bying a used D1.

I´m not sure why but it was always impossible for me to sell a camera which I used for years and which saved me some wonderful memories of my travels. I guess I will still keep them.

Joachim
http://www.joachimgerstl.com

danks said:
I have difficulty seeing myself reverting to film yet feel I should
keep a film body at least until I have a second digital body to
serve as a spare.

Don't want to be too hasty but I think the sooner my EOS3/PB-E2
gets to ebay, the more I will get for it. The value of film bodies
will erode significantly as digital SLRs become more common in the
marketplace.

How many out there are hanging onto their film bodies? Ever
actually use them anymore?

--
joachim

smehe · Aug 24, 2002

danks said:
I have difficulty seeing myself reverting to film yet feel I should
keep a film body at least until I have a second digital body to
serve as a spare.

My EOS 1N-HS will have to be jackhammered from my dead fingers ;-)

danks said:
Don't want to be too hasty but I think the sooner my EOS3/PB-E2
gets to ebay, the more I will get for it. The value of film bodies
will erode significantly as digital SLRs become more common in the
marketplace.

I would think value erosion to be a lot greater for digital bodies. I sold my D30 a while back, and I think I would be hard pressed to be able to sell it at all these days.

danks said:
How many out there are hanging onto their film bodies? Ever
actually use them anymore?

I'm thinking about getting a D60. Until I decide, my 1N will give me lots of great photos, and will continue to do so until it stops working. I don't feel the need to choose between digital and film. I enjoyed using both, and look forward to doing it again when I get a new digital camera. If you have a great film-body that you like, keep it.

Peter Phelan · Aug 24, 2002

Having had my D60 for a couple of weeks and used it on several professional studio assignments, I have just traded my Canon T90 and all FD equipment in for a new EOS 3!

For me the D60 will have a place, but so too will film.

danks said:
I have difficulty seeing myself reverting to film yet feel I should
keep a film body at least until I have a second digital body to
serve as a spare.

Don't want to be too hasty but I think the sooner my EOS3/PB-E2
gets to ebay, the more I will get for it. The value of film bodies
will erode significantly as digital SLRs become more common in the
marketplace.

How many out there are hanging onto their film bodies? Ever
actually use them anymore?

--
Peter Phelan Professional Imaging Ltd
Falmouth UK
http://www.peterphelan.com

Davidlw · Aug 24, 2002

I just got my EOS 3 and WOW what a camera. It reminds me of a superfast autofocus T90. I have 2 D30's and now the EOS3 and love the autofocus of this wonderful camera. Come On Canon, give us a EOS 3D.

Peter Phelan said:
For me the D60 will have a place, but so too will film.

danks said:

I have difficulty seeing myself reverting to film yet feel I should
keep a film body at least until I have a second digital body to
serve as a spare.

Don't want to be too hasty but I think the sooner my EOS3/PB-E2
gets to ebay, the more I will get for it. The value of film bodies
will erode significantly as digital SLRs become more common in the
marketplace.

How many out there are hanging onto their film bodies? Ever
actually use them anymore?

Click to expand...

--
Peter Phelan Professional Imaging Ltd
Falmouth UK
http://www.peterphelan.com

Pips · Aug 24, 2002

I have a EOS 3 which i keep.

Every now and again I start to see all those 1D stories and I want to see what it would be like. so I get out my EOS 3. Well about 2 rolls later (20 mins)( you see I am digital trigger happy) i realize that mt D60 is OK and I dont really need any thing more!

Peter Phelan · Aug 25, 2002

Davidlw said:
Davidlw said:

It reminds me of a superfast autofocus T90.

Click to expand...

Yep I agree, ........really nice. Having bought the D60 I wondered if I could dispense with the 35mm film altogether, since I do not use the format much.

But no, it's still useful to have a proper 17mm lens for interior work, a larger viewfinder and of course trannies that can be scanned for use as covers/double page spreads, and Kodak Supra 800 asa film for difficult lighting such as stage/theatre work!

Davidlw said:
Peter Phelan said:

For me the D60 will have a place, but so too will film.

danks said:

I have difficulty seeing myself reverting to film yet feel I should
keep a film body at least until I have a second digital body to
serve as a spare.

Don't want to be too hasty but I think the sooner my EOS3/PB-E2
gets to ebay, the more I will get for it. The value of film bodies
will erode significantly as digital SLRs become more common in the
marketplace.

How many out there are hanging onto their film bodies? Ever
actually use them anymore?

Click to expand...

--
Peter Phelan Professional Imaging Ltd
Falmouth UK
http://www.peterphelan.com

Click to expand...

--
Peter Phelan Professional Imaging Ltd
Falmouth UK
http://www.peterphelan.com

Pui · Aug 25, 2002

Sold mine a month ago for equivalent of USD 663.- Havn't used it for nearly two years since getting into digital photography. I do not want to hang on to an equipment that I know will be least use going forward. Pui.

danks said:
I have difficulty seeing myself reverting to film yet feel I should
keep a film body at least until I have a second digital body to
serve as a spare.

Don't want to be too hasty but I think the sooner my EOS3/PB-E2
gets to ebay, the more I will get for it. The value of film bodies
will erode significantly as digital SLRs become more common in the
marketplace.

How many out there are hanging onto their film bodies? Ever
actually use them anymore?

John Harrison82293 · Aug 25, 2002

Shooting spring and summer landscapes. The d-60 handles greens like some of the kodak print films which just don't cut it for the kind of shots I do. I prefer the greens of fuji by far. I will probably keep shooting all my waterfalls shots with film or trannies.
John R.

davidgm · Aug 25, 2002

If you're only thinking in terms of 35mm, then the question is harder to answer. I'll keep my EOS3 because in many ways it does replace but complements the digital system. I have a nice big Pelican case that holds the two bodies, EX550 and battery pack, 35-350, 16-35, 28-135IS, and all of the cables and chargers. If I ever need anything EOS (apart from my really long gear), it's in that bag.

The term "film camera" has to include my Mamiya RZ system. Similar story with another Pelican case. In the studio I get my best results with this beast, and while I agree that the 35mm based digital cameras will start to degrade the value of the 35mm film bodies, I don't believe the same will be true of medium and large format gear.

Here I see a different paradigm in play. As the 35mm based digital bodies become more powerful they will become attractive to those who otherwise would have bought digital backs for medium and large format bodies. Obviously, there is room to move on the pricing of these apparatus, and I suspect that once the price begins to fall, it will fall very quickly. When it reaches the price of say a 1D (about half present dollar value) then I'll bolt one on the RZ.

Some film camera bodies have a future - but I would suggest that they won't have much to do with film.

DM

Andrew Grant27981 · Aug 26, 2002

The voigtlander lenses are apparently quite decent. I am not so sure about the bodies though.

Paul Chiu said:
Paul.

Andrew Grant said:

Paul Chiu said:

The point is, with my new Leica, I can pack three lenses in half
the space and go for a month long trip without worrying about
running out of film or batteries.

Click to expand...

I have thought about a Leica for the same reason. I have a D30 and
a decent set of lenses/EX strobes etc, so in many ways an EOS film
body would make more sense.

OTOH The EOS film body would still be very battery dependent and my
EOS kit is very bulky. The only advantage over a D60 would be
better AF (if I get a decent body) and wide angles.

A Leica could be the ideal travel camera. Very compact and
unobtrusive and it only needs a battery for the meter. Rangefinders
seem ideal for wide angle use (the lenses seem sharper and much
smaller than the SLR equivalents). The down side of course is cost.
Though only two or three lenses would be needed, they would not be
cheap.

Click to expand...

Keeping a film camera too?

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