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Digital Cameras Or Film Cameras
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Now that digital cameras are the first choice for most people when buying a camera, are there any advantages in using a traditional SLR film camera, are these cameras still readily available and will they eventually become obsolete?
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I still use my film SLRs, love them. Good cameras will always be good cameras.
Bit of a discussion about it here
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Bit of a discussion about it here
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The reality is that film is best. However, digital for the vast majority (even keen photographers) is as good and with access to even basic photo enhancing software it will see film only used by highly specalised professionals. I have changed from slides to projected digital images. I recently went to the local college on a Photoshop course and found that there was only one other person below retirement age. Several had never used a computer before and they took to it surprisingly quickly. The question now is where next?
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Film cameras can be bougght or sold on ebay and there are some real bargains. You will still have to pay a grand or more for a graflex and rollei TLRs go for several hundreds. If anyone wants to take up B&W film photography you can get most of the kit nearly for free if you are patient. I have a 1905 half plate camera which I am renovating, it certainly isn't obsolete.
Most of my lenses are all Canon L series and are hugely worth preserving. My wife counted what I currently use and she reckoned it would cost around £45-50K to replace them all if I decided to try Nikon for a change!!
There are ways of replicating plate images, they can be complex but the effort is worth it.
There are ways of replicating plate images, they can be complex but the effort is worth it.
One of the biggest advantages of film cameras is the level of control they offer over 'depth of field'. Because they focus the image onto a fairly large area, opening up the lens aperture close to its maximum means that it's easy to get the main part of your picture in crisp focus, while leaving unwanted objects (closer to, or further away from, the lens) out of focus.
Digital cameras usually focus the image onto a much smaller area, meaning that (even at the largest apertures) nearly everything within the frame remains in focus (or only slightly out of focus).
So a picture like this (with an uncluttered background) is easy to achieve with a film camera
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but extremely difficult (or impossible) to achieve with a digital camera.
Digital cameras usually focus the image onto a much smaller area, meaning that (even at the largest apertures) nearly everything within the frame remains in focus (or only slightly out of focus).
So a picture like this (with an uncluttered background) is easy to achieve with a film camera
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but extremely difficult (or impossible) to achieve with a digital camera.
if you know how to make your equipment work you can achieve images like this, it's all about patience and taking time to learn, there are too many "photographers" out there who run everything on programme settings and get average results. Learn the basic techniques then apply the equipment you have be it DSLR, Plate, Film, Rangefinder, Twin Lens, mirrorless you name it, to the achieve the image you want.
There is definitely still a firm usership.
I've been told that there are certain qualities and subtleties that can only truly be achieved 'the old fashioned way'. That is why I've recently had a dig into my past and blown the dust of a couple of film SLRs. I normally shoot with a Canon 50D (digital SLR).
If you spend a day trawling round the charity shops, I GUARANTEE you will find a good working SLR. In fact you will probably be spoilt for choice - there are one heck of a lot of Prakticas and Zenits floating around, I would recommend Pentax and Fujica though as they're a bit more refined.
"The local film developers have all-but disappeared" ...except Boots ;-)
I've been told that there are certain qualities and subtleties that can only truly be achieved 'the old fashioned way'. That is why I've recently had a dig into my past and blown the dust of a couple of film SLRs. I normally shoot with a Canon 50D (digital SLR).
If you spend a day trawling round the charity shops, I GUARANTEE you will find a good working SLR. In fact you will probably be spoilt for choice - there are one heck of a lot of Prakticas and Zenits floating around, I would recommend Pentax and Fujica though as they're a bit more refined.
"The local film developers have all-but disappeared" ...except Boots ;-)
I recently donated my 35mm stuff to the News and Media department of my nieces Uni. A Nikormat FT3 and a Cannon EOS 1000 and an assortment of lens. The guy was well pleased and he was telling me over a pint that that he doesn't let anybody near a digital camera till they've done a short but intensive course in what he called "Proper Photography"
There are basically 4 reasons why digital cameras are superior (in general) to film cameras:
1. Digital cameras let you review the shot and decide if you need to capture it again. With a film camera, you need to develop the negative and see the print to actually find out if the photo has come out as desired. Sometimes you might need to take several shots to get the desired output. This could prove to be more expensive in the long run than digital.
2. For amateur photographers and photography enthusiasts in general, digital cameras offer a far wider choice than film cameras. Also, there is plenty more buying and maintenance advice and other content on the Internet, aimed at digital camera owners than for film camera owners.
3. If you want the convenience of film as well as digital, then you can use attachable digital backs for compatible film cameras. But these are very expensive, even for professional photographers. It might be more economical to go for a mid-range DSLR instead.
4. Digital cameras are ‘plugged-in’ to ‘reality’ today via technologies like USB, Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS, etc. making your images easily sharable (in some cases instantly – online from the camera itself). You don’t need to get up from your seat to buy a digicam – be it a compact one or a DSLR. All your research, inquiries, purchase, etc. is possible over the Internet or phone. But buying a film camera today is not as easy as buying a digital one.
1. Digital cameras let you review the shot and decide if you need to capture it again. With a film camera, you need to develop the negative and see the print to actually find out if the photo has come out as desired. Sometimes you might need to take several shots to get the desired output. This could prove to be more expensive in the long run than digital.
2. For amateur photographers and photography enthusiasts in general, digital cameras offer a far wider choice than film cameras. Also, there is plenty more buying and maintenance advice and other content on the Internet, aimed at digital camera owners than for film camera owners.
3. If you want the convenience of film as well as digital, then you can use attachable digital backs for compatible film cameras. But these are very expensive, even for professional photographers. It might be more economical to go for a mid-range DSLR instead.
4. Digital cameras are ‘plugged-in’ to ‘reality’ today via technologies like USB, Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS, etc. making your images easily sharable (in some cases instantly – online from the camera itself). You don’t need to get up from your seat to buy a digicam – be it a compact one or a DSLR. All your research, inquiries, purchase, etc. is possible over the Internet or phone. But buying a film camera today is not as easy as buying a digital one.
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