Is anyone still using film?

[vferdman]

Hello. I've been an avid photographer since I was a kid ('70's), so I have gone through a few "stages" in this hobby. Most of my photographic career has been done on 35mm film, but by far most actual pictures shot in my life is digital. In fact, for the last 5 years or so of my film days I scanned my negatives using a high quality film scanner (Nikon 2000 at that point was the cat's meow). Even though I do not shoot film any more I still miss doing so. I still have the equipment, but it is just so much more labor intensive and the fact that I can not instantly preview my work really has become a handicap in film camera use. Still, the images from film are very different for me. Better? In some cases definitely. First of all I can not afford full frame DSLR, so the film cameras provide an opportunity to use lenses with much longer focal length. This always gives the pictures a certain look. Human eye has a focal length of about 40mm, so 35mm film cameras with 35mm-50mm lenses produced images very much in line with how we see with our own eyes. In the day of digital photography before full frame sensors become every day item most consumers can afford the images have become very different in character. I do own a DSLR with an APC sized sensor, but I do most of my shooting with a Canon S95, which is a tiny sensor camera. The reason being is that in S95 (and other similar machines) the manufacturer has achieved that magic amount of compactness, image quality and photographic control of the image to simply render the bulky DSLR a dust collector at home. Well, that's not entirely true because my 16 year old son is getting into photography as well and is using my Pentax DSLR with my old Pentax manual focus lenses. That really does make a difference (the lens focal length again) in image character, but I can produce pretty amazing image quality with my S95. And most important thing I learned in my many years of being a shutterbug is the camera that's on my person at the moment of a good photo-op is the best camera I own. This has become my S95. I absolutely love the little thing. Canon has gotten so many things right with it that I am actually enjoying taking pictures with a tiny sensor P&S (well, S95 is a bit more than a P&S, but most times I really just use it in P&S mode with some exposure compensation and it produces stunning photos that way). Having said all that I really miss composing my shots through a viewfinder instead of LCD screen. Anyone else feels the same? I also miss the fantastically awesome viewfinders of the 35mm SLRs of old. I have a Nikon F3HP and I have to say that is one of the best 35mm cameras ever made. That viewfinder is pure gold. Even lesser viewfinders of the Nikon FM and FE are gorgeous compared to most DSLRs these days. So, does anyone still shoot 35mm film as a hobby? I still have my scanner and I still have my Nikon film hardware and a little Pentax (I mostly bought Pentax film lenses for my DSLR, but I do have one Pentax film body also). I do not use it, however. I also have a few very nice rangefinders like Konica Hexar and Canon Canonet, but I don't use them either. They are amazing light capturing machines, but what is their faith in the age of digital photography?

Here is a picture taken with my F3 through a barbershop window (don't remember the lens, but most likely Nikkor 50mm f/1.4)




And here is a Macro shot with my F3 and a Nikkor 55mm/3.5 Micro lens




And it wouldn't be fair to not include some of many great pictures that my S95 is capable of.

 

[Pob]

Great pictures. I still use film and develop in my bathroom. I'm not convinced this digital malarky is gonna catch on.....

I have a film photoblog here: http://www.caughtinthelight.co.uk

 

[Edcculus]

Yep, I shoot film. I wouldn't say "still" though since I'm 26. I took a B&W photography course in college and was hooked. I did mostly C-41 until I recently started piecing a darkroom together. Now I'm shooting and developing B&W. I've still got a bit of work to do on the darkroom, but I have the enlarger, trays and a boatload of paper.

I previously only had a Nikon F2 Photomic, but my grandfather just gave me his collection of older Canon equpment. Now, I have a Canon A1, FTb and F1 and a slew of FD mount lenses. I also recently picked up a Voigtlander rangefinder. You can see some recent shots from it in the Darkroom. Although I have a bunch of great Canon stuff now, I still really love the Nikon F2. I only have 1 lens (a 50mm 1.4). I feel compelled to use the Canon gear to utilize the wides, telephotos, macros, zooms etc, but I always seem to reach for the Nikon.

 

[vferdman]

Great pictures. I still use film and develop in my bathroom. I'm not convinced this digital malarky is gonna catch on.....

I have a film photoblog here: http://www.caughtinthelight.co.uk

Lovely pics on your blog. I have not developed BW film in may years, though it is a very much kitchen affair. I even have a whole set of chemicals and lots of experience with BW process. Both film and print. I should really at least develop BW film and scan it. I so miss my film gear, but the digital instant feedback is an incredible advantage and has improved my skills like on other single factor. Even if I shoot film I'll carry a digital to do a "study" of the shot first if I have the chance. Anyway, I think the old school optics and cameras were something to behold and enjoy not unlike our DE razors. I love my F2 with meterless prism (who needs a meter for BW work), F3, Konica Hexar (poor man's Leica with 35mm f/2 lens that gives a Summicron a run for its money). I see you use F90 - a fine piece of hardware, but even auto-focus irks me the wrong way. I would use an MF lens with it. I have a bunch of amazing MF Nikkors that I just adore using. The 55mm f/3.5 micro is one of my all time favorite lenses. I also have an old 50mm f/1.4 with a fractured rear element. The crack is on the periphery and I got the lens for free because of that. Best lens I ever used. Crack has no bearing on the image in this case, even wide open.

Thanks for sharing your pictures. I like them a lot.

 

[AllenG]

I actually have a darkroom. Inford is my film of choice. I don't develop color.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Whew! I thought from the title of this thread that maybe Lapping Film for honing razors had become yesterday's news, like all those silly rocks that people used to rub their razors on!

 

[djh]

Digital is a wonderful medium and I shoot it extensively, but when I have the time I still love to shoot 35mm and 120 film. Hoping to get out and shoot a couple of rolls of 120 in my Hasselblad tomorrow.

 

[vferdman]

Yep, I shoot film. I wouldn't say "still" though since I'm 26. I took a B&W photography course in college and was hooked. I did mostly C-41 until I recently started piecing a darkroom together. Now I'm shooting and developing B&W. I've still got a bit of work to do on the darkroom, but I have the enlarger, trays and a boatload of paper.

I previously only had a Nikon F2 Photomic, but my grandfather just gave me his collection of older Canon equpment. Now, I have a Canon A1, FTb and F1 and a slew of FD mount lenses. I also recently picked up a Voigtlander rangefinder. You can see some recent shots from it in the Darkroom. Although I have a bunch of great Canon stuff now, I still really love the Nikon F2. I only have 1 lens (a 50mm 1.4). I feel compelled to use the Canon gear to utilize the wides, telephotos, macros, zooms etc, but I always seem to reach for the Nikon.

That's great to hear. Although I never shot film Canon SLRs, I have always been a huge fan of Canon optics, especially vintage. I have a Canonet QL17, which has a 40mm f/1.7 lens and that little rangefinder produces stunning images. In my film days I used Nikon exclusively. I think the Nikon bodies of the old days were way more robust than Canon. I've heard horror stories about A1 as far as reliability. I have had a few Nikon film SLRs: FE2 (stolen from my car in Amsterdam in 1992), FM (still own), F3HP (still own - one of my favorite cameras of all time), F2 (still own with a meter-less prism - another one of my favorite film cameras of all time), 6006 (my first AF camera). I have the following Nikkors: several 50mm (two f/1.4 and two f/1.8 including the low profile), 35mm/2.0, 24mm/2.8, 85mm/2.0 (one of the best portrait lenses there is), 55mm/3.5 micro (corrected for flat subjects such as artwork. Simply stunning portrait lens as well). If you are interested in trying any of these let me know. Maybe we can work something out. I am just not using this stuff any more, but I really should. Developing BW film is pretty simple in home environment. Do not need a dark room for that. I can always scan the BW negatives... Still, certain things I just need to let go of. I have more than enough 50mm lenses for example and they are some of the best 50mm glass out there.

Glad to hear some people still enjoy the old analog world of photography. Keep on keeping on!

 

[echotron]

Yes sir! I use Olympus OM-10s for 35mm work (30 year collection of flashes, lenses and filters) and for medium format my Seagull TLR ... real cameras with knobs not buttons.

Again, yes I use real film, just check my freezer and refridgerator ...

 

[Edcculus]

Vferdman - if you are looking to unload any of those Nikkors, let me know. I don't have a ton of funds available, but maybe we could work something out. Obviously, the only candidates would be F mount with the indexing coupler. My F2 has a metered prism and is not AI.

 

[Lamb Root]

I know nothing of developing film but I'm having a lot of fun with a Yashica Electro 35. I found it in my aunts cellar. I spent a couple of films before I realized that you can focus with these rangefinder cameras. Amateur. I don't know why but I use mostly BW films. I guess it's a phase with me.

 

[djh]

A couple of film images from my Photo Challenge last month....

​

 

[vferdman]

I know nothing of developing film but I'm having a lot of fun with a Yashica Electro 35. I found it in my aunts cellar. I spent a couple of films before I realized that you can focus with these rangefinder cameras. Amateur. I don't know why but I use mostly BW films. I guess it's a phase with me.

Yashica Electro 35 is a sweet camera. I had one once. I love the rangefinders. I have a couple Canon Canonet QL17's and they are even better than the Yashica and smaller. Fantastic lens. Yashica is n slouch, though. Great pictures!

--
Vladimir

 

[Lesmore]

I pretty well ended shooting film around 2006.

I've shot a lot of film in my life though. Started serious film photography in '68, working for a publishing firm. I bought a Pentax SLR (S1a) back then and a hand held Sekonic light meter. I was an editorial assistant and photographer for a few years.

After that I changed careers, but kept on with photography. Added a Pentax ES ll SLR, then a Leica Rangefinder (50mm Leitz Elmar F 3.5 lens) and eventually bought a Mamiya medium format system...one body, three lenses...55mm wide angle, 80mm F 2.8 Normal and 180mm super telephoto F 4.5....all Mamiya-Sekor lenses.

I caved in and went digital for a number of reasons:

- Cost- aside from the cost of memory cards....much better deal than constant film costs....with digital...I just print what I like.

- Ease of ISO/ASA change. With digital at any time I can go from 80 ISO to 400...to 6400...even to 51,800 ISO.....Film...I could push 100 ASA to 400 ASA...but I was stuck at that film speed for the duration of the film roll.

- Immediate evaluation with digital monitor....did I get the lighting right, pic right...cut off any heads...don't have to wait...see right now with digital.

I'm a believer in digital....since 2007, have bought 3 DSLR bodies (Pentax), 9 digital lenses, one Canon G 12...two flashes...one Canon, one Pentax.

It's been an expensive trip....but I'm glad I did.

My film cameras...I'm setting up my own private museum in my house...for display. I like them just don't use them.

 

[Maxime D.]

Last time I took a shot with films, it was in 2005 and I had an Olympus APS camera(I still have 2 brand new rolls).

 

[Legion]

It's funny, one of the girls at work has expressed an interest in getting a film camera, and was lamenting the fact that most of them are getting quite expensive on ebay, and so on. It seems that the new young hipster kids have rediscovered film as the new cool thing, and are driving prices up, especially the old "junk" cameras which look retro, like east German and Japanese rangfinders, etc. I used to throw a box of those things in the trash every time the camera store I worked for had a clean up in the 90's. You couldn't give them away.

Anyway, I went down to my storage unit and found a nice little Olympus for her. It dawned on me that, being only 18 or 19yo, she has never actually owned or shot a film camera. And she works in a camera shop. So I figure that is a worthy PIF, to keep the kids interested. Who knows, maybe it will catch on to the extent that I can actually be able to sell some of my old film equipment and not lose too much money.

 

[vferdman]

It's funny, one of the girls at work has expressed an interest in getting a film camera, and was lamenting the fact that most of them are getting quite expensive on ebay, and so on. It seems that the new young hipster kids have rediscovered film as the new cool thing, and are driving prices up, especially the old "junk" cameras which look retro, like east German and Japanese rangfinders, etc. I used to throw a box of those things in the trash every time the camera store I worked for had a clean up in the 90's. You couldn't give them away.

Anyway, I went down to my storage unit and found a nice little Olympus for her. It dawned on me that, being only 18 or 19yo, she has never actually owned or shot a film camera. And she works in a camera shop. So I figure that is a worthy PIF, to keep the kids interested. Who knows, maybe it will catch on to the extent that I can actually be able to sell some of my old film equipment and not lose too much money.

Good story and great PIF on your part. I have a pair of identical Canon Canonet QL17's that are fantastic shooters, even though they take a mercury battery that is not easily available (there are substitutions, though). Most rangefinders from those days used these batteries and relied on their flat line discharge characteristic to simplify meter electronics (they used the battery voltage as reference and skipped voltage regulation). You can still get batteries to make these cameras work. And work they do. Beautifully. Extremely sharp and fast lenses, very simple to use. I used to shoot that Canonet all the time and it was great for candids as people just felt relaxed at the sight of a non-SLR rig and acted naturally. I think there will be resurgence in film use with kids as they discover certain magic that comes with shooting that way.

I myself bought a roll of Ilford BW film and will run that through my Nikon F3 with a choice of amazing glass I have collected over the years. I have enough equipment and even some chemicals to process the stuff, so I may do that at some point. Wil post results of and when...

 

[legrandfromage]

I shut down my darkroom some years back and have developed (no pun intended) some digital printing skills that give me better results than I got when "wet". However, I try to shoot film periodically, if only because I enjoy using the cameras and flipping my thought process back to my pre-digital past. When thinking about a potential project, one of the things I consider is whether to use film or digital, or both. Unfortunately, good processing is getting harder to find and I hate to do my own scanning.

 

[vferdman]

I shut down my darkroom some years back and have developed (no pun intended) some digital printing skills that give me better results than I got when "wet". However, I try to shoot film periodically, if only because I enjoy using the cameras and flipping my thought process back to my pre-digital past. When thinking about a potential project, one of the things I consider is whether to use film or digital, or both. Unfortunately, good processing is getting harder to find and I hate to do my own scanning.

This is very interesting. I have clung to film until about 2007. I mean I shot digital, but most of the time I shot film. This is not serious photography, even. Just home life, etc. I owned a P&S digital since '98 and got a DSLR in '05, but I still preferred film and scanning negatives in. Scanning process is very tedious and I hate it, but images from film always produced more depth (longer focal lengths of lenses producing shallower depth of field), better dynamic range in some cases and just something that digital did not provide for me. I could not afford top end digital equipment, but in '02 I could easily afford a Nikon F3HP body and some of the best glass out there as long as it was manual focus. I still do not own a super-duper DSLR. Mine is still an old '05 Pentax and I do use MF lenses with it, which I enjoy a lot. However, the small sensor cameras have gotten so much better lately that I find myself using my Canon S95 more than any other camera in my arsenal. It is that good. Sure, it's a small sensor and the focal length of the lens is tiny, but it is one hell of a capable small camera. I always felt that the best camera is the one I have on me all the time and S95 sure fits that. My photography has of course become very different with a small sensor camera, but in all honesty the non-full frame DSLRs have similar problems. In film days 35mm film was small format, so APC sized sensor is even smaller than that, but most people are ok with that these days. I still think there is no substitution for the size of frame in the focal plane. We make all sort of compromises and convince ourselves that APC is good enough and we change the style of our photography to fit the smaller frame, but there is still no substitute for larger formats. I am waiting impatiently for an affordable full frame DSLR. I am not even talking pixel density. I am fine with 10 megapixels as long as the signal processing is good. The manufacturers really blow a lot of dust into our eyes with the pixel count game substituting pixel density for sensor size. So the state of the art digital technology that I can afford is not super impressive compared to even a simple film camera like my old Canon Canonet QL17, which has a fabulous 40mm/1.7 lens on it and can produce some stunning images. Having said that, I am all for digital age and I myself have not even printed very many pictures. Most of them live in digital form on my hard drives. Even the film images are scanned in. So I am not bashing digital at all, in fact, as I mentioned I do not go out much without my S95, but I think it's still fun to shoot film (teach your kids to scan for candy) in digital age. I agree that certain project lend themselves better to one medium or the other, but in just basic non-pro situation it is still so nice to load a roll of film and shoot it without any immediate feedback.

I have just developed 8 rolls of B&W film (4 of them from 7 years ago!) last night with my 16 year old son who is into all kinds of media arts. Film, photography, electronic music, etc. We bought a few rolls of Illford HP5Plus, loaded them into my F3HP and my F2 with meter-less prism and went to town on a late sunny afternoon. We shot 4 rolls of film (2 24 and 2 36 exposures) so fast it was frightening. I remember it taking days to finish a roll of film, but with the digital habit releasing that shutter has become a much more frivolous action. I have not looked at the results of the shoot yet as my scanner's SCSI card (okay, now I am really dating myself) went south and I ordered another one that has not come in yet. However I see that the negative density is very good and I think we will get at least good exposure quality out of the shoot if not the image quality. We had a lot of fun, though. Shooting, hanging out (at 16 I do not see him as much as I used to any more) and developing the film. So in a way this medium is taking on a whole new life for me. Like antique cars or wet shaving (I set the kid up with a Tech and Wee Scot and Cella and some Astras and Feathers and some instructions and he seems to be using the DE shaving kit with pleasure). For me at this stage of my life the film is providing another opportunity for me to be closer to my teen son. That is really cool. I will post some of our images here as soon as I scan them in, but it almost does not matter the photographic result. It got my son and me out doing together something we both love to do.

Sorry for rambling, but this Sunday morning is like that.

 

[legrandfromage]

I really enjoy hearing about parents and kids spending time together, involved in photography. My daughter got interested in photography as a young teenager, after seeing me with a camera. She ended up with undergrad and grad degrees in photography and although she doesn't work at it professionally, she constantly has a camera in her hand. Best part is that, when we shoot together, probably 50% of our pictures look the same while the other 50% are totally different. One of my grandsons (not her child) has a great eye and is getting interested. The beat goes on....