How many of you have NEVER tried/used film?

Since becoming seriously interested in photography, have you ever used film?

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ped

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How many of you have never used film?

I'm not judging you (I only went back to using film probably 50% of the time about two years ago) but really interested to see how many photographers out there have only ever used digital.

I guess it would be a fair few people. I'm only 28 but I vaguely remember using film as a kid, but for me, when photography became a serious hobby it was all digital for a year or so until I got into developing and shooting my own film, mainly because my granddad gave me a lovely old camera. Now I'm hooked, though I often shoot digital, too.

So what are the reasons you haven't tried film? Has it ever crossed your mind? Is it something you plan to do? I'm mainly talking from a hobbyist point of view, rather than professional photographers who rely on digital workflow to meed deadlines etc.

ped
 
Bought up on film with my dad developing and printing his own. Had a long hiatus from anything more than a compact (APS the digital) and then got a DSLR. Over the past year I have then got back into film. Have developed some B&W film but just don't have the time/space for prints.
 
You might want to add a poll to get an idea of haves and have nots [as it were] Edit: I was typing when you posted, there is an 'add poll' button in thread tools you can use ;)

I do have and use film cameras purely for my own enjoyment, rarely even sharing the results, and started with film many many years ago, but I did something with film last night that I have never done - used studio flash!

My daughters friend came round, she is doing A-level photography apparently and needed a model and a way of creating high contrast lighting. Her camera was an old Pentax with a 50mm stuck on the front. So I got out one flash head, finally hunted down one of 3 synch cables I own, and used the D300 as a 'light meter', as I don't actually own one. I am not sure what they teach at her college, but found myself slightly concerned when I said to her, "ok, aperture f11, shutter speed 1/125" and she held the camera out to me because she wasn't aware of what or how to change an aperture :eek: :bonk:

Still, it meant I got to have a play with the camera too, and she is coming round next week to show us the results. Might have to have a go with one of mine now :D
 
I could say I shot film before digital but it was only point & shoots for snaps so not really sure that counts in the context that you're asking. Since starting with a DSLR though, I have acquired a Pentax ME Super and a Zorki 4 but have hardly used them. Something I definitely intend to rectify though.
 
had digital before a film camera (slr). used to ply about with a bronica 6x4.5 for a bit but just to much of a faff to get the film developed then scan or print onto paper in the dark room. couple that with recording the exposures. suppose it was a lesson in getting it right first time in camera. there is no digital substitute for Adox CHS 25 though
 
I used quite a few film cameras when I was growing up - mainly 127 and 120 - followed by a couple of 35mms, and progressed to a Nikon FM and F2. I still have, and use, the Nikons and prefer them to any DSLR I've handled.

This isn't really about film for me. I'm pretty satisfied with what digital gives me; but I love the simplicity, superb engineering and larger VFs of the mechanical SLRs. Pity the FM3D didn't make it into production - that would have been perfect.
 
fabs said:
I could say I shot film before digital but it was only point & shoots for snaps so not really sure that counts in the context that you're asking. .
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Same here..having to go up town a few days later with your ticket... so we have shot film.. I think the question needed wording better :)
 
I missed out on the whole developing/ dark room/ smelly fluid things as my mates Father worked in a chemist so we just gave him the film and received the prints back the next day.
 
I've been using film off and on for over 30 years now. Still use a number of Film cameras at the moment, ranging from a Pinhole camera that takes panoramic shots on 120 roll film producing negatives/slides that are 6cm high and 12cm wide, right up to a EOS-3 35mm camera that anyone who's used to canon xD bodies would feel right at home with (apart from the inability to chimp your shots). One day I may even take a photograph I'm happy with :)

Went back to processing my own film last year, mainly because I enjoy shooting black and white film, which is easy to process, and expensive to have done for you. Then prompted by last march's POTY competition "Cross Processing" I had a bash at processing my own colour film too - slide and negative. I was surprised at how easy it was to get a result, and then rapidly annoyed at how difficult it was to get a CONSISTANT result. Still - I submitted one of maybe 10 of the REAL cross processed shots out of the 164 entered - the other 150+ being photoshop bodges :lol: , so I was fairly happy.

I don't often use film on paying jobs - though a mate's band do ask me to try on film occasionally (though that's partly that the bass-player is a bit of a film nut himself!) - but when it comes to personal work I still enjoy it - mainly shooting black and white, as the self-processing of the film is a big part of the "film experience" for me, but getting consistent colour reproduction is difficult, and I end up doing so much colour correction post scanning, somehow It almost feels like I might as well just shoot digital. Then every so often, I get a well exposed roll of Velvia out of the soup, hold it up to the light, and a big smile crosses my dial, and I resolve to keep trying - at least until those 3 big boxes of film in the freezer are empty :lol:
 
I find I get really bored with the same old digital process, and shooting film for me is a pleasant change from it, plus I get to use some fantastic cameras that make my willy go all funny in a way digital cameras never will.

Having done loads of darkroom work years ago, I hate the whole messy time consuming printing bit, but the nice thing these days is you only need a developing tank and a few chemicals and you can process your film in the kitchen or bathroom - job done - just scan the negs or slides.
 
I got a Pentax film SLR in 2006 with a Vivitar 28-70 on it. Probably shot about 4-5 rolls on it. Really enjoyed it but hated the time lag and processing costs so it went back on the shelf. Interest was re sparked last year so I got a DSLR and haven't looked back. Still have the Pentax and occasionally consider getting a roll or two for it but am reluctant as that's £20-30 I could use for something else.

The only film I'd be interested in now would be MF but the costs are still huge and I'm not sure what I'd use it for!
 
I can remember using my parents' film camera around the mid-90s (I would have been in my mid/late teens) but never got involved with film developing, the closest I came to that was when I worked in a chemists and sent films off for processing :lol:

Got my first digital camera (1.3MP brick that ate AAs faster than you could put them in it) in 1999 and first DSLR in 2007
 
Grew up with film cameras, on school trips I'd be the one everyone had to ask to put a new film in their camera! :lol:

Never developed it though, we never had a spare room we could use for that. :(
 
Went out on a photo stroll with a tog buddy on Saturday and came across another couple of guys shooting film (Pentax ME Super and Canon 1000n as I recall) and now reading this it has made me think I might just dust off the EOS100 (Cost me £600 now worth around £10 lol) and relive those film days.

Oh and CT you might want to get the GP to check that for you. :lol:

CT said:
I find I get really bored with the same old digital process, and shooting film for me is a pleasant change from it, plus I get to use some fantastic cameras that make my willy go all funny in a way digital cameras never will.
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Gazamonk said:
Oh and CT you might want to get the GP to check that for you. :lol:
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LOL . I'll lend you my Contax G2 - then tell me you don't get a rustling in your pants! :D
 
My dad once showed me how to use his Zenith, and I took a few shots on it, but it didn't have that much of an impression cos I can't recall the shots. I do recall him telling me that the lever on the left had to be within a bar, and to play with the aperture and shutter speed to make the lever be within the bar!

I used to like taking shots on my compact - a canon I think - even going as far as shooting into the sun across Poole Harbour from the ferry using my sunglasses as a filter and producing a shot good enough to use as the front cover of a uni project - SHould really see if I still have the negatives, though doubt it!

I then went onto APS film and got loads and loads developed of the eldest as a baby.

Then digital all the way.

I don't miss film at all, I think about getting an SLR and a 50mm, just for the hell of it, but I would probably stuff up a couple of rolls, never get them developed and then it owuld be a waste of cash.

So, Yes, I have used film, though not in the proper way.
 
Damn you did you have to mention Contax, I have an appointment at the clinic 4pm :(
 
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I have (in a cupboard) a Zeiss Contaflex which I inherited from my Grandfather. When I got it I shot a couple of rolls of film, but was put off by it being fully manual - including metering using an external light meter, so never progressed with it (but loved the few shots that came out properly!).

Having shot digital for a couple of years I keep meaning to try shooting some film again, now that I understand what the controls would do!
 
Faldrax said:
I have (in a cupboard) a Zeiss Contaflex which I inherited from my Grandfather. When I got it I shot a couple of rolls of film, but was put off by it being fully manual - including metering using an external light meter, so never progressed with it (but loved the few shots that came out properly!).

Having shot digital for a couple of years I keep meaning to try shooting some film again, now that I understand what the controls would do!
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Oooh... need a pic of that!
 
I think I shoot roughly 50/50 these days. I can't do colour film though unless I farm the developing out somewhere so mostly black and white. I think the advent of digital just made me sloppy and trigger happy, it felt good to get back to actually thinking properly.
 
A poll would be good. Can you edit your original post and put one on? Don't know if this forum allows that or not.
 
Very interesting to hear all these stories. Apologies for the confused wording of my question, I think most have got the picture (if you'll pardon the pun)


dougietee said:
A poll would be good. Can you edit your original post and put one on? Don't know if this forum allows that or not.
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Can't see the option to add a poll.. perhaps a mod can do the honours? It would be very interesting to see the results (and clarify the actual question!)

I would like it to say:

Since becoming seriously interested in photography, how many of you have NEVER tried using film?
 
For work I couldn't think of anything worse than relying on film; processing took too long, as did the repro process to get it into a digital format. However, I can totally see why people revert back to film time-to-time for hobby purposes because I feel it's a more considered medium where every shot counts. Give me a 5x4" or a MF camera and I reckon it might be a gas.

I've got a Pentax MX sat on the mantlepiece with a roll of Ilford 125 B&W in it that I've never bothered to dev - might be interesting to see what gems (or piles of poop) reside on it.... maybe just maybe it might get me back into shooting film :)

EDIT: Good feature in one of the mags this month about Steve McCurry shooting the last roll of Kodachrome - wonder how many people will read it and feel they've missed the boat, especially those who haven't tried it.
 
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ped said:
Very interesting to hear all these stories. Apologies for the confused wording of my question, I think most have got the picture (if you'll pardon the pun)




Can't see the option to add a poll.. perhaps a mod can do the honours? It would be very interesting to see the results (and clarify the actual question!)

I would like it to say:

Since becoming seriously interested in photography, how many of you have NEVER tried using film?
Click to expand...

have had a look and there's an option to add a poll in the 'thread tools' bit at the top of the thread.
 
ped said:
Very interesting to hear all these stories. Apologies for the confused wording of my question, I think most have got the picture (if you'll pardon the pun)




Can't see the option to add a poll.. perhaps a mod can do the honours? It would be very interesting to see the results (and clarify the actual question!)

I would like it to say:

Since becoming seriously interested in photography, how many of you have NEVER tried using film?
Click to expand...

Poll Lesson: On the top RHS of you first post is a 'Thread Tools' Tab. Click on it, and one of the options is 'add poll to this thread' - click it, and follow instructions on screen :thumbs:
 
As someone who started out with my trusty Zorki 4 and Lenigrad meter - both bought new (still got the meter for some reason) and went on to try Pentax, Olympus & Canon 35mm SLR's, then moved to roll-film cameras and had my own permanent darkroom. I only moved to digital perhaps 6 or 7 years ago (don't really remember) and the only thing that ‘might’ tempt me back to film would be if someone gave me a technical camera to play with – but I think I’ll just wait until digital backs become nice and cheap.

I can only think of one good reason for still using a film camera, the amount of great kit on sale at really low prices these days, but that’s about it. From a personal standpoint I do think that starting out with film, a basic camera and handheld meter has stood me in good stead. I still try hard to get the picture ‘right’ in the camera, whereas I feel many don’t seem to care too much as there is little physical time/cost to a poor image but on a positive side digital does encourage experimentation for the very same reason…the only ‘film’ camera’s I ever regretted selling – My RB67 & Polaroid SX-70.

Paul
 
I used to shoot film a long time ago but as my main interests were Motorsport and aviation, this was expensive to get the right shots, especially when you were limited to 24-36 exposures per film. I then give up for a few years and started again in earnest about 5 years ago when Canon brought out the 400D and have never seen the need to move back to film to be honest, I prefer the digital darkroom.
 
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I only use digitial for work, but oh how I love film. There is nothing like seeing your image appear on the paper in the darkroom. I found it really relaxing too, music, low lights, peace and quiet! Sadly my enlarger is now in storage...

Starting in film definately helped me, being able to chimp is great, but taking your time and getting it right first time is even better.

Hmm, nostalgic at 32, who'd have thought it..!
 
This is shaping up to be really interesting. As a 'youngster' myself I have read up on the resurgance of people using film, particularily in Japan.

At the end of the day, I just think it's good fun. As is digital.

I definitely think that having a fully manual film camera at the beginning of my serious foray into the hobby has been massively helpful to me, and just plain exciting.

ped (just taken delivery of a Polaroid 440)
 
First SLR was a Minolta 7000i. I stopped photography because of the faff and cost involved in getting it developed, especially if going to a sprint and taking a couple of pictures of each of 150 competitors.

Got back into it after buying a Sony a300 2.5 years ago. Digital completely re-awakened my interest. Would never go back to film, absolutely cannot see any benefit for where the bulk of my photographic interest lies.
 
Those halcyon days, skipping down to Boots to have your latest masterpieces developed, to trudge home despondent seven days later realising you had messed up the exposure :(

I started back in 1974 with a Minolta XG2, and still have an X700 with a couple of lenses
 
I think the first camera I took a photo on as a kid was a 127 film camera of some sort, then I had several crappy 110 instamatic cameras, and finally as a teenager I got my grubby mitts on a 35mm SLR, a Russian Zenit, built like a tank but I loved it. Then I bought a Pentax ME super, and used that and a Yashica 35mm compact for a while until I bought my first digital camera, a Canon Powershot G5.

I only ever got to use a dark room once and never to develop negs, just one print.
Would have liked to have a home dark room but it was never a practical option.
 
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