How many of you have NEVER tried/used film?

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

  • Total voters
    118
I started to shoot film on 110 instamatic cameras at the age of 6. Moved onto 35mm compacts at the age of 8 (my Mums hand me downs!), and used my Grandads 35mm SLR's from the age of 12. At 16, I did a photography course and started to develop my own film and prints, which was fab. But after the course I had nowhere to continue with it, so went back to Boots / Asda etc and a 35mm compact. In 2002 bought a film SLR, an EOS 300v (I never really got on with manual focus on the split prisms, but can MF using both the 300v and the 40D fine), and then moved over to a DSLR in 2008. Had a stint of developing my own film again last year, and still have some film left over, though will need to go to Boots (or wherever) to develop it.
 
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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Get it out and try it :D
 
Used many a film in the past, on various bodies (Pentax ME, Minolta 7xi, 500si, an old Zenith to name just a few). My favourites were always slide film, Fuji Velvia and Kodachrome 25.
It was fun in the past, waiting to get the mailer back, wondering how many would be keepers. Much prefer digital though, as I know straight away when I have taken a crap pic:lol:
 
I started off with 110 compacts with magi cube flashes.....now they were fun :D
 
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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KIPAX said:
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 :)
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:plusone:
I still remember that very famous mail order company, where you'd send the film off in an envelope :lol:

But in the context of this poll I think my answer has to be "no".
 
I've never used film, but I'm also still on my first DSLR. I tend to use apeature priority a lot of the time, and I KNOW I wouldn't be able to look at scene, and say "Ok, I want to shoot at F8, so I'll set the shutter speed to 1/125 and that should give me the correct exposure". I would really only be guessing at every picture I was taking.

I would like to give it a go though :thumbs:
 
Just got into photography 2 years ago...so the film era def past me by! I am still learning in the digital era so doubt I will get around to any film photograpghy
 
I've a minolta film SLR from about 10 years ago, basic model but one of the lenses got damaged and only works if you hold it against the body.

used lots of P&S film as a kid.

I have never used it artistically or since digital came out. however, I may look at getting an old film camera for a wedding I have in june that is a 1920s theme. Would be nice to have authentic film footage for it. I've also got a kodak vest pocket camera that I need to clean up and test :)
 
Steven001 said:
I've never used film, but I'm also still on my first DSLR. I tend to use apeature priority a lot of the time, and I KNOW I wouldn't be able to look at scene, and say "Ok, I want to shoot at F8, so I'll set the shutter speed to 1/125 and that should give me the correct exposure". I would really only be guessing at every picture I was taking.

I would like to give it a go though :thumbs:
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That is why you'd use a light meter, it would tell you what settings to use :D

Or, you could use your DLSR to give you a reading and input that in to the film camera :)
 
Harvey_nikon said:
That is why you'd use a light meter, it would tell you what settings to use :D

Or, you could use your DLSR to give you a reading and input that in to the film camera :)
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or you could just get an OM10 which is permanent aperture priority, as close to a point and shoot as you get with a manual focus SLR.
 
I use my Dad's old Canon A1 SLR, it is really nice to use and the shutter noise is amazing! I ran a roll of Velvia 50 through it this summer and got some really nice results, better than I could have got with digital. I find that using film makes me take more time with my shots and really think about them. However getting them developed (especially with slide film) and scanning etc is such a hassle and takes a lot of time, I reckon it's worth it though!
 
I wanted to get into photograph along time ago. Love imagery and how it can be captured but the whole process of film baffles me and obviously the process and cost issue. I prefer digital and how you can see the image on the LCD screen and all the other things associated with it.

I would like to try and do some film images and development, but I will probs stick with digital.
 
There was obviously no digital when I grew up in the 70's so film camera's (all sorts of shapes and sizes) were the norm in our house.

By the time I was at secondary school I'd got hold of an Olympus SLR and then by the 80s I was at college doing photography.

I loved the whole dark room thing - test strips, enlargers, the magic of dodging and burning with lolipops etc. Even thinking about it I can recall the smells.

I'd enjoy shooting a few rolls of film these days for the hell of it and would certainly enjoy the developing side of things but I've just not got the time, money or inclination.
 
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Film was the first thing i used, but to be honest, i wouldn't use it now.

Being able to get the exact shot you need on the fly is the 20th century; its not about having skill in taking photo's, if you are even a semi amatuer you can do it, but its about capturing the moment, and being able to see what you have shot, dont like it, delete and do it again, is what its all about.

I don't and never did like the fact that i had to just set up the camera and hope for the best.
 
Started with a Brownie, progressed to a Zenit E, then on to Olympus 35mm.

Had Om1n; Om2SP; OM10. Still got the first two with a number of lenses but I'm afraid digital is too easy.

Was considering Olympus when I first switched but they just didn't have the system.:'(
 
well...started in late 1950's with Fathers camera .. an Agfa I think - the front folded out like a concertina
then bought my own [ dont remember which] but it used a flash with a folding out fan-like dish - if you were 'cool' you licked the blue flash bulb contacts before sticking into the holder :lol:

later i bought a Canon AE-1 and then traded for an A1
lost track of dates [ old age..!] but shot Kodachrome and Ektachrome whilst living in BC Canada...complete with a Hanimex [sp] projector and screen - a superb way of boring all your dinner guests to sleep....::D

back in the UK, put the Canon into storage...bought a digital P&S to record fishing trips...then got interested again - bought Nikon D40 then Nikon D5000

yet....the digital has actually re-kindled the film interest..!
so bought a Nikon F3 on eBay

BUT BUT BUT ..the Canon A1 is due back tomorrow after TLC for the 'cough' etc and it will be put to use again ..!!:)
 
I'm digital only but would like to give film a try once I've got a bit more confidence.

I was having a conversation similar to this with my future father in law a couple of weeks ago. I could never imagine how anyone got into photography with film. I thought it'd be soooo expensive and imagined you'd have to keep lots of written records of every photo you took to learn how aperture and shutter speed worked with your chosen film.

Anyway, it was at this point that he dug out his old light meter. I was really impressed with this little bit of kit and it made a lot more sense how people got started.
 
I don't actually take any photos with a digital camera apart from when I need to quickly document my design work (special printing techniques, packaging, scale pictures etc), I shoot all my images on film. I can keep a physical record of everything I do that way, I can file it away and know exactly where it is, in 1 weeks time or 1 decades time.

It's a slower and more methodical way of working which suits me to a tee and I feel I've learned a lot more about photography--not just how to expose properly but also the way cameras work and the way light itself works--by using film and being forced to figure out shutter speeds and apertures on my own than I would have if I had a DSLR.

edit: I develop and print my own B&W Ken, no access to colour dev though so that gets sent out.
 
I only shot with a mamiya 6x7 and a zenitar camera.
I didn't develop my prints because is to much of a complication and didn't have the time for that..
 
Used lots of film. First photo was probably on a Box Brownie in the late fifties/early sixties and I have done a fair bit of B&W developing and printing; bought 35mm film in bulk and loaded into casettes and push processed TriX.

Now all my photos are digital although I still have a few 35 year old film camears.

The advent of digital has moved the learning about photography. Pre-digital, with few if any fuly automatic cameras, you had to know something about aperture, shutter speed, film speed or your photos were going to be rubbish. This was costly and as you could not see the result immediately, you did all you could to get it right first time.

With digital photos effectively being free and because fully automatic settings on all cameras will give you reasonable results a lot of the time, little knowledge is needed to get some half way decent photos.

But we do see the other side on the forum - there have been quite few frustrated photographers who can't understand why their photos, sometimes taken with very good and expensive gear, look blurred when they were handheld at shutter speed of 1/2sec.

Times and technology have changed and although I believe whatever you do it is better, the more you know, at least those who do not know why things are going wrong are brave enough to come on a forum like this and ask for help.

Good luck to them, we all started somewhere.

Sorry guys, I've gone off the subject.

Dave
 
Used to use Canon (AE-1, A-1, T90, F1n), Mamiya C330 with various lenses, Mamiya RB67 and a 5x4 (though can't remember the make now). All black and white was developed at home, then got into wedding and portrait photography. Three years of that and it put me off photography for years. Just got back into it now for the last 2-3 years and really enjoying just playing again.
 
Used film daily for nearly forty years - wasn't sorry to see it go. Nae smelly wet fingers with digital!
 
awp said:
Used film daily for nearly forty years - wasn't sorry to see it go. Nae smelly wet fingers with digital!
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So what do you use as an excuse for having smelly wet fingers now we wonder? :D
 
OK, so gone to the cupboard and grabbed the bag with my old Zeiss Contaflex Rapid - all seems OK mechanically, Weston Master V light-meeter appeared to give a reading (this was indoors at night, need to compare with DLSR meeter in daylight to confirm OK).

Now I need some film...

So what are peoples recommendation for film and processing, bearing in mind this is mainly just a bit of fun at this stage (IE Low cost is a factor)?
 
Faldrax said:
So what are peoples recommendation for film and processing, bearing in mind this is mainly just a bit of fun at this stage (IE Low cost is a factor)?
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Roll of whatever C41 film the poundshop has and asda minilab for processing.
 
TheBigYin said:
Roll of whatever C41 film the poundshop has and asda minilab for processing.
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Yes I agree - perhaps some XP400 B+W film which is still C41 process (so can be developed just like normal colour film by ASDA). You can buy this film in Boots. That should get you back on the right path!

I always used ASDA before I learned to develop my own, which I can do in my sink in about 10 mins. It really is as easy as making a decent coffee, and even more satisfying. I couldn't have done it without the help of the TP members who told me exactly what to do, though!

ped
 
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