Is "film" a dirty word around here?

Film is never a dirty word round here.:love:

blinkerz said:
Even non paid shoots might be better with digital though, i was thinking that medium format would be good to take on holidays abroad, but cause of all the variables and ease of screwing up shots, i wonder if its worth taking the risk. Does anyone here take theres halfway round the world....
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:cuckoo:
Of course they bloody do! I take my film cameras pretty much eveywhere - on holiday, on days out cycling, abroad, to work, etc etc!
The way you write about "the ease of screwing up shots, it's not worth taking the risk", etc, it just sounds like you're not confident enough in your photography to use film!
A lot of people love digital because it's easy - if it's too dark for your shot you can just change ISO without changing film etc, you can see instantly that the shot you just took is crap because you made a mistake, and take it again, etc, and there's no fun in it for me that way. I like the challenge of film, I like doing it properly, you know?
I have a brilliant little digital Canon G10 that I use when I don't want to have to use my brain or if I want to put shots on the web, but to me, and this is only my opinion (:D) photography doesn't happen on a computer, it happens in a darkroom!
I know I'm an old-fashioned fart in this regard, but that's fine with me!:lol:
 
Well I think it applies particularly to Medium format film v digital, which is what Blinkerz would be taking, less so 35mm.
There isn't the range of telephoto lenses available for M/F that there is for digital/35mm, and they aren't really designed for speed snaps what with manual focussing and no auto modes.
35mm can keep up if the light is good, these days it can't compete with digital bodys shooting 6400 with little noise, push processing can't make the gap.
Age of equipment will impact on reliability, chances are the film gear will be a good few years old already, ok it will have lived a longer and fuller life than a digital body, but if reliability is an important factor it is disadvantaged from the start.
Lichfields gear will have been cutting edge for the time, no doubt he had several back ups too, the same equipment 30 years on might be a bit iffy used solely to record memory's of the holiday of a lifetime.
I split em up, M/F film for beach scenics with a sea full of surfers, digital for the surfers individually.
Don't get negs with digital but....well....ya can't have everything :)

8:45....have I got time to soup some falling down the river bank b/w's before bedtime ??
 
Orby1 said:
Film is never a dirty word round here.:love:



:cuckoo:
Of course they bloody do! I take my film cameras pretty much eveywhere - on holiday, on days out cycling, abroad, to work, etc etc!
The way you write about "the ease of screwing up shots, it's not worth taking the risk", etc, it just sounds like you're not confident enough in your photography to use film!
A lot of people love digital because it's easy - if it's too dark for your shot you can just change ISO without changing film etc, you can see instantly that the shot you just took is crap because you made a mistake, and take it again, etc, and there's no fun in it for me that way. I like the challenge of film, I like doing it properly, you know?
I have a brilliant little digital Canon G10 that I use when I don't want to have to use my brain or if I want to put shots on the web, but to me, and this is only my opinion (:D) photography doesn't happen on a computer, it happens in a darkroom!
I know I'm an old-fashioned fart in this regard, but that's fine with me!:lol:
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Ah the joys of film - the hours of pushing/pulling in chemicals and the dark to try to rescue a cock-up :lol:

Perhaps you should take Joxby's place in the when to use film & when to use digi debate mentioned above?

:shrug:

Could be enlightening you know

DD
 
joxby said:
Well I think it applies particularly to Medium format film v digital, which is what Blinkerz would be taking, less so 35mm.
There isn't the range of telephoto lenses available for M/F that there is for digital/35mm, and they aren't really designed for speed snaps what with manual focussing and no auto modes.
35mm can keep up if the light is good, these days it can't compete with digital bodys shooting 6400 with little noise, push processing can't make the gap.
Age of equipment will impact on reliability, chances are the film gear will be a good few years old already, ok it will have lived a longer and fuller life than a digital body, but if reliability is an important factor it is disadvantaged from the start.
Lichfields gear will have been cutting edge for the time, no doubt he had several back ups too, the same equipment 30 years on might be a bit iffy used solely to record memory's of the holiday of a lifetime.
I split em up, M/F film for beach scenics with a sea full of surfers, digital for the surfers individually.
Don't get negs with digital but....well....ya can't have everything :)
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Soz - missed this before my last post - still sounds like a good thread could be had though

Longevity of equipment is an interesting point too - I think my D2Xs is supposed to manage about 200,000 shots before the shutter may pack up - and that's a van-load of film in comparison to be wound on

Go on - start that thread - you know you want to :thumbs:

DD
 
DiddyDave said:
Soz - missed this before my last post - still sounds like a good thread could be had though

Longevity of equipment is an interesting point too - I think my D2Xs is supposed to manage about 200,000 shots before the shutter may pack up - and that's a van-load of film in comparison to be wound on

Go on - start that thread - you know you want to :thumbs:

DD
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You start it, I've got some film to soup before pumpkin hour.
If you don't, I'll start it tomorrow night, I got some rubbish to spout about 200,000 shutter actuation analogy's :D
 
:D
Yeah, I know I could really do with seriously just using digital for a bit and getting to know it a lot better, then I'd be better positioned to put an opinion forward as regards when to use each one. I know digital has its advantages, it's just, I don't know, I just don't like it!
I like being in a darkroom messing about, I like the red light, dropping stuff on the floor and crawling about on my hands and knees to find it, I like the smell of the chemicals, I like getting stains on my t-shirt from the fixer, the smell on my hands for hours afterwards, the quiet hum of the fan in the enlarger, and of course the magic of watching the print appear before your very eyes. When I get that darkroom smell in my nostrils it's like I'm 9yrs old again helping my dad do his Cibachromes in the shed, and I love it!
I know I have a very rose tinted view and I know I'm being romantic about it, but for me, sitting in front of a computer and going "Ooo, I need a spot more contrast on this one...(adjusts slider on screen).... Ah, there you go - perfect! Now click on 'print'!" just doesn't cut it!! How could it compare??:lol:
As for the reliability of old gear, luckily for me I just got an unused boxed OM-2n off Fleabay for £41, I'm expecting that after getting a service and new light seals it should give me a few good years' service! (Cross fingers..!)
 
I think your right its probably down to confidence, both in terms on the gear your using and the experience to back it up with. I took both digital and my hassy to london other day to see how things played out.

I walked around and ended up using one roll of 120 and about 20 pics on digital, but i think it was down to the fact the hassle swapping between the two all time. Also it didnt seem to work changing the mindset of film and digital, slowing down the process and then back over to digital machine gun, combined with the fact 6x6 has a different way of visualizing scenes.. One thing ive learnt is the usefulness of several backs, one high and one low iso film can make life alot easier.

Very early days for me with film, not sure if il stick at it, but its interesting for the moment, but i do think it can make you a better photographer, rather than the digital approach of 20 pics to get one lucky one.
 
Hi Blinkerz, I think you've made a really good point there, I wish I'd been able to make it myself! I mean the fact that, with film, you have to think hard about each picture you take and evaluate every factor which makes up the shot before you take it, rather than just machine-gunning 20 hopeful shots off and just keeping the good one. In that way, I think that using film makes you a better photographer - it makes you learn the rules.
 
Orby1 said:
Hi Blinkerz, I think you've made a really good point there, I wish I'd been able to make it myself! I mean the fact that, with film, you have to think hard about each picture you take and evaluate every factor which makes up the shot before you take it, rather than just machine-gunning 20 hopeful shots off and just keeping the good one. In that way, I think that using film makes you a better photographer - it makes you learn the rules.
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I used film for 25 years before going digi - so I think I know how to use the 'rules' and assess if a scene is worthy of pressing the shutter

I can do 8 frames a sec now - but only ever once have (a Wedding where doves were released from a basket!!!)

I often shoot far less than my mates on club outings - a throwback to my cheapskate days of film I'm sure) - but there's NO WAY I'd go back to film now

And I still think this would make an excellent stand-alone thread - but I don't want to hijack it as my own - so please, one of you - fire away :thumbs:

DD
 
DiddyDave said:
And I still think this would make an excellent stand-alone thread - but I don't want to hijack it as my own - so please, one of you - fire away :thumbs:

DD
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Ok Mr DD, will do - just for you!:D
 
:banana:

v3o8t0.jpg


Y'know, I don't feel any pressure, obligation, to make a great photo when I shoot film.
You might have to think about things more but, there's a certain release from the shackles of perfection.
You followed the instructions and shot the frame, you don't know what you have so why worry about it, its like letting go of some control, that can sometimes be quite difficult for the digital generation to release.
If I was shooting weddings on film, I'd probably **** myself, but thats something else.
 
Crap.
This thread is making me want to convert the bikeshed into a darkroom...:lol:
 
You don't need a darkroom, just a lampstand from Ikea and some buff wallpaper:lol:
 
I've a new addition!! (Dicko you'll like this one!)

130120091579.jpg


the lens has to be the most manual lens possible! looking forward to loading this one up too, now I can have one loaded with B&W and the other with colour :)
 
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