Do you still shoot film?

[msvadi]

and why?
I'm curious ;)

[SWPhotoImaging]

I am considerin acquiring a film body that will accept all my Canon Ef lenses, because I an un-satisfied with the B&W capabilities of my current setup. i am also considering a printer that is dedicated to B&W though.

[garethhhhh]

Yes,

I still shoot a bit of black and white, not much though... The only other reason I still shoot film is when I wan't to get the most out of my 17-40mm at the wide end.

[G3]

Yes. I still shoot film. Most of it is 6x4.5 medium format for weddings and portraits, but I do still shoot some 35mm. When I can afford to buy that 22 mp digital back for my medium format camera I might start doing some portraits in digital format.

[Mills]

No. The prints that I order through Apple's iPhoto show up at my door within two days and the quality is the same, in my opinion, as film for what I am looking for. I think, however, someday I would like to discover the medium format world.

[robertwgross]

On a recent photo trip to the desert, I shot about 750 images digitally and another 200 on Velvia and Provia. Obviously, I had to wait to get the slides back from processing. Then I had to pick out the very best slides, and scan them. Then some conversion, noise reduction, etc.

After all of the smoke clears, the digital-shot TIF files are 18MB each, and the film scanned TIF files are about 50-55MB each. Those larger files allow for a lot more detail, if the subject really has a lot of meaningful detail. If you want to print it large, that extra detail is handy.

Each mode has its merits.

---Bob Gross---

[timmyquest]

I am considerin acquiring a film body that will accept all my Canon Ef lenses, because I an un-satisfied with the B&W capabilities of my current setup. i am also considering a printer that is dedicated to B&W though.

I think i have much more controll with my B&W photography with digital rather then film...but to each his own.

[defordphoto]

Simple answer: Nope

Why? Let me retort: Why?

I personally have no use for film, I have 40 rolls of film just laying around and 20-some disposable cameras that we given to us via my wife's work and even at that I still have no need for film.

[Josh]

YES.....
Its the only thing I have!!!!

(I wont get my digicam for another 3 months!!!)

[Canon10D]

Yes,
Better dynamic range :)
But not as convenience as digital, where u can preview on the spot and erase .

[ShootTechPan]

I am considerin acquiring a film body that will accept all my Canon Ef lenses, because I an un-satisfied with the B&W capabilities of my current setup. i am also considering a printer that is dedicated to B&W though.

I think i have much more controll with my B&W photography with digital rather then film...but to each his own.

I don't think it's a matter of control. Digital color is great, and I don't shoot color film anymore, but I've never seen a digital black and white print come very close to a silver gelatin print on FB paper. The disgusting metamerism, the shallow blacks, the tonal shifts under different lighting... the carbon and peizo black inks are better, but it's only approaching true black and white silver prints, and certainly not exceeding it.

I still shoot black and white on 6x9cm medium format and a 4x5 (thats the negative's size in INCHES for you all-digital folks) large format view camera. The amount of extra detail and dynamic range isn't even a question when compared to my DSLRs. I'm not really sure why I still use the 35mm SLR. I guess just to use up the old film in my fridge. The 1Ds does come close to the 35mm at matching detail (but not dynamic range) when used at low ISOs. I do think the modern Canon L lenses are wonderful and superior to the old prime glass on my non-35mm film cameras. Color digital is great. But I'm still waiting for the true black and white print to come from my computer.

Try shooting Technical Pan film... before Kodak kills it. Develop it in technidol and you'll have mind blowing detail and tonality. Of course, it also costs $10 a roll + $4 per dose of Technidol... no one ever claimed film is CHEAPER than digital. If you're strapped, you can reuse the Technidol once for a second roll at +15% developing time. But hey, WTH am I talking about? This is a digital forum :lol:

[thomascanty]

Yes, because the dynamic range of most digital cameras still leaves a lot to be desired, unfortunately. I must admit, I don't shoot all that much film any more, though.

[Laziferous]

I don't shoot film right now, but I plan to. Since I'm going to have EF lenses anyway, I'm going to get a film body to use on occassion. Hate to jump on the bandwagon, but it will most likely be used for black and white.

[iwatkins]

I still shoot black and white once a month and develop it myself at home then scan it. Love the smell of the chemicals. :lol:

Also gives you a good idea of what a full frame sensor would be like. The images that come out of the Sigma 12-24 onto film are W I D E.

Cheers

Ian

[dds]

Yes I do.
On vacation my wife pretends I use film (anyway I like it and I got some pretty nice results with my dad's old manual Chinon, not Canon :lol: ).
I recently got an Eos 33 for this purpose, but I never used it so far.

On a regular basis I never shoor film.

DDS

[nosquare2003]

I still shoot black and white once a month and develop it myself at home then scan it. Love the smell of the chemicals. :lol:

Also gives you a good idea of what a full frame sensor would be like. The images that come out of the Sigma 12-24 onto film are W I D E.

Cheers

Ian

Really? I hate the smell badly!

[Vegas Poboy]

Yes, 35mm & getting ready to purchase an meduim format.

1.Back up to my 10D until Canon releases another cam within the $1500.00 to $2500.00 price range from what I hear could be this fall.

2. I love to shoot specialitly films, Scala - Color Infrared - Infrared - E6 and black & white PS is good but these films keeps colors natural.

[Lamplight]

I haven't shot film in over a year because nearly everytime I've ever shot with film something goes wrong. Either I mess up loading the film into the camera and all the pictures just come out completely black, or something would happen during processing and ruin them. The last time I used film I spent well over $25 on film and processing and ended with maybe half a dozen decent pictures. Granted, the only film camera I have is an old AE-1 Program, but it generally works fine when other people use it, just not me. :( If it weren't for digital photography, I would most definitely have a different hobby.

[msvadi]

Thanks everybody for your responses. It was quite interesting to read. I have to say that I want to try a film SLR for same reasons many of you have mentioned. I really want to try film infrared. Now that I have some EF lenses I think about getting a film SLR body more and more often.

Of course, for me there is a lot of learning to do. All my film cameras were point and shoot. May be except for Smena 8M that I used to have when I was about 12 ;) I even developed and printed pictures myself then. But, there was no other way in Russia 20 years ago ;)

[iof]

My wife participates in juried art shows and many still require submission of slides for entry. I just recently bought an Elan 7 so I can use my EOS lenses, EX550, MT-24EX, and other stuff I bought since going mostly digital. Maybe I can start putting away my FD lenses and old A-series stuff.

[psk4363]

:D I'm very happy to say "Yes" !

:) Why? Several reasons actually:-
a) to bypass the 'weakness' of D-SLRs, i.e. the wide-angle end of a lens' focal range such as on my 17-40 which on the 10D equates to a 27-64mm focal range;
b) as a back-up to my 10D;
c) slide film has a better dynamic range than a CMOS or CCD chip;
d) to be able to enter slide/transparency competitions in addition to those prepared from a digital file (which can be somewhat expensive!)

Hope this helps,
Barry :P

[GenEOS]

I shot some Easter weekend.
I recently aquired a 16-35mm for my Digital SLR and was wondering what you can do with 16mm.
I love it even more on a film body at 1:1 zoom factor.
Once my Mark II comes in, I will gain a little more out of it in the digital world.

I can't share the examples, because they still are not scanned....

It is funny how you forget how things "were".

[johneo]

I've got my 10D and a few lenses and 550EX flash and have been giving some serious thought to getting the Canon Elan 7NE as a backup / 2nd camera / alternative to my digital.

Before spending the money I decided to dig out my old Minolta X-700 and a few lenses and bring them with me to see if this will work. If I DO start using the X-700, then I can justify (to myself) my purchase of the 7NE. It means I can use the same lenses on the 7NE and 10D.

So far, my X-700 has been sitting in its camera bag, in the van, unused, for about 3 weeks. I even left the big lenses at home so I wouldn't feel the need to carry them. Still, I have yet to use it.

I'm still thinking of going with the 7NE (when available) but it probably won't be as soon as I thought / hoped, if at all.

Funny! After buying the 10Dand the lenses I have, the money I'm spending this week for my 100-400 L ... the price of the 7NE seems pretty reasonable, as a 2nd camera.

[robertwgross]

In the old days, before digital, I shot my Canon film camera on nature walks and got maybe one or two good frames per roll of film.

Then I started shooting mostly digital. I think everybody would agree that we shoot more when we shoot digital, since there is so little cost. So, with digital my shooting rate increased. Again, one or two good images per 30 or 40 shot out in the woods.

However, I still carry my film camera along, and when I get into something good, I shoot the digital camera until I think I have the right composition, and then I pull out the film camera to shoot a few. As a result, I have far fewer "experimental" shots on film, and as a result of that, I get far more good frames per film roll.

---Bob Gross---

[PhotosGuy]

Yes, for all the above reasons, + film has a grain structure that you just can't easily duplicate with digital.
This was taken with 2475 Recording Film, & printed on Agfa #6. Sorry it's not bigger here, but you get the idea I hope.

http://images.snapfish.com/33%3A5%3B%3C%3A%3B23232%7Ffp46%3Dot%3E232%3C%3D884 %3D3%3B9%3DXROQDF%3E2323534348278ot1lsi

[khiromu]

I actually switched back to film recently, though it might sounds odd.

I got 10D a year ago, and I liked it very much. Since then I took about 12K photos. If I only have film body, I would probably have taken about 1200 shots or so. Because shooting with digital doesn't cost anything (except battery), I could take as much as I want. Then I ended up having less keepers than with film. With film I think everything more carefully. Well, of course it's ME, just personal taste.

Beside shooting more carefully, I enjoy the process of developping, and hopefully some printing. Right now I use film scanner, but I want to try some wet printing sometime in the future.

I just sold my 10D today. I am sure I will miss digital for its strength. But I am also sure that I will be, and certainly I am now, enjoying shooting with films.

I am not saying that film is better or digital is better. I just happen to like the process of film photography better than digital ones.

Sorry for the long post.
Thank you.

Hiromu

[evilenglishman]

Yes,
Better dynamic range :)
But not as convenience as digital, where u can preview on the spot and erase .

good point and maybe this is something for the next generation of film cameras. having a CF card to record image data, then you can go through them, delete crap ones, do a bit of exposure comp and then hit a print to film roll button!!!

wouldnt that be great!!! Should i patent my idea? :D

[where1]

Yes, I still shoot film. I have an old 15mm FD fisheye lense that I tried with a converter on my D-Rebel. Just doesn't work well. I shot a roll of color prints recently with it after repairing my Canon AT1, and they came out well.

[Tapeman]

I still shoot film more than digital. That is mostly because I have an EOS 1v HS and L glass or a digital point & shoot to choose between.

A MkII is in my future so that will change.

I'm sure I'll keep my 1v as it is arguably the best 35mm body ever.

[Jesper]

Only used my EOS 30 (non-US name for the Elan 7E) once since I got my 10D last October.... to try out how wide the 17-40 mm lens is on film. 17 mm is really wide.... you can stand in front of a tall building and still get the whole building on the photo....

But it's all so much easier with the 10D, no developing, no scanning, super low noise (ISO 100 images from the 10D are cleaner than what you'll get with any kind of film), no X-ray worries, etc. I don't need film anymore.

The 6.3 MP of the 10D allows for very nice enlargements, so more MP wouldn't be my first wish for my next DSLR. More dynamic range would be much higher on my wish list.