ATTN All Film Shooters

Here's a couple of answers as to why you'd shoot film:
http://www.apug.org …you-still-shoot-film.html

D'oh!! Of course - thanks Doc.... I should have known the obvious.

DocFrankenstein wrote in post #5347855
I'd guess luminous landscape.

BionicBovine wrote in post #5039529
I really really mis shooting with the AE-1. I forgot all about it until I read this thread. I think I'm going to go purchase one. They're like $150 now right? lol (drool).

If you are interested, I can set you up with a like-new EOS Elan II and an EF 28-90mm f/4-5.6 kit lens and semi-hard case for $125. Let me know.

I'm asking this because yesterday I went in my local Ritz and the elderly gentleman displayed about a dozen 8x10 prints,, half digital and half film.

Now it may have been because I'm a neophyte at this but...I could not tell them apart and if I can't, how likely is John Q. Public going to be able to?

The link that Doc provided (didn't read all of it), for the most part dealt with the emotional aspect. OK, but what can they do that PS doesn't?

What I would like is, two of the same shot, one digital and one film, and could you guys tell them apart?

Chauncy, IMHO the whole issue anymore is pretty much one of aesthetics the with the crowd that uses large format cameras and specializes in alternative printing processes. I doubt you or most anybody will be able to tell the difference between 8x10 prints produced by 35mm negatives and dSLR's. So for all practical purposes, it's really a moot point unless you're into specialty fine are printing with larger formats.

Unless you have some excellent gear - Leica, Rollei, Contax, Hasselblad - that you love playing with, have unlimited access to film, and don't mind at all the cost of wet processing, or simply enjoy doing it yourself.... all of which are valid reasons, it is now more practical to do the work digitally. I am not saying that either way is right or wrong; just that to me it's a non-issue anymore.

Going digital is getting really cheap. There is a 300D body only on Craigslist in my area for $225. I can't see them dropping too much more than that. It's what I started with, and it was a VERY good camera.

chauncey wrote in post #5348830
OK, but what can they do that PS doesn't?

Film:
You can get world class equipment very cheap
You can shoot ISO25 film on BW with color filters, and the quality will be better than digital and if you shoot ISO 100 it will better as well
You can't repeat the film's response to light in photoshop
If you overexpose, you will probably get a better negative, with digital you have to discard the shot.

You don't sit in front of the computer processing stuff.

It's just a different medium.

Doc - you make excellent points..... all very valid. That's why a number of schools and curricula still offer "traditional" and "wet" photography. Finally last year I donated all my old darkroom gear to the local high school's art department. I think it's an excellent idea for students to learn the basics from the ground up this way.

You're right about face time on the PC; I never used to spend so many hours ....

sapearl wrote in post #5349432
Doc - you make excellent points..... all very valid. That's why a number of schools and curricula still offer "traditional" and "wet" photography. Finally last year I donated all my old darkroom gear to the local high school's art department. I think it's an excellent idea for students to learn the basics from the ground up this way.

You're right about face time on the PC; I never used to spend so many hours ....

Hehe

Well, if you ever feel like donating that zeiss ZM rangefinder to a student... I'll pay shipping.

In terms of film being expensive, let me break down the prices:
A bottle of HC 110 developer: 13 bucks
When you mix it for one roll, you need a 1:50 dilution, so that's 4ml per roll of film.
With one bottle you'll be able to process about 120 rolls. So that's 10 cents per roll for developer.

You can stop with apple vinegar.

And you can fix with a 5 dollar bag of fixer forever.

Also, I pay 22 bucks for 100 feet of film. That's a lot of shooting and processing under 50 dollars!

I've gone back to shooting b/w film on my old pentax k1000. Mostly in indoor lowlight situations. Given I shoot randomly, digital is nice in that i can change ISO on the fly. It's been hard w/ film. But I love the look I get with the grain.

One day in DC I had both camera's with me. I got a few odd looks when i sat down to load a new roll up, haha.

My only gripe is scanning. SOOOO much dust (and my last roll I got too many scratches in it somehow). It's so time consuming to fix

I had never used a film camera that wasnt disposable. Just a few weeks ago I was given a couple of Petri SLRs( you can see them and a couple shots taken with them here http://www.flickr.com …7/sets/72157604​345348307/ ) I shot one roll of walgreens 400 color film through one. It was alot of fun, and although only a handful of the images were usable for anything, I liked it alot. So I bought some more film, traded a lens for an elan 7e, and im enjoying film and hopefully sometime this summer ill start to develop my own and possibly print as well. A friend of mine has an enlarger he isnt using.

Im waiting on 3 rolls to get back from the lab, Im pretty excited to see how they turned out. I just dont get excited from the 10D, I take the shots check one or two and take a few dozen more. I end up shooting hundreds of shots most of which were not thought out, and then when i sit down at the computer I sort through and choose which to edit. I figure cost of developing and printing aside, its going to be the same with film only all the shots ideally will be thought out and the sorting process wont be as tedious.

sapearl wrote in post #5347355
I can certainly understand your feelings on that .

But as much as I wanted to continue using my Hasselblads for wedding and event work, the lab processing and printing charges were absolutely killing me. The workflow was very cumbersome - all the negs had to be scanned - and turnaround speed suffered. I couldn't keep up with my competition and still make a profit.

I bought an XTi today! I still have my film cameras though. I will probably sell the ELAN-7 but the AE-1 is my B&W camera. I am keeping it.
The cost and quality of processing was getting depressing!

Ive shot a bit of film lately, 3 rolls last weekend. Here is what I have posted on Flickr.

The last set of B&Ws in the set are on Ilford c41 black and white film, it turned out pretty well, but completely a different animal the the Trix Black and whites in the beginning of the set. Ive got a roll of HP5 coming back from the lab in about two weeks, cant wait.

http://www.flickr.com …7/sets/72157604​769874855/

look at my avaitar, 500c/m, i develop all of my own film, (all i shoot is b/w) and then scan it.

Pick up a Canon T-90 for around $100.00..the only film camera I know of that has a spot meter where you can take up to at least 5 different spot readings and it averages them all for an overall exposure..does great.