Many interesting points of view seen, all valid. There really is no right or wrong answers.
Me? A bit of a dinasour, been around since the time where electronic cameras were starting to become popular.
The same sentiments echoed... auto mode makes you lazy, where is your litmus test, etc...
I had, on one camping trip, shot with a Canon FTbN (bet most of you haven't heard of this beast), grabbed from a friend, without camera batteries for 4 days. One of those mechanical beast, rain or shine, battery or no battery, goes on forever. Hmm... that looks like 125 f/8, focus, shot. Flash? Focus on your subject, take the GN and divide by distance. Presto, f/4, shot.
Results? Though I proudly declared I shot 4 days without meter, about half the shots were slightly off in exposure. Rescued by film latitude, so useable shots (for camping purposes) almost 95%. Excellent stuff, maybe 35%.
Even free lanced for a studio once with a Nikkormat FT2 that has its meter busted.
I once read in a old magazine about a certain pro who refused to use meters, said they were evil. The contact sheets shown about 35% success rate in exposure, don't count on other aspects yet.
So I happily gone onto electronic SLR, so convenient... set aperture and let camera set shutter speed. Wah, got TTL flash one....
Then came the monumental SLR, Canon A-1, auto everything, can put on programme mode one you know. Idiot also can use (now I am showing my age).
The same complaints - make you lazy, no more concentration, where is your litmus test?
Fast forward a bit, autofocus SLR - right, you said it, make you lazy, where is the fun?
Wah, now not only program but got little picture to tell you how to shot portrait....
And the digital age..... No need to process film one, can see immediately! Oh made a mistake, re-shot....
Where is your litmus test?
That depends on whethere you were brought up using mechanical SLR, electronic SLR, AF SLR, auto everything SLR, digital SLR.
Maybe, just maybe, the ultimate litmus test is that of a mechanical SLR, no meter, no auto flash, just film and shot. How confident are you? Someone from an earlier era will say, you need to have the plate, coat it with the chemical, put into view camera, shot and process....
Been there, done that. But I gladly adopt new technology as time goes. I used to type on a Royal typewriter, you know. Oh yes, there was a time when IBM type writers were standard issue in an office.
I have several dry cabinets with SLR from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and a lonely D70. Mechanical, eletronic, AF, digital, all there. Guess what I shot with?
Fun to play with the marvels of the old days, but when my kids jump around, or when I try to capture that nudi (nudibranch, ha, not what you think, ok), instant review is what I do. Post process? Yes. I made my church friend 10 years younger when he got married last year.
What I don't do - alter reality (like plug the fish from another photo and put it next to the coral).
Film last longer ... ha, ask me. Been trying to digitized 20 years of courting photo (you know that moonlit shot, silhoutte that took a whole roll to get (lucky got patient girl friend, now wife)), those baby first walk shots. Damn those fungus, damn the colour has faded, damn there is a scratch, damn there is dust. The negative is still there, but recoverable images is anyone's guess, unless you have the diligence to store them properly from day one. Oh yes, try finding that cute shot of the little girl beside the church yard, now which role is it on....
Oh my slides, strange colours....
Oh don't ask me about the camping shots.... No idea where the negatives are right now.
What I do now .... at least 2 copies on 2 different hard drives, 1 copy on DVD-R, recopy every 3 to 4 years. When new, bigger better harddrive comes out, recopy them from old hard drive to new hard drive, at least 2 copies. One copy put at mother-in-law's place, in case house burn down (kidding).
Litmus tests? The shot you can hang on the wall. Or the baby shot that brings you back to the day when the kiddo is born. Oh whatever priced possession you have. Not "I shot film one you know".
Quit whinning - just shot, whatever the medium.
If film is your medium, buy loads and double or triple zip lock them and refrigerate. Buy lots of camera that will work when your eyes won't. Oh, you need to get that enlarger too. And while you are there, buy the chemicals and paper to stock. No kidding, been there, done that (except the stock pile part) - do you know how I smell every Saturday when I reached home?
Que sera sera .... Life goes on....
Sigh.
Oops! Sorry for OT.
