Why shooting film?

[GFONG]

Dear all,

I spent long time in thinking of why people are still shooting photos with the film camera but could not get the answer. The only reason that I can think of is people already own the camera therefore they keep using it.

Can anyone enlighten me?

Fhanks,
GF

 

[night86mare]

because there is just something about film that you can never achieve with digital.

you can come close, but you won't get it.

 

[enivre]

I used to wonder the same thing about audiophiles. Why use a vinyl record player when there are CDs. Then you listen to a record player and you'll understand.

Roughly the same with film.

 

[Daikoku]

In my opinion,
digital is too clinical, too sharp, too clean, alittle predictable most of the time

with film, firstly there's grain ( yes i love grain), smoother blending of highlights to midtones,
film processing is fun ( different film/chemicals combination give different results)
among other things too..

for work, yes digital is useful n convenient
for leisure, definitely film
for me i mean

 

[fuwen]

For me:

1. Already commit too much on my old equipment and the body unfortunately does not have digital equivalent. To start a new system I have no excess budget.

2. The workflow of shooting film is still the fastest to me, I just shoot and send the neg for development and then later put them in my album. No need time for photoshop and transfering of digital files.

 

[chiif]

It's difficult to explain why and even it can be explained why, you won't appreciate until you load a roll and shoot it yourself and see the output.

Hope that helps...

 

[Dan95]

Digital cameras make me look stupid. If the image is OOF, the shutter wont click when pressed. With a Leica, you can shoot dark areas with 1/1000 with a F4 lens. When the image turns out bad, the photographer is bad.

With film, I can play ASA 25

 

[glchua]

Because I like the workflow. I do mainly B&W darkroom work nowadays.

Digital does everything technically better than film now (except getting that red colour right).

But I like darkroom work, I like seeing images I take only a few weeks later, I like screwing up my chemistry and learning from mistakes, I like getting prints that surprises me after washing and seeing them in the light, I like the sound of water flowing, ......

Some like to play tennis using Wii, some like to go to gym and run on treadmills. But there will be people that like to play games outdoor, and run in the forest.

 

[mdzmr]

Shooting with film will be shooting more wisely and more calculative. Every click cause you money. The other thing is that shooting film make you more tense during the processing because you not know what the outcome like.:think:

 

[Edwin Francis]

For me, there's an element of nostalgia -- it was what I started with. As some have said, not knowing if you really got what you wanted from the shot. I find myself shooting more deliberately, thinking more carefully about the intended result before I click the shutter.
Highlights don't clip so suddenly. My last roll of 135 film, I didn't even bother to scan myself -- I dropped it off at the lab and asked them to scan it to CD for me. No sitting behind a monitor PP-ing images.
The process and the result just don't look the same. I'm not going to bother to quantify it -- it's not better or worse, just different. I'm sure you can PP to get film-like results with digital, but why bother?
I shoot both, mostly digital for jobs, film for pleasure. It's nice to still have a choice.

 

[mrhobbit]

its just.... more fun. theres a greater element of involvement with the picture imo.

 

[ngck12]

Try shooting landscape with velvia 50, you wil know the answer.
Its more fun using a mechanical SLR to an auto SLR.

 

[hacknet]

for me, the exposure latitude just does it for me...

 

[ZoomP]

and also knowing our Leica film bodies will outlast our M8 and M9 in years to come... I love the grains!!! There's certain romance about shooting with a film camera and waiting to see the results after.

 

[bene123]

Waiting for the M9 to be reasonable.
Kodak Ectar 100 is brilliant.
Kodak 400 push to 1600 is quirky.
Kodak 100 gold is good too.

Forces me to use my imagination.

 

[third3rdwheel]

Bought the M9 but still quite passionate about the MP, and also I have a year's supply of film - if I shoot a roll every week. :bsmilie:

 

[tan131]

Why film?

Cos I can't afford a digital RF? Hahaha..

Honestly, life in SG is already very fast paced.. Photography is something that slows me down.. even if I only burn a roll or less during a shoot.. and if I only have 2-3 keepers a roll.. even if I develop and scan the negatives 3 months after it was shot.. So what? Its not my job, so I do not need the fast turnaround.. Take it slow and easy.. the whole photography process is more important and enjoyable than the output..

Photography is my hobby and my chosen form of medium.. I want something I can show my children and pass to them one day.. something that I know will outlive me

 

[third3rdwheel]

Why film?

Cos I can't afford a digital RF? Hahaha..

Honestly, life in SG is already very fast paced.. Photography is something that slows me down.. even if I only burn a roll or less during a shoot.. and if I only have 2-3 keepers a roll.. even if I develop and scan the negatives 3 months after it was shot.. So what? Its not my job, so I do not need the fast turnaround.. Take it slow and easy.. the whole photography process is more important and enjoyable than the output..

Photography is my hobby and my chosen form of medium.. I want something I can show my children and pass onto them one day.. something that I know will outlive me

well said. :thumbsup:

 

[merelyok]

Because digital is a step backwards..

 

[welspain]

I used to wonder the same thing about audiophiles. Why use a vinyl record player when there are CDs. Then you listen to a record player and you'll understand.

Roughly the same with film.

agree... and im very happy that both are my hobby.