Do you Shoot Film or Digital?

[seakayaker1]

Last film camera I owned went belly up in the late '90s. Been using digital for the past decade.

Recently went to a Photo workshop with 20 people doing street photography and a few people brought a film camera with them. One person only shot with a film camera the whole weekend. It certainly peaked an interest to go shoot some film once again.

. . . . . so I bought a used M7 and put through a half dozen rolls of film and loved the experience. Then a sudden GAS attack when the local camera shop salesman let me know they just got in a new Black MP.

Not giving up digital at all and do hope to get a nice balance between the two going forward.

[Chris101]

Originally Posted by seakayaker1

Last film camera I owned went belly up in the late '90s. Been using digital for the past decade.

Recently went to a Photo workshop with 20 people doing street photography and a few people brought a film camera with them. One person only shot with a film camera the whole weekend. It certainly peaked an interest to go shoot some film once again.

. . . . . so I bought a used M7 and put through a half dozen rolls of film and loved the experience. Then a sudden GAS attack when the local camera shop salesman let me know they just got in a new Black MP.

Not giving up digital at all and do hope to get a nice balance between the two going forward.

Dan, you are doomed. I'm gonna shoot some digital later this evening. It will be the first time in ever so long, and the photographs are not even for me.

[Adanac]

More digital than film, now. Until about 12 months ago I could safely say I was shooting more film than digital. The problem was, over the past few years I haven't been shooting much of anything except for a few short projects and the usual family stuff.

Now I am shooting a lot, taking the time to do so, but mostly in digital. The X100 has a lot to do with that, since it's always with me and is the first *digital* camera I've owned that I can carry around all of the time that also happens offer creative controls and produce excellent images. More to the point the X100 doesn't come with a darkroom time out penalty at the end of the day/week or dozens of rolls of 120 Tri X and HP5 not getting processed in a timely manner.

Maybe my increased activity will translate to doing more film down the road, maybe not. I have assigned myself a post-renovation project -- do a series of portraits for family and close friends over the fall and winter, and that project I'm going to do on film, jury out on the output format. I rather hope that I'll find some happy balance where working in one medium reinforces a desire to work in the other.

[steelheart]

With digital, you just exchange one set of problems to be solved for another. I like the set pf problems that film presents.

With film, I never have to worry about hard drive failures. I store my negs and slides and they are there - even 20 years after I made them.

Digital produces quicker results than film based photography - there's no denying that. Alot of people have to have that instant gratification these days. That is a big part of why digital is so popular with the masses.

Film based images produce better quality fine prints without the texture-less plastic appearance found in digital based images. This article ( http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/why-we-love-film.htm ) details many of the reasons that film is preferred by many and why film is experiencing a resurgence in popularity.

David Vestal had this to say about technology:

"Compensating for lack of skill with technology is progress towards mediocrity. As technology advances, craftsmanship recedes. As technology increases our possibilities, we use them less resourcefully. The one thing we've gained is spontaneity, which is useless without perception."

[kokoshawnuff]

since I'm not a pro I primarily use film rangefinders because its just what I enjoy. I am however the resident photographer for my work and my father's business, so I will often use a macro lens on a DSLR...it's just what's easier. So for my hobby shooting it's 95/5 film, and for the rare time I need to take photos for pay it's 95/5 digital.

[Derwent]

Any time I go ou to take photographs it's with film.
The only digi shots I tend to take are a snapshot in each location so Incan go back and review the EXIF data later for time and date etc when I'm doing my records.
Usually I use the log feature in the light meter app in my iPhone. Takes a snapshot along with a run down of time and date etc.

I generally have a pocket digi with me when at work or out and about, and of course the iPhone, so I end up taking snapshots with digi and those moments when you dint care how good it is, just catch that rare shot you stumbled on while it's there...

[Jobin33]

Just made the switch to 100% film plus occasional IPhone snaps.

[racoll]

Right now my shooting is pretty evenly split between my Canon EOS 7D and my Canon F-1N, both of which I love immensely.

Andy

[Pioneer]

I do use digital, but mostly for recordkeeping purposes. I use film 5 to 1 over digital. No magic to it. At some point I will probably have to move over but right now I like the results I get with film better then what I have been able to get with digital.

[Clive Alex]

I've been shooting digital for the last couple of years, but I've returned to film as I desperately missed working from a slide or neg, something I could get hold of. I find them better for long term archival too, I've got so many friends who have lost digital images through corrupt or lost data.

[Godfrey]

Both. About equally lately, as I'm not shooting so much right now.

[jsolanzo]

Canon A1 and Leica M2, digital got boring to me. Sorry, not bashing on digital or anything. JMHO

[Marac]

I used to shoot film because there was no digital (back in the day) then I got a Nikon D70 that was my first time to be impressed with digital. Now I shoot with a Leica M8 and a Canon 1DsmkII. I still shoot a bit of film but I have recently been very drawn towards getting myself an old Leica M2/3/4 at some point to revive the passion. There is definitely something sexy about running a roll of film through a camera.. I do miss it.

[Spanik]

For photo's I want to enjoy film, photo's for the net or a documentation (model building, taking stuff apart) digital.

[ankaka]

I shoot entirely digital, using canon professional equipment. I love the freedom and versatility that digital gives.

[Jurat]

digital because I'm a poor student and wouldn't be able to afford the costs of film. someday when I have money I'll go film Leica.

[bruce1007]

I shoot digital for friends, but film for myself.

[Adanac]

Since I wrote on this page in the fall of 2011, I've more or less succumbed to digital entirely. This was an unexpected outcome... I've maintained a darkroom in my office or home for near 30 years. I'm thinking seriously about reclaiming the space and using it for something else unless one of my growing kids expresses a serious interest in analogue photograph making. To be honest, I'm ok if they don't.

[Katie]

90% film for me and when I want to be cheap and quick I shoot digi (mostly volunteer work).

[Tomas M]

I had a bit of a rage quit earlier on today, after having two bad rolls come back from the lab. It made me think really hard about why I like film, and I can't name a legitimate reason. It burns a hole in your pocket, getting cheap film doesn't really count, your still spending $5+ to take 36 pictures, add all those pictures you've shot in the pat week or two up, add developing, the cost to get them scanned, or the cost of your scanner, then think, your repeating this process weekly (on average). The money you've probably spent over the years on film and developing, imagine it, you could of bought an M9 by now probably!

Oh well, rant over. Here's one image I managed to save from a dud roll from today, enjoy:

[Photo_Smith]

I voted mostly film some digital. To the guys who say stupid things like 'the war is over-digital won' I say grow up. There is no war just personal preference.

Lots of professionals have gone digital for speed and ease of use.
About eight years ago I went 100% digital and then realised that the pressure on both time and the client constantly wanting to shave margins was meaning I was working more hours for less money.
I'm back using film for the main and now people actually seek me out because I shoot film, and I can charge a premium for that.
Now I prefer to earn more and pick my jobs, I'll leave the £250 for a wedding and DVD to the hoards–I'm not interested in that market.

[steveniphoto]

mostly film, some digital.. it seems like most people shoot both not one or the other.

[trog]

Last year it was 99% digital (Nikon D700). Now that I have a 44-inch fine art printer, I'm 100% film. Digital just doesn't stand up when you're printing 44-inch x 60-inch prints.

[Madcold]

I rarely shoot digital nowadays. And when I do, most of the time it's with my iPhone. The feel of film just suits me way better.

[John E Earley]

Originally Posted by Spanik

For photo's I want to enjoy film, photo's for the net or a documentation (model building, taking stuff apart) digital.

This is similar to my experience.

I document at work with a digital but for personal photo's, I use a mix of digital and film. It varies all the time with differing amounts of one or the other depending what I'm doing. Right now I am much more into film since I recently purchased some nice film equipment. That could change at any time.

I would really like to begin a long term project but have not decided yet what it will be.