How many of us still use film?

[Victrola1]

All the automation is near miraculous.The results far exceed in quality and consistency what a drop in cartridge did in an Instamatic 104.

Still, there are times when the mind foretells where the F stop, shutter speed and focus should be for an anticipated shot. For those who leaned on adjustable the cameras of 40 years ago, the dance of fingers on far spaced buttons while looking at arrows on the back screen can be maddening.

[D94R]

I quit using film in 2007 when I stopped using my Minolta for a Pentax K100D.  Then I upgraded last year to a Canon T3i kit (body + two IS lenses) for $1200, so the cost to go digital with amazing quality is rather low. Plus if you already have a Canon Rebel, those lenses will still work. 

I don't understand a lot of the frustration with the half-press focus.  That option has been around on most camera's for at least the last 20 years, and certainly on all digitalis with variable focus (from cheap point and shoots to your professional DSLR). I find it more convenient as I can quickly take a shot, drop my zoom, refocus and grab another shot in very little time.   

I'd gather if you are having frustration with the half-press zoom you probably didn't understand the technology you were buying, which most problems can always be answered by reading the manual (no matter how thick it is).  Unless you had always shot with completely manual lenses, no variable lenses, or disposable cameras, the half-press focus has been an inherent design to the SLR (digital or film) and most other point and shoot cameras for the past two decades. 

Bracketing was mentioned, and it can easily be done with the modern DSLR no problem. On mine, I can set it to be default in a certain mode on the wheel, and then quickly toggle out of it so I'm not taking 3 shot bursts on moving objects.  I find bracketing only to be worth while on slow moving or stationary objects where the light would be consistent. If you're bracketing shots with a fast moving Amtrak train as you change the lens zoom and focus on subsequent shots, you are changing the amount of light entering the lens, and therefore not getting a true idea of what changing the F-stop would have really produced when comparing it to your first picture.  The firmware on the camera also takes care of the F-stop changes for you. You dont have to mess with turning the F-stop ring on the lens, therefore it's all done quicker while you have a solid hold on the camera to avoid shifting the image in the field of view. This is particularly handy if you dabble in HDR imaging and don't always use a tripod.  You can also set it to do larger than +/-1 F-stop adjustments and have no more lag time.  Try taking a pic, manually dropping 3 stops, then going back 6 stops (to get to +3Fstop) and taking another pic.  By that time, I've already acquired my second set of bracketed photos ;)

 

What has been mentioned repeatedly is the ability to tell just how good or bad your shot was immediately.  No waiting for a roll to be developed only to find out the pic you thought was gonna win you the Pulitzer prize came out blurred and out of focus.  That, and the "roll of film" for the digital age can hold upwards of thousands of photo's.  Pretty convienent when on a trip, you're a 10 mile walk from your car, and realize you only had one spare roll of film for your camera. Digital is just superior in that aspect. 

 

So, no, I won't ever go back to film, the advantages far out weigh the disadvantages, and unlike Kodak it seems, I like to stay current with technology :)

[SALfan]

ericsp

I still use film. When I have it developed I have them scanned to a CD. The resolution is probably lower than if I used digital but I have the photographs saved on three media. I may switch to a higher quality film or ISO200 film so that it is not as grainy. I also use a Pentax K1000 camera that is older than me.

Glad to hear that someone still uses a Pentax K1000.  Bought mine new sometime between 1979 and 1982.  Haven't used it or any other camera in a long time; just kind of lost interest somehow.

[Firelock76]

Per Semper Vaporo:  I've only taken one camera apart in my life, a 1905 Kodak folder with a balky shutter.  Can't imagine why it was balky, it was only 80 years old at the time.  Anyway, it took 20 minutes to get it apart, and 3 hours to get it back together again!  Never again!

[Semper Vaporo]

trainboyH16-44

dmoore74:

  Semper Vaporo:

narig01:

I still like my Minolta SRT 201. I get the film processed and converted to a CD then stash the negatives.

       I would like to hear what kind of recommendations people have for an easy to use digital.  IE something not more complicated than the Minolta.  When shooting still subjects I tend to bracket (go 1 f stop above and below the meter) the exposure to see how it turns out.  I have yet to understand how to do this with a digital.

    Thx IGN

 

You can do a similar action using a digital, but instead of a quick twist of the F-stop ring where you can FEEL that you have made a change, and with practice you will know which way to turn it and not have to even take the camera from your eye;

With a digital camera is it much simpler!   You merely have to press the "MENU: button to bring up the menu, then press the "LEFT" or "RIGHT" button to select the appropriate Sub-menu, then press the "UP" or "DOWN" button to select the Function you want access to, such as the Simulated F-Stop setup,  Then you can press the :SELECT" button again to activate that Menu function.  Again, using the "UP" and "DOWN" buttons you can pick the Simulated F-Stop you desire; then press the "SELECT" button again to "set" the selection to be the one the camera will use, and then press "MENU" again to return the camera to the state where you can take a photo of the scene... A scene that is now long gone, but that's okay, it is now too dark outside to take a photo at that F-stop setting anyway.

 

You can do this very rapidly while you're outside in the cold and wearing gloves!

 

Wow, you really need a better camera. I mean, come on, every camera I've ever used had aperture (What the hell is simulated F-stop anyway?)  no farther than a button press away, and my current camera has it on a wheel. My pocket camera even has it on a wheel on the lens!

You obviously don't shop at Wally*Whorled, TarGuts or K-smart for your cameras and you probably have never seen a digital camera for less than a $1000 (or maybe $2000).

I have taken several cameras all apart and there is NO "iris" to limit the amount of light that enters.  There are nothing but buttons on the back and top and everything is "digital" including a "SIMULATION" of limiting the amount of light entering in that it is nothing more than a change in the voltage on the sensor chip to vary how much output it makes for any given amount of light that strikes it.

There are two tiny motors in the lens system, one to push them out and retract them when you turn the camera on and off and to change the zoom level, and one to adjust the internal spacing of the lenses for Focus.

(By the way: should you decide to dissassemble a camera like I have done, listen to this voice of experience... there is a capacitor inside that holds the high Voltage power for the flash and even LONG AFTER the camera has been turned off and the batteries removed, it can still have enough charge to make you involuntarily throw the camera clean across the room and behind the sofa!  And when you are on the floor trying to retrieve the remains, there will be enough charge to make your arm rip the dust scrim on the bottom of the sofa when you inadvertantly touch it again!   Trust me, I know!  )

Okay, I admit that I found one that had a third motor that controlled a mechanical Iris, but it was a more expensive camera (but it didn't withstand the abuse a teenager can give any more than the cheapie cameras did).  But the only external control of that motor was a set of numbers in a menu that were selectable by pressing the correct sequence of buttons to get to them and then the correct sequence to remember a selection... and any deviation from the correct sequence negated everything and you had to start over.  And the somewhat non-intuitive button names and purposes (or rather, variation in purposes depending on which menu item was selected) and the small area in which the buttons are placed makes it extremely easy to hit the wrong button, even if you were trying to hit the right one.

But the point is, there are no direct action manual controls -- rings, or sliders -- just push-buttons and an on-screen menu of functions and settings to choose from using the buttons.

 

[trainboyH16-44]

dmoore74

 

Semper Vaporo:

 

 

narig01:

I still like my Minolta SRT 201. I get the film processed and converted to a CD then stash the negatives.

       I would like to hear what kind of recommendations people have for an easy to use digital.  IE something not more complicated than the Minolta.  When shooting still subjects I tend to bracket (go 1 f stop above and below the meter) the exposure to see how it turns out.  I have yet to understand how to do this with a digital.

    Thx IGN

 

 

You can do a similar action using a digital, but instead of a quick twist of the F-stop ring where you can FEEL that you have made a change, and with practice you will know which way to turn it and not have to even take the camera from your eye;

With a digital camera is it much simpler!   You merely have to press the "MENU: button to bring up the menu, then press the "LEFT" or "RIGHT" button to select the appropriate Sub-menu, then press the "UP" or "DOWN" button to select the Function you want access to, such as the Simulated F-Stop setup,  Then you can press the :SELECT" button again to activate that Menu function.  Again, using the "UP" and "DOWN" buttons you can pick the Simulated F-Stop you desire; then press the "SELECT" button again to "set" the selection to be the one the camera will use, and then press "MENU" again to return the camera to the state where you can take a photo of the scene... A scene that is now long gone, but that's okay, it is now too dark outside to take a photo at that F-stop setting anyway.

 

 

 

You can do this very rapidly while you're outside in the cold and wearing gloves!

Wow, you really need a better camera. I mean, come on, every camera I've ever used had aperture (What the hell is simulated F-stop anyway?)  no farther than a button press away, and my current camera has it on a wheel. My pocket camera even has it on a wheel on the lens!

[dhanson1961]

I had lost many pictures stored on a CD gone bad. I remember that years ago if you did not store your negatives in a clean cool dry place they could also go bad .I started some research to see if I could store photos long term and found a company in the USA that sells a kit that has DVD's that will last for 100 or more years! Maybe with proper storage and records these discs will outlast many generations and be of value to our next group of historians and fans, Here is a link for that website.

http://runtechmedia.com/product.asp?sku=EXT3ARCBNRKIT&a=21

[Victrola1]

Film will become art material. Like tubes of artists oils, its distribution will be limited and its cost go up. 

Use of a film camera will make one an arteeist. As with a blind eye pushing a brush, the tool itself does not mean you are a great arteeist.

[dhanson1961]

[Sunnyland]

I read with interest the comments about shutter delay. I've noticed that too when I took pics at a local train show.  I'd press the shutter down as the train was coming, but it had partly passed by when the pic took.  I'll have to try the tips mentioned here. 

I have been getting a CD made when I get the film developed, so I can post pics on Facebook and send them around to friends.  Also gives me a backup with negs and CD.  I have had a CD made too with the pics I've taken so far with the digital camera I've started using also.  I don't like the idea of just having something stored in a computer, I've had virus cleanouts by Dell and everything goes when they do a mass purge to get rid of a really nasty virus. 

 

[Sunnyland]

I am still a film camera user.  The camera is a Pentax Zoom, it still works great and as long as it does and I can get film, I will continue to use it.  Takes great pics.

One advantage to digital, of course, is getting to preview your picture and if it's no good, you can retake it on the spot.  My cousin gave me her digital camera when she upgraded, but the flash is not as strong as my film camera. 

I'm sure I will have to go digital someday, but for now, I'm sticking with film. 

My father had an 8mm Bell & Howell movie camera and we used on steam trips pulled by CB&Q #4960.  I did have the movies transferred to VHS tapes, but soon that will be obsolete too. 

[iowacentral]

I made the switch to digital about eight years ago. Took some adjustment, but after not being able to purchase film locally, not being able to get it processed locally, etc. I bought an Olympus C5050 to replace my Olympus OM-1, (I started with an old Nikon S2). Took some adjustment, but I would not go back. I now shoot a Nikon D90, very very happy with the camera. Just as fast or faster than the OM-1. Cost with two lens, etc. about $1400. Add the laptop computer, software, etc. Th OM-1 cost about $400 back in 1979, additional lens cost $100s more. Big money back then. I really appreciate no more cost for film and developing. But even more I am not longer searching for film, not waiting for developing.

I remember developing my own negatives and printing my own B/W, using an old twin lens reflex. Lots of enjoyment, but lots of time and concentration. Now it is fire up the computer and Photoshop. Just as enjoyable. And I know if the photo is good, as soon as I take it. Which is great when working on an article for a magazine or website.

[zardoz]

CSSHEGEWISCH

 

Victrola1:

 

Many digital photos never are put to paper. How many will disappear with the discarding of the storage medium. Hard drive, or CD ROM, etc. what will still be retrievable if found?  

 

 

This is already becoming a real problem.  My father began working on a family genealogy shortly before he retired and stored his research on a computer file.  After he died, my sister located the file but had no way of getting it opened.  Much of his work appears to have been lost as a result.

That would be quite a loss.  My wife is doing her genealogy, and has also gathered quite a bit of information and old photos (that were scanned and saved). I keep a copy of all of her work on my external drive.  The only way I know to avoid that problem is to keep upgrading the files when it becomes apparent that the file extension is becoming obsolete.

I've already made TIFF copies of all of my Nikon NEF files. That way, should Nikon's format ever go extinct, I've always got the TIFF backups. Not only that, I have JPEG backups of all my photos as well--triple redundancy.

And to show how much I try to cover my bases, not only do I have my photos backed up on an external hard drive, that drive is not even kept in the same building as my main computer (I keep it at a friend;'s house miles away).

Good thing I'm not obsessive.....

[Stourbridge Lion]

When it comes to genealogy type files, you need the software package that was being used by your father.  If you don't have access to that PC, try to google the file extension to see what software packages use that extension.

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

Victrola1

Many digital photos never are put to paper. How many will disappear with the discarding of the storage medium. Hard drive, or CD ROM, etc. what will still be retrievable if found?  

This is already becoming a real problem.  My father began working on a family genealogy shortly before he retired and stored his research on a computer file.  After he died, my sister located the file but had no way of getting it opened.  Much of his work appears to have been lost as a result.

[Wrong Main]

Still shooting film.  I started out back in 1974 shooting Ecktachrome (didn't know any better), switched to Kodachrome, and made the switch to Velvia & Provia in 2004.  I actually enjoy the anticipation of the arrival of that little yellow box, now green, in the mail.  Holding and viewing the slides for the first time is something that cannot be rivaled by anything else in photography.  I'll probably go digital when I'm forced to.  Maybe by then, a full sensor DSLR will be affordable.  I did break down and buy a film scanner this month, so maybe I'm slowly accepting the digital life, but I don't believe in photo manipulation, so my editing will be limited.   There's a discipline that can only be learned in film photography.  I feel sorry for the shooters that have only used digital cameras; they have been deprived of great self-taught lessons. 

[dmoore74]

Semper Vaporo

narig01:

I still like my Minolta SRT 201. I get the film processed and converted to a CD then stash the negatives.

       I would like to hear what kind of recommendations people have for an easy to use digital.  IE something not more complicated than the Minolta.  When shooting still subjects I tend to bracket (go 1 f stop above and below the meter) the exposure to see how it turns out.  I have yet to understand how to do this with a digital.

    Thx IGN

 

You can do a similar action using a digital, but instead of a quick twist of the F-stop ring where you can FEEL that you have made a change, and with practice you will know which way to turn it and not have to even take the camera from your eye;

With a digital camera is it much simpler!   You merely have to press the "MENU: button to bring up the menu, then press the "LEFT" or "RIGHT" button to select the appropriate Sub-menu, then press the "UP" or "DOWN" button to select the Function you want access to, such as the Simulated F-Stop setup,  Then you can press the :SELECT" button again to activate that Menu function.  Again, using the "UP" and "DOWN" buttons you can pick the Simulated F-Stop you desire; then press the "SELECT" button again to "set" the selection to be the one the camera will use, and then press "MENU" again to return the camera to the state where you can take a photo of the scene... A scene that is now long gone, but that's okay, it is now too dark outside to take a photo at that F-stop setting anyway.

 

You can do this very rapidly while you're outside in the cold and wearing gloves!

[rrnut282]

I dabble in digital with the wife's camera.  Until I find a camera as much fun  to use as my OM4, I'll stick with it.

[Paul of Covington]

Life is analog.

[Semper Vaporo]

narig01

I still like my Minolta SRT 201. I get the film processed and converted to a CD then stash the negatives.

       I would like to hear what kind of recommendations people have for an easy to use digital.  IE something not more complicated than the Minolta.  When shooting still subjects I tend to bracket (go 1 f stop above and below the meter) the exposure to see how it turns out.  I have yet to understand how to do this with a digital.

    Thx IGN

You can do a similar action using a digital, but instead of a quick twist of the F-stop ring where you can FEEL that you have made a change, and with practice you will know which way to turn it and not have to even take the camera from your eye;

With a digital camera is it much simpler!   You merely have to press the "MENU: button to bring up the menu, then press the "LEFT" or "RIGHT" button to select the appropriate Sub-menu, then press the "UP" or "DOWN" button to select the Function you want access to, such as the Simulated F-Stop setup,  Then you can press the :SELECT" button again to activate that Menu function.  Again, using the "UP" and "DOWN" buttons you can pick the Simulated F-Stop you desire; then press the "SELECT" button again to "set" the selection to be the one the camera will use, and then press "MENU" again to return the camera to the state where you can take a photo of the scene... A scene that is now long gone, but that's okay, it is now too dark outside to take a photo at that F-stop setting anyway.

 

[Victrola1]

Often photos and negatives from decades past are discovered and shared. Check Trains for how often an old photo find is shared, or is the inspiration for a story.  How much will be lost on digital remains to be seen.

Many digital photos never are put to paper. How many will disappear with the discarding of the storage medium. Hard drive, or CD ROM, etc. what will still be retrievable if found? 

I have done weddings over the years for friends and relatives. I shoot on 2.25" X 2.25" film. I give them the proofs and negatives. Lately, they also get a CD ROM. I tell them to retain the negatives above all else.

 

 

 

[narig01]

I still like my Minolta SRT 201. I get the film processed and converted to a CD then stash the negatives.

       I would like to hear what kind of recommendations people have for an easy to use digital.  IE something not more complicated than the Minolta.  When shooting still subjects I tend to bracket (go 1 f stop above and below the meter) the exposure to see how it turns out.  I have yet to understand how to do this with a digital.

    Thx IGN

[Thomas 9011]

I would never go back to film again. I have been shooting digital for about 8 years now. Digital is far superior to anything film has to offer now. With digital it computes all the exposure, shutter speed, and ISO automatically and it is very accurate. 98% of the time I just set the dial for action,close up,etc and don't need to adjust anything. Even with fast action shots the camera does all the work.

The best thing about digital is you can take a picture and review it and then make changes to your settings. This is extremely helpful especially if you are shooting a train at sunset or low light and the train is moving at a fast rate of speed. You can see in real time what the picture will look like.

A good camera is not that much money. A Nikon SLR D40X which is a excellent camera can be bought anywhere from $200.00 on up. A brand new Nikon or Canon SLR can be bought for $400.00 and that includes the lens. I have been shooting for 25 years and anyone shelling out 1200 or 1400 for a camera is crazy. The main reason those are so expensive is the extremely fast shutter speed which can take up to 12 frames a second. About the only people that need those are sports photographers. If you check the specs on your average SLR to a expensive SLR you will see they are nearly identical except for the shutter speed.

I would recommend buying everything on E-bay. You wont pay taxes which is a big chunk of money. You can also get brand new memory cards for 5 or 10 bucks and those are all in the giga bite ranges.

 I also don't know what people are talking about with the slow shutter response. Mine can take 3 frames a second and those are crisp photos with great color.

There is one thing I don't like about digital and that is you really don't have a physical negative like you had with the film cameras. Yes you have the file but very hard trying to sell digital files.

I will never go back to film. It was a pain in a** to deal with, expensive to buy and to process, and took box after box to store the prints. Digital has made my photography not only fun but a way to take a unlimited amount of photographs with little money.

 

[zardoz]

spbed

With the advent of YT I gave up on stills all together since video is the real deal. 

The "real deal"? I would say that that is a matter of opinion. Good luck posting a video, or putting a video in a frame to display.  Video has it's place, as does still photography.

I gave up on YT a long time ago; when searching the site looking for interesting stuff, I always felt like I was 'dumpster diving'.

FWIW, I gave up on film a long time ago.  At first, when digital first came out, the resolution was terrible--certainly no comparison to film.  But as digital became better, I eventually switched; and although at first I wasn't too impressed, the financial reasons were sound.  But then two things happened that made me a total convert: megapixel totals over 12, and excellent post-processing software.  

It used to cost me about 40 cents per slide (film + processing + mail costs).  My current digital camera cost me around $1500, and the lens around $700, software about $200.  Last month I rolled the odometer over on the camera after shooting my 9999th image (granted, I shoot much more freely with digital, as there is no incremental costs) But using my film cost as a base number, digital became cost-effective about 3,000 images ago. And now my images no longer have scratches, dust, fingerprints, damage from the processing lab, heat-related issues, damaged in mail, etc.

And while the12MP image detail from my camera is technically inferior to a good 35mm slide film (Velvia, Provia, etc), for my non-professional uses it is sufficient for a good enlargement up to 16x20.  

[CopCarSS]

Stourbridge Lion

 

Look like we have similar taste in engines!!!!!!!

LOL! It would certainly appear that way!

[Paul of Covington]

    To the responses about my complaint about shutter delay, I remember that the instructions mentioned the "half-way" technique, and I have tried it and it does shorten the delay, but the detent (if it exists at all) is so weak that it is hard to hold.

     And, ericsp, I used a K1000 for years, too, and loved it, but the felts have deteriorated, and replacing them would cost more than I paid for the camera.    Manually presetting the exposure and focus was never a problem--in fact, I always thought of it as an advantage.

[henry6]

I still do...I've been told my experts that it would cost me over a thousand dollars to get the quality and ability of what i have in by  OE-1 and lenses.  I have been using 400 speed film and don't usually get anything more than a proof sheet, disk, and negs. instead of full printing.  But it is cumbersome and I am really considering changing to digital sometime...when I have the time I guess!

 

 

[spbed]

With the advent of YT I gave up on stills all together since video is the real deal. My DSLR is right now in mothballs

 

 

overall

With the bankrupcy of kodak, I got to wondering how many of us still us film to photograph trains. If you do use film, why do you stay with it?

George

[inch53]

I’m still using an old Praktica [German] 35 mm film camera, along with a Kodak digital easy shoot. I also have a Nikon that needs some work, but I haven’t luck finding anyone to work on it round here.

Kodak film getting hard to find also, there’s only one place I know that still carries and it’s a 25 mile drive. So, I end using Fuji when i run out of kodak. Wally World’s the only place close to get it developed anymore and it takes at least a week or so to get pictures back. But even so I’ll still keep using film as long as I can.

inch