who is still using film?

[HowardH]

I use both - Nikon D200 digital and Nikon F100 film.  I've had a bunch of the film cameras, all Nikon, starting with FE2, N70, N80, F100, F5 and the mother of all film cameras, F6.  Sold everyone except the F100.  Digitally, I've had the D1x, D2h ( a lousy body) and most recently the D200.  I've lusted after the new fx sized bodies, the D700 and god forbid, the D3 or D3x.  I was cruising Costco today and they were closing out their Fuji Superia 400 IS0 at $2.50 for a 6 pack of 24 exp.  They aren't selling much film these days.  :-\  I picked up a couple of boxes, went home to refrigerate them and saw the 30 other rolls I have of  Tri-x, slide and print film that's been sitting in there for at least 2 years.  One thing I found about going digital is it makes you a lazy photographer.  You can just blaze away without much regard to composition, light, depth of field, you name it.  I'm going back to my F100 for awhile and get back to basics.  The film camera doesn't give you instant gratification but the look of a print from film is different, richer, sharper, deeper.  It also forces you to think about what you are doing with each shot since you have to spend some $$$ to get them developed and also because you can't see them right away, you had better be paying attention because you usually don't get another chance.  My wife hates the digital camera because she never gets to see the shots!  I upload them to the computer but she doesn't want to learn how to go through them using iphoto or Lightroom I use.  Film is on the way out but I think it isn't dead yet.  Who knows, maybe I'll pick up a good used medium format.  Those things are now cheap! 

 

[mwhafner]

I have switched to digital for most of my photography, but shoot B&W and a little slide film.  My D200 and D1x do a good job of replicating the results you can achieve with print film, they just lack the depth you get with slides and monocrome images. 

I have overcome the urge to just "blast away" when shooting digital by bracketing every shot with 3 to 5 frames, depending on the composition and conditions.  It has forced me to pay attention to the details. 

I think the F100 is probably the best film camera ever made.  I also have a couple of old F3HPs and MD4s that I really consider my favorites.  I usually carry the D200 and a F3 (loaded with Ilford FP4). 

I am lusting over the new FX format cameras as well, but need to upgrade my lenses before I take the plunge. 

 

[jo041326]

Hi,
I was waiting for some really good digital camera and bought Canon EOS300D when it came out. I was sold. But after some time I realized, it's not what I want to do. Now, I think, there's no much reason for having analogue camera in a small format, because full frame cameras with good optics have great quality.
But I have switched to Sinar 4x5 inches and I'm shocked with quality, camera adjustement possibilities and the way of taking pictures with view camera is exactly what I consider as taking photographs. Now I'm looking for some bigger format (12x16 inches would be ideal).
Josef

 

[woodshopdemos]

All thios films talk is making my mouth waater. I jist sold my Toyo 4x5 view with 20 film holders. It was gather dust here way too long.  My original Speed Graphic that I bought used in 1959 still works and is in my "museum." My Nikon F1 still works 24 hrs a day as part of my house burgler alarm system (on mag switch to set off alarm if picked up.)
  I miss the darkroom side of the biz. I use to make 11 x 14 ND 16 X 20 Cibachromes all the time. Ilfrod was a client for videos and I bartered a lot. Stuff ws expensive then but out of site now. Another client was Agfa so they kep me stocked with 35mm film.  other photo clients/friends were at Beseler, Bogen, Mamiya so film side was easy to do,...now, I dont know how film people can exist.
  Two weeks ago I had knee xrayed. I watched them do it all without film. The doctor came to    xray and view the frame. THEN the technician exposed a sheet of film from the digital to have in my folder. Think aout it...that backward direction worked for their practise.

 

[mwhafner]

I had a Sinar f2 several years ago, and miss it.  They are marvelous machines. 

I have also held on to one of my Bronica 645s.  With the bellows, I can get most of the flexibility of a view camera in a much more portable package.  It's still not the same, but a good compromise for me.

The cost of shooting film has gotten completely out of hand. 

I have a few friends who shoot professionally, and they have seen the market shrink considerably.  They say everyone with a Rebel or D40 thinks they can shoot weddings now. 

 

[bonesbr549]

I switched from the old pentax to my first nikon (coolpix) and never looked back.  I bought the D80 when it first came out and love it.  The wife did not like the weight so I got her a pocket cannon for keeping in her purse for kid shots.  I have to admit lugging the nikon around is heavier, but I just love nikon pics. 

 

[alanz]

My first was a Nikon F Photomic FTN...

Went from there to a couple of F3 cameras, and a few Nikkormats.

My large format was mostly Toyo 4x5 and 8x10 gear.

I ran my own E6 line (using a Calumet processor)

Did I mention I was a used-to-be commercial photographer?

I have a collection of film cameras sitting on shelves in my office... among them... an Anthony 4x5 wooden camera, a 4x5 Graflex, a Minox B, a Mamiya C330, Kowa Super 66, Leica M2, Nikonos III and IV, Linhof 67, Polariod Swinger, the first instamatic and the last instamatic made... all really interesting machines.

I haven't used any film for several years.

When digital became viable, I went from a Logitech Fotoman -> Nikon Coolpix 950 - >Coolpix 990 -> CoolPix 8800 -> Nikon D80 w/18-200VR

I also find that the camera I use most these days is a Lumix DMC-FX500... great camera to use in the shop.

Oh, add to that a couple of High Def video tape cameras... and my current darling a Flip Mino HD that I used to document my participation in a mandolin building workshop in VA.    Instead of doing stills, I just grabbed still frames from the Mino's video.

I dragged my CT22 and ETS-150/3 to the workshop (along with some other equipment) and folk enjoyed playing with my Festool toys.  Nice to have a solid state camera and not worry too much about dust.

 

[HowardH]

Have you guys seen the new Hasselblad H3dII 50? They can run up to $40K!  Holy cow!  The sensor is up to 50 mega pixels.  The images are HUGE.  Image size is 65 mb's in raw and up to 150 mb in TIFF.  You had better have a large card for these shots.  My cousin used to be a rep for them in SOCAL.  Until they came out with the digital line, their sales were through the floor.  I'll bet they can barely give away their regular film cameras.  I like the Mamiya 645 series from what  I have read about them.  Used ones are showing up daily on the B & H website.  Speaking of B & H, if you ever go to NYC and like photography, you gotta go to their store.  Leave all CC at home or you won't get out of there alive.  Well, maybe, until your wife finds out what you did.  Then you are a dead man.  It's amazing with the stuff they have.  Pretty good prices too.  My hobbies are killing my early retirement plan.  Between Festool and photography, I don't stand a chance of quitting before age 80...

 

[Bob Marino]

Howard,

I too have some nice cameras Nikon F2, another Nikon I can't remember (because it's that may years since I opened my camera bag :'( :-[) and a couple of older Canons and a whole range of Nikon and Canon lenses - including the aspherics. I used to just love shooting, (mostly when traveling, nature shots, cityscapes, some macro). Later on, I found I had less time for that, but that's another story.
I bought a small pocket digital a few years ago, but ended up giving it  to my wife. It's not he camera for anything serious.
I would like to get back into it, maybe someday soon I will, BUT the thought of selling those film cameras and lenses for pennies on the dollar is a tough one. I know digital has almost completely taken over the industry, but something in me says it's "not photography" - I know, I know it's progress and perhaps the same thing was said when 35 mm cmaeras cames along, but do agree that digital can make you a lazy photographer. With film, you have a limited number of pictures (certainly waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay less than with a digital camera) and so more thought is given to getting the composition and lighting "just right"...or maybe I am totally a dinosaur regarding digital.
Anyway, photography is a hobby I'd like to get back into; either with my old Nikons or digital one day.

Bob

 

[bruegf]

Bob,

When you do you might want to take a look at the micro four thirds cameras.  Great liitle cameras and they can use all the older Canon, Nikon, Leica, and other brand manual lenses (w/ manual focus and aperature) with the appropropriate adaptor.  The Panasonic G1 or GH1(if you're interested in stills and HD video) have great image quality and are still small enough that I'm more likely to carry it around than a Canon or Nikon.

Fred

 

[Bob Marino]

Bob,

When you do you might want to take a look at the micro four thirds cameras.   Great liitle cameras and they can use all the older Canon, Nikon, Leica, and other brand manual lenses (w/ manual focus and aperature) with the appropropriate adaptor.   The Panasonic G1 or GH1(if you're interested in stills and HD video) have great image quality and are still small enough that I'm more likely to carry it around than a Canon or Nikon.

Fred

Ok, Fred. I realy am out of the looooooooooooooooooooooooop here. What are the micro four thirds?

Bob

 

[Jerry Work]

Hi Bob,

I will jump in here since I now use the Panasonic G-1 for all my art photography as well as studio work for the manuals and books.  The names four-thirds, APS-C and others are hang overs from the days of video tubes and now refer to the sensor size (a four thirds sensor is half the size of 35mm film, an APS-C sensor is about 5/8 the size of 35mm film, etc.).  In the case of the four-thirds standard promulgated by Olympus, Panasonic and Leica it also refers to the lens mount.  Micro four-thirds is a different, smaller lens mount on a camera which uses the same 4/3 sensor size where the mirror box and penta prism have been removed allowing the lens mount to get much closer to the sensor (a shorter back focus distance in camera terms).  This shorter back focus distance allows older lenses designed for much longer back focus distances required to miss the SLR mirror flipping up and down to be mounted on the micro four-thirds body and still focus to infinity by the use of a simple adapter. 

Olympus, Panasonic and Leica all offered their brand digital cameras based on the original four-thirds standard with the very handy live view mode for composing on a rear mounted LCD.  That well integrated live view mode made it much easier to do studio work since you no longer had to peer into a small view finder from an awkward angle as studio work often requires.  For a long time I used the Leica version for much of my work and Leica designed (still does) many of the lenses for Panasonic. 

Panasonic was the first of the trio to replace the mirror box and penta prism with a high resolution electronic view finder out of their professional video cameras allowing the use of the shorter back focus micro four-thirds mount.  That is called a Panasonic Lumix G-1 or GH-1 if you want high resolution video as well.  Olympus has recently added their own micro four-thirds version and many others are rumored to be developing their own versions.

What makes the micro four-thirds such a hot topic in the photo industry is that short back focus distance between the mount and the sensor.  Adapters are flooding in from Europe and the far east to allow mounting of nearly any 35mm or 16mm movie camera lenses from virtually any legacy lens mount such as Leica screw, M and R mount lenses, Voigtlander, Zeiss, Schneider, Nikon, Canon EF and current mounts, Olympus OM, and many others that have a mechanical aperture ring.  All manually focus and stop down and require shooting in either manual or Aperture Preferred mode but the results are stunning.  As good as the new digital designed zoom lenses are, they are no match for a premium maker of what we used to call "prime" lenses such as the Leica 50mm F2.0 Summacron or Canon 50mm FD mount F1.4 lens.  Mounted on a Panasonic G-1 body with the right adapter the images are remarkable.

One Shutterbug magazine editor covering the recent Tokyo vintage camera show (largest in the world I'm told) started his column by noting that nearly everyone entering the show had a Panasonic G-1 slung over their shoulder.  The G-1 single handedly doubled or tripled the eBay price of the older high quality legacy lenses. 

Hope this helps.

Jerry

Bob,

When you do you might want to take a look at the micro four thirds cameras.  Great liitle cameras and they can use all the older Canon, Nikon, Leica, and other brand manual lenses (w/ manual focus and aperature) with the appropropriate adaptor.  The Panasonic G1 or GH1(if you're interested in stills and HD video) have great image quality and are still small enough that I'm more likely to carry it around than a Canon or Nikon.

Fred

Ok, Fred. I realy am out of the looooooooooooooooooooooooop here. What are the micro four thirds?

Bob

 

[Bob Marino]

Hi Bob,

I will jump in here since I now use the Panasonic G-1 for all my art photography as well as studio work for the manuals and books.  The names four-thirds, APS-C and others are hang overs from the days of video tubes and now refer to the sensor size (a four thirds sensor is half the size of 35mm film, an APS-C sensor is about 5/8 the size of 35mm film, etc.).  In the case of the four-thirds standard promulgated by Olympus, Panasonic and Leica it also refers to the lens mount.  Micro four-thirds is a different, smaller lens mount on a camera which uses the same 4/3 sensor size where the mirror box and penta prism have been removed allowing the lens mount to get much closer to the sensor (a shorter back focus distance in camera terms).  This shorter back focus distance allows older lenses designed for much longer back focus distances required to miss the SLR mirror flipping up and down to be mounted on the micro four-thirds body and still focus to infinity by the use of a simple adapter. 

Olympus, Panasonic and Leica all offered their brand digital cameras based on the original four-thirds standard with the very handy live view mode for composing on a rear mounted LCD.  That well integrated live view mode made it much easier to do studio work since you no longer had to peer into a small view finder from an awkward angle as studio work often requires.  For a long time I used the Leica version for much of my work and Leica designed (still does) many of the lenses for Panasonic.   

Panasonic was the first of the trio to replace the mirror box and penta prism with a high resolution electronic view finder out of their professional video cameras allowing the use of the shorter back focus micro four-thirds mount.  That is called a Panasonic Lumix G-1 or GH-1 if you want high resolution video as well.  Olympus has recently added their own micro four-thirds version and many others are rumored to be developing their own versions.

What makes the micro four-thirds such a hot topic in the photo industry is that short back focus distance between the mount and the sensor.  Adapters are flooding in from Europe and the far east to allow mounting of nearly any 35mm or 16mm movie camera lenses from virtually any legacy lens mount such as Leica screw, M and R mount lenses, Voigtlander, Zeiss, Schneider, Nikon, Canon EF and current mounts, Olympus OM, and many others that have a mechanical aperture ring.  All manually focus and stop down and require shooting in either manual or Aperture Preferred mode but the results are stunning.  As good as the new digital designed zoom lenses are, they are no match for a premium maker of what we used to call "prime" lenses such as the Leica 50mm F2.0 Summacron or Canon 50mm FD mount F1.4 lens.  Mounted on a Panasonic G-1 body with the right adapter the images are remarkable.

One Shutterbug magazine editor covering the recent Tokyo vintage camera show (largest in the world I'm told) started his column by noting that nearly everyone entering the show had a Panasonic G-1 slung over their shoulder.  The G-1 single handedly doubled or tripled the eBay price of the older high quality legacy lenses.   

Hope this helps.

Jerry

Bob,

When you do you might want to take a look at the micro four thirds cameras.   Great liitle cameras and they can use all the older Canon, Nikon, Leica, and other brand manual lenses (w/ manual focus and aperature) with the appropropriate adaptor.   The Panasonic G1 or GH1(if you're interested in stills and HD video) have great image quality and are still small enough that I'm more likely to carry it around than a Canon or Nikon.

Fred

Ok, Fred. I realy am out of the looooooooooooooooooooooooop here. What are the micro four thirds?

Bob

Thanks! Going to check them out, since it would be a shame not to use that old arsenal of quality lenses.

Bob

Bob

 

[mastercabman]

BOB ,also check out the new Olympus D-P1 a real nice 4/3 system addition that has a cool "classic range finder"look!
That is the camera that I'm thinking about getting it pretty soon.

 

[bonesbr549]

I use both - Nikon D200 digital and Nikon F100 film.  I've had a bunch of the film cameras, all Nikon, starting with FE2, N70, N80, F100, F5 and the mother of all film cameras, F6.  Sold everyone except the F100.  Digitally, I've had the D1x, D2h ( a lousy body) and most recently the D200.  I've lusted after the new fx sized bodies, the D700 and god forbid, the D3 or D3x.  I was cruising Costco today and they were closing out their Fuji Superia 400 IS0 at $2.50 for a 6 pack of 24 exp.  They aren't selling much film these days.   :-\  I picked up a couple of boxes, went home to refrigerate them and saw the 30 other rolls I have of  Tri-x, slide and print film that's been sitting in there for at least 2 years.  One thing I found about going digital is it makes you a lazy photographer.  You can just blaze away without much regard to composition, light, depth of field, you name it.  I'm going back to my F100 for awhile and get back to basics.  The film camera doesn't give you instant gratification but the look of a print from film is different, richer, sharper, deeper.  It also forces you to think about what you are doing with each shot since you have to spend some $$$ to get them developed and also because you can't see them right away, you had better be paying attention because you usually don't get another chance.   My wife hates the digital camera because she never gets to see the shots!  I upload them to the computer but she doesn't want to learn how to go through them using iphoto or Lightroom I use.  Film is on the way out but I think it isn't dead yet.  Who knows, maybe I'll pick up a good used medium format.  Those things are now cheap! 

My wife's the same way.  All I heard was I want a good digital camera and I'd had the old 2meg coolpix for ever (great camera but slow but then it's old technology) I had wanted the D200 but just a bit out of my range ($$).  I purhcased the D80 when it came out and loved it right off the bat!  Love those nikor lenses.  Anyway now she complains about having to go through and sort the pics.  I even went and got her the epson picture mate that she just needs to view the mem stick pic the picture and print.  Still not good enough.  Finally gave in and gave her a little cheapy panasonic pocketbook camera and i handle the printer and cataloging.  I gave up. 

 

[HowardH]

ya can't win for losing, can we?  ;D  The one thing that has always bothered me about digital is the softness of the images compared to film.  I can put on my 80mm 1.4 on the F100 and the images just explode off the prints.  That simply doesn't happen with my D200.  Maybe it's the glass but I doubt it.  There is also a ton of post processing that has to be done for some reason even though the camera is supposed to get the exposure right (it seldom does). I have to use curves or sliders to get it right and then put in the requisite amount of sharpening.  I suppose since film has a lot more lattitude in the exposure, the film processor fixes any exposure issues before I have a chance to see them.  I have heard the D3 has awesome exposure and is razor sharp. For $4500, it should. 

 

[bruegf]

What's film?   My older digital camera always seem to require some adjustments, but my new G1 has the best metering of any camera I've ever used - I rarely have to adjust curves or levels.  The biggest thing I do have to watch is that I don't blow the highlights as it doesn't have the dynamic range of film. 

DSLR's all tend to be a bit on the soft side if you shoot JPEG's.  You really don't want to do sharpening until after you've finished all your other post processing.  If you want to get the most out of your camera you probably need to shoot raw, but now you're looking at a lot more post processing, but if done properly I'll bet you can't tell if its film or digital.

If you really want quality I'll make you a heck of a deal on a 4x5 view camera, 3 lenses and an enlarger   You haven't seen color saturation until you've looked at a 4x5 slide!

Fred

 

[woodshopdemos]

I had old friend stop by over weekend. He brought his girlfriend who is Fuji rep. We talked about digital vs analog and I said "I didn't even have a film camera other than the old F1 which has pin registered back and my trusty Speed Graphic. She went to her car and pulled out a brick of 35mm and 2 boxes of 4 x 5 film. I said thanks but I didn't even want to pay the lab costs. She pulled pulled a card for a lab in CT and told me to get film developed and printed there on her account - like free.  I will use both in my ongoing area of art photography of women. Close ups with 4 x 5 will be dynamite. I do have to go downstairs and find a changing bag and the Grafmatics.

 

[TheToolPlace]

While I shoot 99% digital nowadays.  I still have all of my film camera's and still use them.  It seems that only very recently has the quality of digital began to get close to that of 35mm film.

I have the following camera's.

- Nikon D90S DSLR.  (my most used camera these days.)

- Nikon N90S 35mm SLR with a ton of lenses (this was my main camera before switching to digital SLR's)

- Mamiya C330 Medium Format Twin Lens camera.  This is perfect for portraits.

My biggest concern is the archival of all of my digital images.  I keep backups on multiple hard drives, but hard drives can fail at any time.  What does everyone here use for their backups?

Chad

 

[Notorious T.O.D.]

Movies...do they still shoot them on film or have they gone all digital also???

Best,
Todd