Any oldschool SLR users? (non digital)

[shaeff]

Just curious, really. I love digital photography, and eventually plan on getting a really nice DSLR, but there's just something that I absolutely love and cannot replace about film.

Within the next few years when I buy a house, I plan to have a dark room. 3/4 of the fun for me is working in the dark room, developing my own film, etc... I took a Photography class in high school, and one in college as well. I adored both of them.

I haven't done anything in a few years, but I just dusted off my '79 Canon A-1 and grabbed a roll of film. I also just bought a decent (for my purposes) wide angle lens off eBay. It's amazing how much the Canon FD mount lenses have dropped in price in only 3-4 years! I'm sure this is because of the huge advances in Digital cameras.

I don't have any photos to post up, and I doubt my scanner would do them any justice anyway. I suppose I could take digital pics of them, LOL. They're all from college and high school. Ah well, I'm rambling!

 

[alloyguitar]

I shoot film every now and again, but being in college, digital is less expensive, and, therefore the choice at the moment.

I'd really like to get my hands on a medium format camera (film or digital. doesn't matter). The amount of detail on them blows all of my digitals out of the water.

 

[shaeff]

I shoot film every now and again, but being in college, digital is less expensive, and, therefore the choice at the moment.

I'd really like to get my hands on a medium format camera (film or digital. doesn't matter). The amount of detail on them blows all of my digitals out of the water.

Agreed, and the instant gratification of digital is definitely a plus!

Medium Format would be nice, too.

 

[alloyguitar]

Agreed, and the instant gratification of digital is definitely a plus!

Medium Format would be nice, too.

Well, at least with digital you do know what you have at that moment. I don't know how many times someone's played with my camera when I wasn't looking (a girlfriend or similar) and all of the sudden all your pictures are over/under exposed.

With my 'ole slr (an ancient fujica) I never would've noticed...

...and would have been VERY disappointed in the darkroom.

If I shoot film now, I set my dslr on auto and see what the photo looks like on it before I pull out the film camera. Cheating? Yes. Effective? You bet.

:icon_bigg

 

[SupraRon]

^ Exactly what I was gonna say. With digital you can pretty much capture that 'moment'. If you make a mistake, you can retake it.

It takes an experienced photographer to 'know' he or she has the shot the first time with film. I'm far from experienced behind the camera, but I love using film. As Shaeff said, there's just something about it.

 

[Jeff Lange]

I have a couple older Canon SLR's. A couple AE-1's, an A-1, and an FTb. I've also used the EOS 1n quite a bit, they're all pretty neat, I really like the FTb, but it's not as advanced as some of the other ones.

Haven't used them in over a year probably though.

Love the film.

Jeff

 

[shaeff]

Cool. Nice to know that I'm not the only one who has a thing for film. I Just picked up a telephoto lens today for like $23. LOL. Not bad!

 

[Scot]

Once I got my now old Nikon D70, I never even had the desire to go back to film or slide. The PC is the new dark room. There might a few things that you might be able to accomplish with film, but you will truly enjoy the freedomn of shooting with a digital SLR...

If you haven't done so, check out dpreview.com. You will find that even the most staunch old timers now use digital. Some of their results is amazing.... Here is an example of a pic that I took that I was able to immediately check on a PC for exposure,color, contrast , etc. It took a few times to get the results I wanted, and if it were film I would have never known until it was too late.

 

[flight doc89]

I keep a few rolls of decent film in the freezer for backup, but my main camera is my digital. If you want something to tinker around with but not to do a high volume of shots with, fuck it, go film, FD lenses are cheap as shit these days. However, if you are planning on shooting a decent volume of shots, digital is wayyyy cheaper.

The biggest reason to shoot film these days is if you already have thousands tied up in manual focus lenses. Otherwise, serious photographers are better off digital. Don't get me wrong, I loved shooting film, but the lenses themselves have gotten better. I've made shots with my Image Stabilized lens that I could never have gotten with my film camera without dragging a tripod around. There's nothing like being able to freehand 1/10th and 1/8th second shots with fair consistency. Sure, many of them will blur, but plenty of them will come out beautifully.

EDIT: F/2.8 @ 1/15th, ISO=1000

I love no-flash photography. I don't care that it is underexposed, i just look at it and, to me, it is beautiful (I'm biased, but it's my own horse, so I don't really care if it doesn't fall within photographic standards).
Photo hasn't been chewed up, just RAW processed in CS3 and uploaded as-shot.

 

[shaeff]

I might have come across as biased when I initially posted. I plan on buying a nice DSLR in the future, I was asking more along the lines if people were still using film because they enjoyed it. To me, the computer as my "dark room" isn't nearly as much fun as the real thing. I'm fully aware that digital photography has taken the market by the horns, and that it's likely to be the best way to get "the shot", but I love darkrooms, I love all the processes involved with developing film, and hell, I just love the way my A-1 feels and sounds.

Maybe it'll go the way of the dinosaur when I get a nice DSLR, but I hope not. When I buy a house, I plan on putting in a dark room. Maybe if I get a nice DSLR I'll throw a nice computer in the mix as well. I just do it for fun, though... so I guess only time will tell...

 

[alloyguitar]

Well, if I had the space, I'd have a darkroom, but at the moment I don't.

 

[shaeff]

Same here, no space.

I went to a camera shop yesterday and checked out a Canon 50D, or D50- whatever it is.

DAMN that thing is nice!

 

[shaeff]

I did a test scan on my Dell printer/scanner of one of my old photos from High School. It didn't come out quite as good as I'd hoped, but it's not that bad:

 

[zambini]

^^lots of nice texture and grit there shaeff. was that shot exposed through a contrast filter? completely non-digitally edited? only thing that gets me about that shot is the shape of the actual composition.. its very close to square, but not quite- a tough proportion in terms of getting results.

but yeah, i miss film. the whole process.. and we musnt forget that if a shot isnt pretty much completely botched, there are ways to save a photo.. (dodging and burning and certain filters arent just photoshop buttons haha) in fact, in most cases its the subtle mistakes or imperfections that give a film photo that warm sense of life you dont get from digital photos- a few specs of dust on the negative, an underexposed burst of light, an overexposed blackout of certain figures or objects..

however, as much as i miss film, i havent done anything with it since i had access to a darkroom, and didnt have a digital camera. now i do all my shooting with my digital rebel xt, a low to mid range dslr camera that can squeeze out some really vibrant images and picks up on very subtle temperature changes in light. plus i make a living working in photoshop, so it might as well be a dark room to me. if you approach a photoshop file like an actual film photo, you can achieve results similar to those you might get in a dark room. the key is thinking about what youd do to the picture if it were a real, tangible photograph.. and forget about all the other hokey photoshop features.

and now im rambling.. so cheers. good luck with your shots!

 

[shaeff]

^^lots of nice texture and grit there shaeff. was that shot exposed through a contrast filter? completely non-digitally edited? only thing that gets me about that shot is the shape of the actual composition.. its very close to square, but not quite- a tough proportion in terms of getting results.

Thanks. That shot used no filters during shooting, but in the darkroom I tend to use a lot of Magenta. I love contrast in B&W photography. There's absolutely no digital editing done to it at all, nor have I ever digitally edited a print from film. I hear ya on the composition. Keep in mind that this is from my very first lab in high school. It was taken nearly 6 years ago! I'd say it's not half bad for my first try w/ photography!

but yeah, i miss film. the whole process.. and we musnt forget that if a shot isnt pretty much completely botched, there are ways to save a photo.. (dodging and burning and certain filters arent just photoshop buttons haha) in fact, in most cases its the subtle mistakes or imperfections that give a film photo that warm sense of life you dont get from digital photos- a few specs of dust on the negative, an underexposed burst of light, an overexposed blackout of certain figures or objects.

Exactly my point! It's the entire process that I love, and will have a terribly difficult time trying to replace! I'm totally with you on a lot of that.

however, as much as i miss film, i havent done anything with it since i had access to a darkroom, and didnt have a digital camera. now i do all my shooting with my digital rebel xt, a low to mid range dslr camera that can squeeze out some really vibrant images and picks up on very subtle temperature changes in light. plus i make a living working in photoshop, so it might as well be a dark room to me. if you approach a photoshop file like an actual film photo, you can achieve results similar to those you might get in a dark room. the key is thinking about what youd do to the picture if it were a real, tangible photograph.. and forget about all the other hokey photoshop features.

and now im rambling.. so cheers. good luck with your shots!

Me neither, which is why I'm getting back into it. I'd like to produce some shots that I'm very satisfied with before I go buy a DSLR. (and even then, I'll still shoot some film) I'll keep all that in mind for sure. A DSLR isn't far off. Thanks for the criticism.

 

[alloyguitar]

however, as much as i miss film, i havent done anything with it since i had access to a darkroom, and didnt have a digital camera. now i do all my shooting with my digital rebel xt, a low to mid range dslr camera that can squeeze out some really vibrant images and picks up on very subtle temperature changes in light. plus i make a living working in photoshop, so it might as well be a dark room to me. if you approach a photoshop file like an actual film photo, you can achieve results similar to those you might get in a dark room. the key is thinking about what youd do to the picture if it were a real, tangible photograph.. and forget about all the other hokey photoshop features.

I, too, make a living using Photoshop (and Adobe's other products), but it's just not the same. It's like an auto vs. manual transmission. Sometimes you want the, for lack of a better term, more primitive stuff. Quality film photos are much more difficult to achieve, hence my admiration for those you have the ability to get a great shot on the first try.

...I, however, do not.

 

[EOS]

I’m a pro photographer, and while I have both digital and film SLRs, I prefer to shoot slide film (specifically Fujichrome Velvia 100) in both of my Canon EOS A2 camera bodies whenever possible. There are actually several reasons for this:

1: I started shooting with 35mm SLRs exclusively in ’88. Initially, I shot print film, but moved on to shooting slide film almost exclusively in ’92 when I turned pro. While the exposure latitude of digital is very close to the latitude of slide film, I prefer slide film because I’m used to it.

2: My sense of smell isn’t all that great, but I can smell the scent of a fresh roll of slide film. Sick as it sounds, I love that smell.

3: Digital doesn’t give you a hard copy of your image the way film does. With digital, a hard drive crash or corrupt DVD can leave you completely screwed. With film, I have my “master slide file” with the original slides, as well as two DVDs of each slide scanned at an archival resolution. Thing is, if the DVDs of scanned slides are both somehow corrupt (something which is highly unlikely), I can always fire up my film scanner and scan them in again, all because I have a hard copies of the images.

4: While my DSLR has lens factor, I have to admit that I HATE lens factor. Canon has two DSLRs that have full-frame sensors—the EOS 5D MK3 and the EOS1DS MK3. Last I heard, the former will run about $3000, and the latter will run about $8000. Otherwise, you’re looking at a lens factor of 1.6x with Canon EOS DSLRs, thus turning a 28mm lens into a theoretical 45mm lens. The reality of lens factor is that it doesn’t magically turn a 28mm lens into a 45mm, but rather makes the final lens-factor-affected photo look like a cropped version of a photo shot with a full frame camera. Thing is, most people never notice the difference. I’ve shot exactly the same subject with both a full frame film SLR and a DSLR with lens factor to prove this, and you can definitely tell the difference if you look at both photos closely.

I have to admit that for part of my business, digital is extremely helpful. It provides immediate results, so you always know if you got the shot. Plus, I can upload images shot for a client to my laptop, then give the finished shots to the client almost immediately. Additionally, unless the client wants either prints or a DVD of the images, there’s really no product overhead, meaning I can charge the client less and still make a profit. But for the part of my business that involves the sale of artistic prints, I almost always shoot slide film.

Shaeff, you’ll never be disappointed with the EOS 50D. That thing’s phenomenal. Great shot of the rusted out car, by the way…

Yes, getting a film photo right the first time is kind of a pain, but…well…assuming it’s possible for a given shot, that’s what bracketing is for…:icon_razz

Hey zambini…NOW who’s rambling?:biglaugh:

 

[fixitman04]

been a long time since i have played with it, but i have a cannon eos rebel lite, it is an advantex film camera.....gotta love drop in.


ill have to dig up some of my storm chasing work and get it digitized(wow havent said that in a while)

 

[shaeff]

I’m a pro photographer, and while I have both digital and film SLRs, I prefer to shoot slide film (specifically Fujichrome Velvia 100) in both of my Canon EOS A2 camera bodies whenever possible. There are actually several reasons for this:

1: I started shooting with 35mm SLRs exclusively in ’88. Initially, I shot print film, but moved on to shooting slide film almost exclusively in ’92 when I turned pro. While the exposure latitude of digital is very close to the latitude of slide film, I prefer slide film because I’m used to it.

Damn, in '89 I was in Kindergarten! I'd love to see some of your work! I'll have to take a look at slide film- I never really thought of it. All I've ever shot was black and white, mainly because I love high contrast of darks and lights, as well as the fact that the course I took in high school and college both were B&W photography classes.

2: My sense of smell isn’t all that great, but I can smell the scent of a fresh roll of slide film. Sick as it sounds, I love that smell.

3: Digital doesn’t give you a hard copy of your image the way film does. With digital, a hard drive crash or corrupt DVD can leave you completely screwed. With film, I have my “master slide file” with the original slides, as well as two DVDs of each slide scanned at an archival resolution. Thing is, if the DVDs of scanned slides are both somehow corrupt (something which is highly unlikely), I can always fire up my film scanner and scan them in again, all because I have a hard copies of the images.

I don't think that's odd at all. Scent is something that definitely sticks in your head. I'm right there with you on that, though, I miss the smell of my old HS darkroom. I do enjoy staring at my negatives through the light, as well. And I know that they'll be around forever, too.

4: While my DSLR has lens factor, I have to admit that I HATE lens factor. Canon has two DSLRs that have full-frame sensors—the EOS 5D MK3 and the EOS1DS MK3. Last I heard, the former will run about $3000, and the latter will run about $8000. Otherwise, you’re looking at a lens factor of 1.6x with Canon EOS DSLRs, thus turning a 28mm lens into a theoretical 45mm lens. The reality of lens factor is that it doesn’t magically turn a 28mm lens into a 45mm, but rather makes the final lens-factor-affected photo look like a cropped version of a photo shot with a full frame camera. Thing is, most people never notice the difference. I’ve shot exactly the same subject with both a full frame film SLR and a DSLR with lens factor to prove this, and you can definitely tell the difference if you look at both photos closely.

I'm fairly certain I understand what you're saying here. Other than to state that I'll have to take your word for it, I've been watching Canon f/1.2 85mm lenses on ebay. They're one of the only Canon lenses that still sells for a chunk of change @ anywhere from $600-$1250! I'll grab one someday, but not yet. I want to make sure I'll still be doing this for a while before I drop that kind of coin on a lens. Though, I suppose it IS and investment!

I have to admit that for part of my business, digital is extremely helpful. It provides immediate results, so you always know if you got the shot. Plus, I can upload images shot for a client to my laptop, then give the finished shots to the client almost immediately. Additionally, unless the client wants either prints or a DVD of the images, there’s really no product overhead, meaning I can charge the client less and still make a profit. But for the part of my business that involves the sale of artistic prints, I almost always shoot slide film.

That's fantastic to know that you're a pro and still prefer the oldschool ways. It gives me hope.

Shaeff, you’ll never be disappointed with the EOS 50D. That thing’s phenomenal. Great shot of the rusted out car, by the way…

Yes, getting a film photo right the first time is kind of a pain, but…well…assuming it’s possible for a given shot, that’s what bracketing is for…:icon_razz

That's another great thing to hear. I just don't want to end up getting one and then stop taking pics with my old A-1! I even love the sound it makes when I squeeze the shutter button! Also, thanks for the compliment! I wish I could find more of my old prints! I had about 13-15 pics from that set!

been a long time since i have played with it, but i have a cannon eos rebel lite, it is an advantex film camera.....gotta love drop in.

ill have to dig up some of my storm chasing work and get it digitized(wow havent said that in a while)

Do it, then post up some pics! I'd love to see them!

Anyone, feel free to ramble on!