Digital cameras forum: Poll: Do you still use a film camera?

TrackStar1682, I enjoy the posts concerning Road Apples & Sawdust, Ghosts and yours
Flying Pigs? Nice posts. Clever and fun!

-Kevin

Digital photography is here to stay and film is going away. I and most people I know have more pictures on CDs or on their hard drives than as physical photos. The need to print everything has lost some of its meaning when e-mail allows you to share your pictures with as many folks as you want instantly. Realistically people who take professional photos for a living dont use film anymore; the ability to edit, select and e-mail them to the end user is the only way to stay competitive and hold down costs. Come on, how many of you use a manual typewriter at work? Photography with film is now a hobby activity, much like horseback riding.

gcsri0tgirl, Stay with it. A nice hobby that soday make you money because of your skills in the darkroom. You can also know what effect you're after when using Adobe Photoshop.
Stay with the darkroom and polish those skills that so many digital photographers know nothing about.
I work as a professional designer and use Photoshop daily. How can a professional photographer spend as many hours as I do with Photoshop?

The learning curve is endless with both professions. If I wanted to become a professional photographer also, I would have to work a 16 hour day.
Amsel Adams never used a digital camera nor Photoshop. Just an antiquated camera and a darkroom. Some of the world's best photography. Think about it.
Stay in the darkroom always. And good luck to you. :)

-Kevin

I use digital for work but film for personal enjoyment. I take 3d (stereo) pictures. I use slide film, cut and mount the film in stereo mounts, and then use a viewer to view the 3d pictures. I also have a 3d projector and can project the pictures in 3d. That's a lot of fun. There is nothing in digital that can beat the quality and simplicity of 3d slide film photography. Even though I take many more digital pictures (for work), when it is time to relax, I turn off the computer, and play with my (3d) film.

Actually, some newer films are far superior to what was available just 5 years ago, so- yes, I'm still shooting film. I do have several inexpensive digital cameras that I use for email and web design artwork; but for really creative work, where time is immaterial and creative expression is all that matters, I use one of my many film cameras. Many of my most-used cameras are over 50 years old, and quite capable of remaining functional for another 50; how many of today's digital wonders will still be functional in just 10 years?

Since you like to film surfing at rapid speeds, it makes sense to go film rather than digital. There is no lag time with film and burst shots.
If you shoot in RAW digital format, there is a lag-time in multiple burst shots.
Do not print all your photographs. Just get the film procesed and view them from a CD. Print out the ones you want later.
Use Photobucket.com or whoever, for your prints.
Inexpensive that way. The quality is nice also no matter what print size you choose.

-kevin

I have a Nikon D80 and a F4s I use the Digital on trips and family stuff and at work. But when I go out to take photos for me I take the F4. I still like the color and I use a lot of B&W film. But I must admit I do use my Digital camera more now. Using Lightroom and Photoshop it makes my life much easier. But easier isn't always better or as much fun.

I still use my film camera, a Nikon SLR with a long zoom lens, but not when I anticipate needing to share photos via email or online. Film is easier...nothing to hook up, no waiting for photos to load, no spending hours editing. I just bring in the film to my local photo developer (you know...the kind that actually does a good job developing color photos...not a drugstore) and I've got double prints of all my photos for a reasonable price. I never had to edit photos until I went digital, and I find it time-consuming. So, when the photos are just for me, or when I'm doing portraits, nature, landscapes, I use film. For vacation photos or everyday use, I've gone digital.

camerams, Do you get a CD with your film developing? Wall-Mart provides that as well as other outlets. After that you can share your photos on the internet.
Digital is the way to go for vacations for me also.
I use a Canon S500. Small and a wonderful pocket camera.

-Kevin

that the last time I shot my EOS 5QD was in 2005. That was about it. But, I still keep it for the unpredictable-future sakes. It's a good camera; however, my 2 new DSLR, 5D and 40D, are far much more convenient in many aspects.

Digital cameras are far better than film cameras... They are smaller thaan film cameras, you don't need to buy any film, you can view and delete the pictures on the camera, and you don't need to wait ages for them to be developed only to find half of them didn't come out, just download them directly to your computer where you can put them on websites, make slideshows, DVDs, and print out coppies.

I own four film cameras and three digital ones. When I take photos of the same object with the film camera for comparison sake, I sometimes think the photos taken with the film camera are better, gold looks like gold and not only goldish-yellow.
Another advantage of the film camera is that I can keep the films for as long as I like, they are permanent. I dont know if this can be said of storing digital photos on CDs or DVDs.

Horst Bogatz

No way!!! I have two digital camera's and I use both. I also have a camera that takes fim but now I never use it. Digital camera's are just so easy to use and being able to print them out at home is just great. I admit it might be cheaper these days to print them at a store but the satisfaction of being able to take and print your own photos is enough for me.
Digital camera's are the best thing since sliced bread!!!

I have a Canon Elan 35mm film camera that I used from the early 90s and the picture quility on both slides and paper were very good.
When I bought my 1st digital camera, also a Canon I could definitely see a difference in quility with the film camera being better.
I bought a Canon 30D DSLR with a couple good lenses and the difference went away. I can't really tell which camera took which picture.
I can do a lot more with the digital and the quility is pretty much on par with the film camera.
The elan has a lot of good memories attached to it and I still do use it on occasions.

I prefer using a digital cameras because you don't need to worry about needing film on trips or any other ventures that you take pictures. I really like the fact that I can download them on my computer and make picture discs for my whole family, this is a very wonderful gift and a whole cheaper buying supplies. Lastly, I prefer a digital camera because you can view the picture after a shot, if it did not come out or you don't like it, you can erase it and shoot another picture.