Out of curiosity, how many of you still shoot film?

[NikonAIS]

Although a lot of my stuff is shot with DSLR's, I still love shooting film, both black and white and color and still process all of it myself. There is just something about that smell of darkroom chemistry! Several of the other photographers I know have also blown the dust off of their SLR's and are back to shooting it too. Digital has come a very long way in the last 20 years but I don't think it will ever capture the charm of an image shot on film, especially ones today like Portra 160 Professional, Ektachrome E100 and T-Max 100.

 

[JANuser]

No film shooting for many years, so my FE and F90x (N90x for Americans) are sitting idle. Haven’t even finished the roll loaded in the F90x, might one day just to see what I took. Last shot was likely around 2010, so it’s hard to remember. Never done my own darkroom stuff, so I get get any feelings from it. Using film seems needlessly wasteful to me.

 

[abc123brian]

I haven’t shot film for the longest time. When I started to learn photography in the 2000s I used an old SLR with manual focus because DSLRs were too expensive. When I was able to get my first DSLR, a Pentax K110D, I was able to experiment a lot more and seeing the results more immediate helped a lot. I never developed my own film so I think that is why I am not attached to it, but I do like the classic controls of the old cameras. That is one of the reasons I keep my Fuji X-Pro2 around. Honestly, I don’t even know how easy it is to find a place to develop film is. I still have that SLR and use the lenses with adapters on my Z6, but haven’t used it in at least a decade.

 

[NikonAIS]

I haven’t shot film for the longest time. When I started to learn photography in the 2000s I used an old SLR with manual focus because DSLRs were too expensive. When I was able to get my first DSLR, a Pentax K110D, I was able to experiment a lot more and seeing the results more immediate helped a lot. I never developed my own film so I think that is why I am not attached to it, but I do like the classic controls of the old cameras. That is one of the reasons I keep my Fuji X-Pro2 around. Honestly, I don’t even know how easy it is to find a place to develop film is. I still have that SLR and use the lenses with adapters on my Z6, but haven’t used it in at least a decade.

Processing film is not difficult at all, in fact color negative (C41) actually has less steps (3 instead of 4) than does B&W. E-6 (slides) is more involved but not significantly so. It does not take a lot of equipment either, all you need is a processing tank and reel, stainless steel is much better than plastic, an accurate thermometer and an inexpensive timer. Processing color is more exacting and less forgiving, especially when it comes to maintaining temperature, mostly because B&W can be processed at room temperature, color is usually done around 100-102ºF. I have an inexpensive (around $100) 4 well thermostatically controlled water bath that I set at 39ºC for film and it works like a champ. Printing, on the other hand, does require a lot more equipment; for B&W, an enlarger, trays, safelight, enlarging timer, a light-proof place to work, running water and if processing color, processing drums and a rotator, a color analyzer, color head for the enlarger (though acetate filters will work, they are just less convenient). All in all though, it is just a lot more satisfying producing a color or B&W print in the darkroom than just sitting in front of a computer and printing on a printer or sending it off to be printed.

 

[splatbass]

I still do occasionally just for fun (I have odd ideas of what is fun... ). I have a Nikon N80, a Canon A1 and a Pentax Spotmatic.

 

[jeffnles1]

The last film I shot was in the early 90's. I've gone through several different digital bodies from point and shoot to DSLRs in that time. When I shot film I shot almost exclusively Kodachrome or Ektachrome with some negative film thrown in. I don't really miss it.

 

[Andrew Lamberson]

What's film?

 

[pnbarne]

Occasionally, I shoot large format sheet film. Mostly, B&W.

 

[DougC]

Nothing on the planet could get me to shoot film again.

 

[Warren D]

A little from time to time. I'm restoring a Deardorff 8x10 and plan on using it when I'm done.

 

[JP Onstwedder]

Bought my wife an FE2 over Christmas and slowly but surely the percentage of her shots on film is creeping up. I've used it a bit, and for street photography in particular the experience is more fun than with big digital gear. I can see buying another vintage film camera...

 

[IainD]

Nikon F5 and Hasselblad 500 cm. Just for fun.
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[Steve W]

I feel sometimes that DSLR’s have made us a little lazy. Set camera to automatically change ISO, auto exposure bracketing, auto white balance..... and the list goes on.....spray and pray, shoot enough images at 10 frames a second and you’re almost certain to get a keeper.
Film required more discipline, no chipping at images at time of shooting, every image had a cost associated with it (film, chemicals, paper or commercial processing. No shooting 5000 images in an afternoon, well not unless you had a couple of navvies with you.
When I’m with people who have only ever shot digital, I find a shoot approximately 40% less images than they do. Probably a hangover from the get it right first time that came with film.

 

[Woody Meristem]

When I got my first digital camera I put away my SLR and eventually gave it and some lenses to a camera collector -- and have never looked back. I got tired of throwing away piles of slides that weren't quite good enough to keep and looked at each one as money wasted. Now I can take 100 photos and keep only a handful; the discards cost me but a second to review. The keepers are stored on two laptops and an external hard drive instead of a pile of boxes in the closet.

 

[NikonAIS]

I feel sometimes that DSLR’s have made us a little lazy. Set camera to automatically change ISO, auto exposure bracketing, auto white balance..... and the list goes on.....spray and pray, shoot enough images at 10 frames a second and you’re almost certain to get a keeper.
Film required more discipline, no chipping at images at time of shooting, every image had a cost associated with it (film, chemicals, paper or commercial processing. No shooting 5000 images in an afternoon, well not unless you had a couple of navvies with you.
When I’m with people who have only ever shot digital, I find a shoot approximately 40% less images than they do. Probably a hangover from the get it right first time that came with film.

You and I are completely on the same page. It does make me chuckle when I watch people shooting on Ch at static subjects. I once overheard this younger guy complaining about how he had to wade through over 800 images he shot the day previous and all I could think was "well maybe if you were not a disciple of the church of 'spray and pray' you would only have to wade through about 40 like I do for the same amount of time shooting". This guy had had to be Generation D (digital) because no film shooter would ever shoot that many. It is kind of sad when someone has to shoot 800 frames in the hope me might get 5-10 good ones. Maybe there needs to be a support group, God knows there are ones for just about everything nowadays, for Overshooters Anonymous. "My name is John Smith and I am an overshooter".

Not that there really was any way to tell unless you logged the number of frames you fired each time, but back in the film days no one thought about the "shutter count" of their cameras. I see cameras nowadays for sale on Ebay that could not be more than 4 or 5 years old at most and people claim there are 175-200,000 shutter actuations. AYFKM???

 

[David Burns]

I shoot 5X4 B&W from time to time. Good for the soul and I like the discipline and the atmosphere of the images. I love the comments from passers by as well! I no longer do wet darkroom printing though and just scan everything, printing on my Canon printer via LR.

 

[Ductape]

After sitting in boxes through two previous house moves, I finally gave away all my darkroom equipment when I sold a house in 2019. Sometimes the idea sounds like fun, but I don't miss the process that much. A dedicated room is a must or it isn't worth the effort. Without the ability to develop myself, film looses the fascination.

 

[StephenP]

Until recently I shot MF 6x7 120 B&W films 80% of the time, and when I wanted color It was my D750 the other 20%. I sold most of my MF gear to pay for my new D850. However, my darkroom is still set up and I still use my Father's Kodak Retina for 35mm and I may add an MF folder. The darkroom will also be going once I feel comfortable having people in my home. The reason why I used film so long is, I didn't have to continue to learn all the time. I'm a fine art photographer and I knew what I needed to do to get the result I wanted. After a couple of years, you were educated. Now I'm trying to learn digital photography, wildlife, and nature photography for my own enjoyment. I love being outdoors, etc. The thing that gives me stress headaches (for real) is having so much to learn, and knowing it will never end and it's a whole different mindset But when I see the final image it's all worth it.

 

[NikonAIS]

Until recently I shot MF 6x7 120 B&W films 80% of the time, and when I wanted color It was my D750 the other 20%. I sold most of my MF gear to pay for my new D850. However, my darkroom is still set up and I still use my Father's Kodak Retina for 35mm and I may add an MF folder. The darkroom will also be going once I feel comfortable having people in my home. The reason why I used film so long is, I didn't have to continue to learn all the time. I'm a fine art photographer and I knew what I needed to do to get the result I wanted. After a couple of years, you were educated. Now I'm trying to learn digital photography, wildlife, and nature photography for my own enjoyment. I love being outdoors, etc. The thing that gives me stress headaches (for real) is having so much to learn, and knowing it will never end and it's a whole different mindset But when I see the final image it's all worth it.

For the longest time this was my darkroom, a cramped but very well equipped and functional converted bathroom. Should mother nature call, hey, you were right there! We are getting ready to refinance the house in the next month and I am going to add $15,000 to the total so I can build a 10'x25' studio/workroom/office and 8'x8' darkroom onto the house. Right now all of the darkroom stuff is in climate controlled storage.

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[NikonAIS]

What's film?

Man you are missing out on all the fun stuff! Digital is for sissies!

 

[Ralph]

Man you are missing out on all the fun stuff! Digital is for sissies!

Man you are missing out on all the fun stuff! Digital is for sissies!

I still have all my darkroom equipment but haven’t used it in a very long time. It’s practically brand new. Beseler 23Cll , Sneider lens , timers etc. use to do via chrome printing with Kodachrome slides.

 

[Steve W]

When I got my first digital camera I put away my SLR and eventually gave it and some lenses to a camera collector -- and have never looked back. I got tired of throwing away piles of slides that weren't quite good enough to keep and looked at each one as money wasted. Now I can take 100 photos and keep only a handful; the discards cost me but a second to review. The keepers are stored on two laptops and an external hard drive instead of a pile of boxes in the closet.

Don’t get me wrong, I love DSLR’s, there is many levels of convenience that come with them. Think of film cameras like vintage cars..... it’s great to drive your modern cars but there is something unique about driving a really old classic.

 

[NikonAIS]

Don’t get me wrong, I love DSLR’s, there is many levels of convenience that come with them. Think of film cameras like vintage cars..... it’s great to drive your modern cars but there is something unique about driving a really old classic.

Back to the days when you had to actually be a PHOTOGRAPHER, before the days when there was auto everything and you were there to just press the shutter button.

 

[Andy Work]

We are getting ready to refinance the house in the next month and I am going to add $15,000 to the total so I can build a 10'x25' studio/workroom/office and 8'x8' darkroom onto the house.

Have you priced building materials lately? They are insane! I'm replacing my 27 year old deck and it's going to cost a lot more than I figured. I hope you can get it done for that.

 

[eaj101]

I still own a collection of Paleolithic hardware, including my F4 and 8008. But all I've shot on film the last few years are 6x7 cm from the Pentax 67, mostly because of an urge to see the jewel-like transparencies it produces. How long does film keep in the freezer, again?