When Asked Why You Are Not Shooting Digital, What Do You Reply?

[dehk]

Film is more personal, as i take care of most every aspect from start the finish.

 

[jovo]

I've been met with incredulity that film is even still available, but only once chided for not "going digital"...a person I found easy to ignore. In fact, most people who notice, are very curious about the gear, especially when I'm using the 4x5. Perhaps I don't exude any hubris about being a "real" photographer, but sometimes that's exactly what people have said that I am. Curious!

 

[yulia_s_rey]

film cameras love football! just look at NFL Films, they never went digital

 

[2F/2F]

"Because it's for jokers."

 

[Citizen_Erased]

I just tell people I like the look of film as compared to digital.

 

[brian d]

In my opinion and experience, the majority of people who will "challenge" you about "still" using film are this type of person - those to whom an expensive DSLR is a status symbol just like a Rolex watch or a gold Tiffany pendant, and those who believe that the more expensive their DSLR the better photographer they become. Their challenge is their way of validating their choice of equipment and schmoozing their ego. It is rare that an experienced pro will challenge your choice because he/she knows that each medium has pros and cons.

The last time someone "challenged" me while I was using a 4x5 SpeedGraphic, I called them on it. I made the counter challenge that we would each take one photo of the same thing (their choice as to what) from the same position, then we would each make a 11x14 or 16x20 print by our own chosen methods and have a impartial 3rd party judge which one was better. If their print was better they got my Speed, but if my print was better I got to keep their digiblaster.
For some reason they would not accept my challenge

 

[brian d]

Most people are polite and readily accept the reply that I just like doing things "the old fashion way"

 

[mopar_guy]

The modern argument

Most people are polite and readily accept the reply that I just like doing things "the old fashion way"

Brian,
With the Speed Graphic, don't forget to mention that "This was made in America."

 

[j-dogg]

On the other side, I had a fellow film fanatic ask what kind of film my 5D took, in his defense he only saw the top of it in my bag, which looks nearly identical to a 1v (I had my Nikkormat out) He was rather surprised to see it in the bag with all my film gear.

 

[MSOKAL]

Digital is for kids...

 

[Worker 11811]

For some reason they would not accept my challenge

Of course, this doesn't account for the fact that you could probably pick up his camera, snap off one shot and end up a better picture than he has ever shot with it.

 

[Man from moon]

because everyone shooting with digital
but films , FOR STRONG PHOTOGRAPHERS ONLY:devil:

 

[SafetyBob]

Wow, I just read this entire thread. And what a great thread indeed.

This past weekend I got the "look" too. I was going to the gymnastics place were our youngest grand daughter is learning how to control herself (she is 3, so she has some work) to take pictures of her. The gym said they would have a background up and you could take all the pictures you wanted. Grabbed my cheap dSLR and my trusty 645 Pro. When I got there and walked in the door I discovered that what they meant to say was that a person would be there to take pictures. I simply laid my stuff by the door and went in to see what was going on.

A semi-pro guy had a lovely setup for taking pictures of the kids. Nice guy too, went to digital a few years ago when he went from advanced amatuer to semi-pro. I asked him about his Bees and he asked me about my 645. (you could tell he was green with envy......he SO wanted to shoot with the 645 he couldn't see straight).

I knew why he went to digital and we had a great discussion on why I still like to play with film and why he can't for most of his work. Both of us completely understood each other. I think he would have lost it had I broke out the old Potato masher 577G Canon flash I use with the 645.....you have to be good to work with a separate battery pack for your flash don't you?

Overall though, most people who know me know I use film and love it when I do. They know I am after a keeper. People who don't know me that well seem somewhat puzzled.......until I show them proof.

Bob

 

[wblynch]

...I asked him about his Bees and he asked me about my 645. (you could tell he was green with envy......he SO wanted to shoot with the 645 he couldn't see straight).

Great story. I would have tossed him the 645 and a roll of film. 90% chance when he got that roll developed he would come back to film.

 

[Ken Nadvornick]

If their print was better they got my Speed, but if my print was better I got to keep their digiblaster.

Racing for pink slips...



Ken

 

[michaelbsc]

Digital is for kids...

No, digital is a tool for people who want it. No more. No less.

 

[Mustafa Umut Sarac]

My story is completely different , I tried to teach someone who have a 10 mp digital camera and I said you can zoom in to scene and take 500 photograph and make a gigapixel image. Man was a art director and very much confused and than angered to me , he said my 10 mp camera can take big poster sized print , why would I need gigapixel ?

I think media tried to teach people to be happy with what is given to themselves.

I love to push boundaries and I hate the crappy look of digital cameras gave us and the tones and the colors. They are perfectly terrible.

 

[2F/2F]

This is getting dumb. With both media, the results are in the hands of the user. I preferred it when we were just making snarky comments instead of seriously claiming the inherent superiority of the analog medium.

 

[fstop]

This is getting dumb. With both media, the results are in the hands of the user. I preferred it when we were just making snarky comments instead of seriously claiming the inherent superiority of the analog medium.

I agree, I shoot both media, I take lousy pictures with both.

 

[Worker 11811]

because everyone shooting with digital
but films , FOR STRONG PHOTOGRAPHERS ONLY:devil:

At the college where I work the photography teacher has recently made traditional black and white photography the prerequisite, "Photography 101" course.

The rationale being that, without a basic understanding of photography and how it works, one can not truly learn how to be a good photographer, regardless of whether he shoots digital or traditional film photography.

 

[aroth87]

I agree, I shoot both media, I take lousy pictures with both.

+1, how true that is. I think the next time I get asked why I'm shooting film I'll say its because I only have to sort through 36 poor photos.

Adam

 

[Chris Nielsen]

I shoot both mediums lately, mostly as a way to tell them to shut the f&@k up, and it is also useful to be able to revel in my failures immediately instead of having to wait

 

[2F/2F]

+1, how true that is. I think the next time I get asked why I'm shooting film I'll say its because I only have to sort through 36 poor photos.

Adam

Hey, if we really suck, then 8x10 is the format to use. Then we only have to sort through one crappy shot.

That also means that if we shoot ULF, we have to sort through less than one crappy shot, right? Even better!

 

[zk-cessnaguy]

Digital is for kids...

There are many, many valid arguments both for and against, both objective and subjective, for shooting either film, or digital.
Statements like that don't add anything to the discussion and are on the same level as the dSLR+superzoom+program mode spray and pray snapshooter slagging off a film user.

 

[N467RX]

Makes up a good excuse to not have photos ready 5 minutes after shooting them. Even though I shoot digital a lot for airplanes (as in 1000+ photos on a single day of spotting), the idea of getting my 4 months old 7D damaged during an offroading expedition is not a nice one. I got my Minolta Maxxum for $30ish on eBay. But it really annoys me that people expect you to have the photos by the end of the day on Facebook, tagged and everything. What happened to the days of waiting 2 weeks for your slides to arrive?

One of my friends asked me when was I going to have the photos ready, and I simply replied "my film puller is lost, so I need to wait till my new one arrives, and quite frankly, I doubt I'll be able to develop it before the end of the week". Yeah, if you can't wait for someone else to process their photos, then take your own.

On a sidenote, last week I was down in Phoenix getting photos of some WWII bombers, and there were several old people carrying film SLRs (I used the opportunity to shoot a roll of PX125 and one of BW400CN)

And to add more.

I bought a cheap Sony point and shoot camera when it was on sale for $80ish, with hopes of carrying it in my backpack for whenever I needed it, as it turns out, quality is marginally better than a Samsung Digimax I bought in 2002 and quickly ditched for my dad's SLR (I was 12 back then) until I could get a nicer digital. Yes, my old used Maxxuum gets better photos than a digital, and it has some controls that I can manipulate. That Sony is currently collecting dust in my house, waiting the moment I can modify it to be able to shoot photos with a home-made remote. I'm considering to get another film SLR to add to my collection