As I See It - Film Cameras Are Making a Comeback
Yes! I had a film camera, once upon a time.
Some technology is left in the dust as time passes. I don’t think typewriters, for example, will have another day of glory. The same is true of Betamax video cassettes. Sony discontinued producing them in 2016 after almost 41 years of continuous production. Film cameras, however, are still manufactured. An even more positive sign of a film camera comeback is that film, like Ektachrome, which was discontinued in 2012, has been reintroduced to the market. There is an authentic appeal to film cameras which appears to be making them an enduring technology.
Photo by Jason D. Little. Gratefully used with permission. Camera: Minolta XE-7 Film Kodak Gold 200 (800) Development Cinestill Cs41
I think there are a lot of reasons photographers, including street photographers, are turning to film cameras.
Maybe it is because instant gratification has become tiring.
You have to shoot film at a slower pace. You have to be more intentional when you shoot. You must think, plan and create film images. That tends to spark creativity and lead to more artistic images.
Photo by Jason D. Little. Used with permission. Camera : Minolta Hi-Matic AF2 Film: Kodak Gold 200 Development Cinestill Cs41
A film camera catches light in different way than a digital camera.
Michael Zhang explains the differences, in a very technical, but interesting, article written for Petapixel, Film vs. Digital, This Is How Dynamic Range Compares. Film has a useable dynamic range from -2 stops to +10 stops whereas the useable digital range is -6 to -7 stops to +2 stops. Film definitely has a wider useable dynamic range, however that gap is growing smaller with advances in digital technology. Film does a better job capturing highlights. Digital does a better job capturing lowlights. But, wait. There is a problem with the capture of digital lowlights and that is the annoying digital noise. The orderly grain from pixels in a digital image is much less interesting than film grain that results because of chemical particles not getting enough light.
Because of the difference in the dynamic range in film and digital cameras, Zhang recommends using different strategies to get the best exposure. With a film camera, expose for the shadows; that is, over expose. Do not worry about the highlights. They will be fine. With a digital camera, expose for the highlights; that is, under expose. Blown out highlights are a real problem in digital images. While digital noise is not desirable, it is manageable in post production.
Photo by Jason D. Little. Used with permission. Camera : Minolta Hi-Matic AF2 Film: Kodak Gold 200 Development Cinestill Cs41
Film has magic.
Perhaps it is the fear of the unknown. There is no chimping to see how you are doing. There are peaks and valleys. The peak is when you get a better image than you expected and the valley is when you are disappointed.
Photo by Jason D. Little. Used with permission.Camera: Olympus XA Film: Ilford Delta 400 Development: HC-110(B)
Film is likely to last longer than digital formats.
The negatives from Vivian Meier were almost 40 years old when they were purchased in 2007. Many of the 150,000 negatives have been successfully scanned. Would that happen in a digital era? In 40 years will we even be able to read a jpeg file?
Photo by Jason D. Little. Used with permission. Camera: Nikon FE Film: Ilford Delta 400 Development: HC-110(B)
Film can produce what is perceived as a premium product.
A film photo has a definitely different look and feel than a digital photo. Some commercial photographers choose to shoot in film because it can give them a premium product that allows them to charge premium prices.
Many, many thanks to my friend, Jason Little, who allowed me to use his film photos to show why film is coming back. Jason is a professional photographer from NYC. You can see his film gallery on Instragram at @halide.hustle, his regular gallery on Instagram at @jdevaunphotography, his portrait gallery on Instagram at @faces.by.jdevaun and his website at www.jdevaunphotography.com. He also writes articles for Lightstalking.
Last thoughts: Now I am wishing that I did not give away my 48 year old Nikon body!
Exercise
Did you ever own a film camera? What are three ways your photography changed since then?