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Going full Analog


AngusFoxley

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So currently I own a M10-D, an M-A, and the apo 50mm to put on whatever camera (digital or film) I am using at the time. 
I am considering selling the M10-D and just focusing on film in the future, however, I am seriously worried that film will just disappear (to put it dramatically).
I am planning on setting up my own darkroom in the future but I am still concerned that it will become more and more inaccessible. 
Does anybody else worry about this? 
Should I hang onto the digital body to diversify my workload?
Who has made this decision and would you recommend just going for it? 

Hoping to open a discussion, I am overcome with indecision. 

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Personally film cost has reached a tipping point for me over the past 12 months or so and I now only shoot digital with my M10-P.  I'd love to shoot more film as I particularly enjoy the experience and the results but simply can't justify the expense of it now!

I don' believe film will disappear, but can see it becoming more scarce to get hold of.

 

 

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Keep the D while maintaining the film, you wont regret it..

im shooting films alongside digital, love the BW especially and i develop both colour and bw at home… but with the price increased, i might shoot less with colour films, but im sure it would stay for long 

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There are plenty of small analog enterprises on the internet and even locally precisely because film is getting less and less attractive for mainstream suppliers I don’t think “disappearing “ is a realistic worry. A for the cost, being able to buy near-10.000 digital cameras does not inspire real concern for the financial position of the photographer. 

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So you have two cameras and one lens - that's is reasonably special here. You should at least buy some more lenses to properly fit in 😆

On a more serious note: If you do enjoy a lesser digital workflow (as it looks like), I would definitely not sell the M10D. No one knows whether they will ever produce something like that again and sourcing a pre-owned one is not so easy.

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I am fully digital, long time already. Sometimes I linger over a nice m6, xpan, contax g, 500cm, but for me, in my country it is not doable. Pity. 
 

will film will be disappearing? Depends where you live, on your market. The west? Most probably not. The East? Most probably not. The middle: yes.

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Don't worry about film disappearing.

The decision is if you want to drop the digital side completely. Film has become more expensive, plus the processing costs.

A lot of us use both. For various reasons I haven't shot a roll of film for quite a while now but I have a number of projects in mind for which I will absolutely be using film. When I go out and about and take a camera for 'chance' shots I take digital.

You could always sell your digital M (if you don't intend to use it much in the future) and buy a digital compact for those times when you want quick/easy results.

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As others have mentioned, I would hold on to your M10-D for now unless you are absolutely certain you no longer want to shoot digital (which is perfectly valid). Yes film costs have increased and will sadly probably continue to increase, but if you want to shoot film, then that’s just what it is. I’ve just accepted that and try to buy what is “affordable” for my needs as I still value the film process and experience. 

Like you I have a Digital M and Analog M and one lens to share between them (though in my case it’s the 35 FLE). I actually quite like this setup as there isn’t much to decide, simply if I want to shoot film or digital, then off I go. 

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I've owned my M10-P and Q2M for a little over a year.  After looking at the numbers to upgrade to a M10-R or M11, I decided to get off the upgrade race and go analog.  I've since added to the collection two MP's (one new and another, used, 0.58x), a new M-A, and a M2.  Besides the fact that I no longer obsess over the specs of the latest digital offering from Wetzlar, I've found shooting film again (haven't done so since I was a teenager) so much more satisfying than the spray and pray approach the shooting digital inevitably encourages.  I also enjoy not feeling like I haven't completed my workflow when I have no desire to post-process files.

The film M cameras either keep their values or appreciate over time.  Digital cameras - with very few exceptions - always depreciate and become obsolete.  Instead of paying a premium to upgrade to the latest digital M, I spend that money on film and processing/scanning.    I don't expect film to disappear in my lifetime but I'm not putting further funds into digital Leicas in the forseeable future.

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The variety of films and chemicals my dwindle over a couple of decades, but cost efficient companies with economies of scale will be around for a hundred years or more.  There are too many film cameras in the world with owners that will shoot at least a roll or two every year.  My 2 cents.  

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I don’t see film and the required chemicals disappearing anytime soon. As a matter of fact there has been a resurgence in film especially with from those under 35 years of age. Film has been discontinued but there have been a few new films the last 18 months as well.  The other tell of film are cameras - Leica MP and MA have 6+ month wait times and prices of old camera have increased significantly the last 2 years. This is even for cameras made in the 50’s. New limited films are frequently released from Cinestill and Lomography; furthermore it can be difficult to find many of these film stocks, especially color film.  Supply and demand come into play, so as prices increase there may be new films that are released. A big issue is Kodak is really the only color film manufacture these days as Fuji has discontinued a number of stocks. It would be nice to see Fuji re-release some of their color stocks, but they seem more focused on their digital cameras. There are many number of B+W film companies other than just Kodak and Ilford.  

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I have the same combination, Apo 50, M10-D and the M-A. My personal advice: DO NOT SELL THE M10-D!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think for the next years you will have many different films and labs to develop and scan it for you. They will not not disappear in the near future. Shooting analog is fun, I love the results but there are times when you want to have fast results and this is the time of the 10-D: e.g. holidays with the family (nobody of my family wants to wait until I have developed and scanned the photos from my „vintage grandpa camera“), taking photos of unspectacular moments just to see how it is looking and sometimes you do not have time for the anlog process (or sometimes you are just not in the mood, just to name a few.

And why decide which camera you can take, take both with you. During portrait shootings I always start with the M10-D and the app to assess the photos, lights, posing..And when everything is ok, I start shooting analog. You can have the best of both worlds.

And do not forget:  the M10-D is (at least for me) one of the most beautiful cameras. If you sell it, you will regret it

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