For Those Who Recently Returned to Shooting Film - Are you Happy with the Switch?

[JoshuaRothman]

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18 hours ago, JoshuaRothman said:

I'm a middle-aged hobbyist (43) who has boomeranged from digital to film and back to digital.

I moved to film at the beginning of the pandemic, when I started working remotely. It was fun to develop and scan the negatives at home, and I found learning about film photography fascinating. The look and process of film was a huge novelty after spending almost all of my photographic life post-college shooting digital, and I found myself getting pulled into the romantic world of analog photography. I liked film so much that I sold all my cameras and used an M2 exclusively with 35mm and 50mm, eventually adding an M4-P.

Then, earlier this year, things changed. My job got more intense, family life grew more crowded, and I could no longer find time to develop and scan myself. The rising cost of film made it less fun for me. But time was really the big issue. Also, going through my old photographs, I found that I didn't have a real preference for film over digital. In the end, for me, it was the content of the photograph that mattered most.

I now use an M10 and find that it gives me a lot of the joy I got from my film Ms. I still shoot 120 occasionally, but for the everyday documentary photography I tend to do, I think digital is a better choice for me at this point in my life.

Eighteen hours after writing this, I dropped my M10 on the kitchen floor. It bounced twice on hard tile while I looked on in horror! Now, it only records photos that are entirely black or green. I'm going to have to send it to Leica NJ for repair. In the meantime, I've ordered a chrome MP. I already have a fridge full of film. My son has a school thing tomorrow, which I was looking forward to photographing. Depending on when my MP arrives, I may be using it, or a Rollei 35, or a Pentax 67ii, which will shock the other parents with its shutter sound.

I can't help but wonder if contributing to this thread somehow called a kind of film karma down upon me. In any case—film, here I come!

Edited June 7, 2023 by JoshuaRothman

[oldwino]

Kitchen floors, and tripods, have killed so many cameras...

Hope the repair isn't too expensive for you. And, if I were you, I would take the Pentax 67. Give them something to remember you by.

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[grahamc]

I've recently been shooting predominantly film, including overseas travel.   I much prefer shooting with a mechanical camera and the resulting image. I can get my post-edited digital images to look very filmic but I don't get close to the same sense of satisfaction from them personally.

But taking large amounts of film on the last couple of trips proved a real hassle (negotiating with airport security checks for hand-check).  So for an upcoming trip this month I've accepted that I'll probably take my M10 (and thinking of buying another one since I like to travel with 2 bodies).    

It's a shame and haven't quite decided yet.  I think there is pros and cons for both formats though, part of me is looking forward to the change and shooting very freely for a few weeks , with no stress of whether the images will make it home. 

[Studienkamera]

10 hours ago, JoshuaRothman said:

Eighteen hours after writing this, I dropped my M10 on the kitchen floor. It bounced twice on hard tile while I looked on in horror! Now, it only records photos that are entirely black or green. I'm going to have to send it to Leica NJ for repair. In the meantime, I've ordered a chrome MP. I already have a fridge full of film. My son has a school thing tomorrow, which I was looking forward to photographing. Depending on when my MP arrives, I may be using it, or a Rollei 35, or a Pentax 67ii, which will shock the other parents with its shutter sound.

I can't help but wonder if contributing to this thread somehow called a kind of film karma down upon me. In any case—film, here I come!

Hope it can be repaired without much financial pain. By the way, we have very similar taste (M10, MP and Pentax 67II).

[Smudgerer]

6 hours ago, grahamc said:

I've recently been shooting predominantly film, including overseas travel.   I much prefer shooting with a mechanical camera and the resulting image. I can get my post-edited digital images to look very filmic but I don't get close to the same sense of satisfaction from them personally.

But taking large amounts of film on the last couple of trips proved a real hassle (negotiating with airport security checks for hand-check).  So for an upcoming trip this month I've accepted that I'll probably take my M10 (and thinking of buying another one since I like to travel with 2 bodies).    

It's a shame and haven't quite decided yet.  I think there is pros and cons for both formats though, part of me is looking forward to the change and shooting very freely for a few weeks , with no stress of whether the images will make it home. 

Travel and film photography..........This is what I do to avoid the Xray screening dance but admittedly it depends on your destination to work well. I find out if there's a supplier of the film I want to use where I am traveling to, order the film to be either picked up at the shop or sent to where I will be staying ahead of my arrival then use that film when I am there and post it to my home address before leaving. You can always have the film processed before leaving too, but I prefer to process the negatives myself.

This has worked well and so far, touch wood, no hiccups..........In fact I will be doing it this weekend for a swift trip to the UK, film was ordered and is already waiting for me where I will be staying. 

[grahamc]

1 hour ago, Smudgerer said:

Travel and film photography..........This is what I do to avoid the Xray screening dance but admittedly it depends on your destination to work well. I find out if there's a supplier of the film I want to use where I am traveling to, order the film to be either picked up at the shop or sent to where I will be staying ahead of my arrival then use that film when I am there and post it to my home address before leaving. You can always have the film processed before leaving too, but I prefer to process the negatives myself.

This has worked well and so far, touch wood, no hiccups..........In fact I will be doing it this weekend for a swift trip to the UK, film was ordered and is already waiting for me where I will be staying. 

Good shout, thanks. This trip is quite a lot of stops and shorter stays in each pace, so could be logistically a little tricky but definitely something I should consider for next time.  I've emailed ahead all of the airports to ask their CT scan policy, so if I get positive responses it'll take the stress out of things.  

Last trip I took 50 rolls of film and although I didn't have any issues, I felt like I spent most of the holiday either negotiating with scanner attendants, or stressing about what the next airport might bring 😆

The older scanners don't bother me as I have a Domke bag 

[hansvons]

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17 hours ago, JoshuaRothman said:

Depending on when my MP arrives, I may be using it,

Yes! And try Delta 400 B&W. I defaulted to it as my B&W stock for journalistic work after shooting a few projects on Tri-X (too expensive in Europe, nice but quite gritty), HP5 (too greyish/dull and the cheaper Kentmere 400 flavours (Rollei RPX and Agfa APX, too grainy, otherwise quite nice). Delta 400 can be pushed to ISO 640 in Xtol without annoying sacrifice, which is fast enough for most situations delivering sharp images at 1/60, even 1/30 and f 2.0 35mm focal length because there's no mirror slap with the M. In the ISO 100 category, Delta 100 is my favourite film stock by far (resolving an astonishing 5-6K resolution on 35mm). And there's the mighty Double-X 5222 for portraits (superb contrast, best skin tones ever, but needs careful exposure and maxes out at IOS 320). 

A single film-M doesn't cut it for me because I always need two stocks (e.g. Delta 100 and Delta 400 at ISO 640 or Kodak 5207/5217) for my projects. And since I'm immersing myself in colour film photography more and more, somewhat replacing my SL2- S (we'll see how far that goes because I shoot Kodak Vision stocks and develop myself, and the rem jet must be removed, which is somewhat time-consuming), having a pair is even more critical. But the good news is it can be something other than two MPs/M6. One of the two can be without a light meter. A mint working-order, freshly CLA-ed M4P (essentially an old-school M6 without the light meter) can be found for under 2,5 EUR.

[Torontoamateur]

I love shooting E6 in my Hasselblads. Then I project ti with my PCP80 for a 7x7 FOOT image. This is mind blowing Image Projection. I feel as if I am still actually there in the mountains or forest or the city where I made the exposure. The brilliance and dynamic just takes me back to the place.  My friends and family can feel the wonder I felt when I was there. 

[Al Brown]

5 minutes ago, Torontoamateur said:

I love shooting E6 in my Hasselblads. Then I project ti with my PCP80 for a 7x7 FOOT image. This is mind blowing Image Projection. I feel as if I am still actually there in the mountains or forest or the city where I made the exposure. The brilliance and dynamic just takes me back to the place.  My friends and family can feel the wonder I felt when I was there. 

I bet a 4K projector with a file from GFX or X2D beats any 250W halogen lamp bulb projected slide film.

[edstock]

Since I never stopped shooting film I must be happy with it. Both 35 and 120.

[aesop]

On 7/19/2023 at 10:06 PM, Al Brown said:

I bet a 4K projector with a file from GFX or X2D beats any 250W halogen lamp bulb projected slide film.

 

       ...what does "beats" mean, and within this context, is there a subjective component when assessing an image (projected or otherwise)?

[Martin B]

On 7/19/2023 at 4:55 PM, Torontoamateur said:

I love shooting E6 in my Hasselblads. Then I project ti with my PCP80 for a 7x7 FOOT image. This is mind blowing Image Projection. I feel as if I am still actually there in the mountains or forest or the city where I made the exposure. The brilliance and dynamic just takes me back to the place.  My friends and family can feel the wonder I felt when I was there. 

This must look amazing! Finding medium format projectors in decent condition is not easy these days. I have some 6x6 slides which I would love to see projected, but the other culprit is to find frames for them to put into the projector. Since I only have less then 50-100 slides in 6x6 and 6x7, I slopped my idea to vest into projector and accessories. But already slides in 35 mm look amazing when projected with my Kodak slide projector on a large projector screen.  

[rossawilson1]

I might count for this as I recently went through almost all Leica's digital offerings for a few months then sold everything and stuck with the M6 I've had for fifteen years.

Totally happy with my choice. I think ultimately I realised I enjoyed the pace of film, the fact I'm not judging myself in the field looking at the screen or trying to resist looking, the endless options, all of which take energy from me as well as me out of the moment. I solved the scanning issue a few years ago after getting the Pakon film scanner which was revolutionary to me. I've just ordered the Negative Supply 35mm kit for DSLR scanning so I can get high res-scans of my favs. 

I shoot projects as my art so the medium is really important to me. I don't need practicality and convenience, I think those things can subtract from life if used in the wrong places.

Personally I think all the years I swung back and forth between film and digital were due to things like feeling I should have or need a digital camera and that somehow it was the tool I ought to have, as well as the constant marketing, those things really compel you but aren't the right reasons to shoot digital.

I've got a lot of good stuff on digital and don't mind it at all, I appreciate that we don't need to pick a champion just a personal preference. I consider myself fortune to not have to shoot digital and to have been able to satisfy all my digital lusts so I can go back to what I love. And that's an experience. I want more experiences in my life where I'm present and film gives me that. It's more exciting, there's more anticipation and I think that's an important but very eroded human experience today. Anticipation is life, convenience is the start and end without the middle so I'm very careful where I want it.  

[Surge]

On 6/7/2023 at 11:58 PM, grahamc said:

I've recently been shooting predominantly film, including overseas travel.   I much prefer shooting with a mechanical camera and the resulting image. I can get my post-edited digital images to look very filmic but I don't get close to the same sense of satisfaction from them personally.

But taking large amounts of film on the last couple of trips proved a real hassle (negotiating with airport security checks for hand-check).  So for an upcoming trip this month I've accepted that I'll probably take my M10 (and thinking of buying another one since I like to travel with 2 bodies).    

It's a shame and haven't quite decided yet.  I think there is pros and cons for both formats though, part of me is looking forward to the change and shooting very freely for a few weeks , with no stress of whether the images will make it home. 

I’m totally enjoying going back to film, especially for traveling. I don’t think any modern airport security machine will damage film. You can also use a metal case, specifically for this purpose. 

[davidmknoble]

15 hours ago, Surge said:

I’m totally enjoying going back to film, especially for traveling. I don’t think any modern airport security machine will damage film. You can also use a metal case, specifically for this purpose. 

@Surge, curious what kind of case you suggest?  I use the Domke lead lined soft cases, but of course that typically elicits inspection.  

[Surge]

16 minutes ago, davidmknoble said:

@Surge, curious what kind of case you suggest?  I use the Domke lead lined soft cases, but of course that typically elicits inspection.  

Just went through Heathrow with the Kodak colored tin. It was not inspected. Are you worried about the inspection or the X-ray machine, or both?

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Edited August 2, 2023 by Surge

[davidmknoble]

9 minutes ago, Surge said:

Just went through Heathrow with the Kodak colored tin. It was not inspected. Are you worried about the inspection or the X-ray machine, or both?

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

I have those tins, love them for 35 and 120.  Worried about x-ray, they can inspect to their hearts content.  I prefer not to have the film x-rayed…

[Borna]

On 6/7/2023 at 3:58 PM, JoshuaRothman said:

Eighteen hours after writing this, I dropped my M10 on the kitchen floor. It bounced twice on hard tile while I looked on in horror! Now, it only records photos that are entirely black or green. I'm going to have to send it to Leica NJ for repair. In the meantime, I've ordered a chrome MP. I already have a fridge full of film. My son has a school thing tomorrow, which I was looking forward to photographing. Depending on when my MP arrives, I may be using it, or a Rollei 35, or a Pentax 67ii, which will shock the other parents with its shutter sound.

I can't help but wonder if contributing to this thread somehow called a kind of film karma down upon me. In any case—film, here I come!

Welcome back! 

[Surge]

1 hour ago, davidmknoble said:

@Surge, curious what kind of case you suggest?  I use the Domke lead lined soft cases, but of course that typically elicits inspection.  

Seems like even CT scanners will not damage at least up to 400 ISO when in a Domke lead case:

https://carmencitafilmlab.com/blog/airport-x-ray-will-they-ruin-your-film/

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[oldwino]

29 minutes ago, Surge said:

Seems like even CT scanners will not damage at least up to 400 ISO when in a Domke lead case:

https://carmencitafilmlab.com/blog/airport-x-ray-will-they-ruin-your-film/

Very interesting, thank you for posting.