(I understand one isn't "better" than the other.) What are the adv

Question: (I understand one isn't "better" than the other!.) What are the advantages of using film instead of digital!?

Thanks for your insight!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

One advantage is that you can get a completely manual film camera and do "real" photography for a LOT less!. A completely manual film camera (manual aperture, shutter speed, etc) gives you much more control and creativity!. Right now, I could get an Argus camera in excellent working condition that would take awesome pictures, on eBay for $20 or even less!. To get the same control in a digital camera, I would have to buy a digital SLR camera and spend hundreds of dollars!. Digital may be faster and more convenient, but a manual film camera is much cheaper for the creativity and control you have!. Most people who compare digital and film automatically assume that digital must be better because it's more modern!.!.!.but they don't know the difference because they're just taking snapshots!. They don't really try any different techniques like depth of field, etc!. You need a camera with manual settings for that!.

I bought my Yashica A camera on eBay for $70!. It takes pictures that completely blow away my 8 megapixel digital camera!. I look at the landscape pictures I've taken and it just draws me in!. It's amazing the amount of detail 120 film picks up!.

So one of the biggest advantages is cost!. For less than $100, you can get a really nice manual film camera that allows you to do real photography!. also, film cameras, especially vintage cameras, tend to be very solidly built!. If I dropped my Argus C3, probably nothing would happen to it as long as it didn't hit the lens!. If I dropped my digital camera, it would break into a million plastic pieces!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Not having to adjust white balance!.

Using filters and darkroom technique instead of hours in front of the computer with p!.p!.

Concentrating on and developing technique and discipline to get the shot right instead of shooting as much as you can and relying on the rule of numbers!.

Digital medium format cameras and backs costing as much as a car, film medium format cameras for a song!.

Not relying on a computer!.

My Canon A-1 works fine after about 30 years, digitals being made obsolete after a few years and having to buy another one!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

In my opinion, the disadvantages of film far outweigh the advantages!. The only advantage, in fact, is the look of film!. Sure, you can get a film camera real cheap!. That's because nobody wants them anymore!. The vast majority of pros are using digital because of better resolution, fast turn around, and images that cost nothing once you've acquired your gear!. In my area, all the stores that once processed film have turned to digital kiosks and digital processing!. If you choose to do film, you will have to send your film away to professional labs!. No more dropping it off at the One Hour Photo down the block!. It will also become more expensive because of fewer people using it!. And it's a polluting industry!.

Nikon stopped making all but two of its film cameras back in 2006!.

I shot film for many years When my camera broke, I switched to digital and would never go back!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

For a lot of film photographers, it's mainly an aesthetic decision!. There are tonal and textural characteristics, especially in black & white, that you can't really duplicate with digital!. Some people do it because they enjoy the hands-on process of developing and printing film images!. And digital can't, at any reasonable price, duplicate the resolution of large-format photography!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The advantages are mostly personal these days unless your into medium or large format film shooting!. Almost 100% of magazines, newspapers and other publishing houses have gone to or accept digital files, and of course these can be sent in on a Sunday night when needed Monday morning!.!. Few exceptions!.!.

However, as said here, a good quality film camera, even a once high end SLR can be had these days mighty cheap!. Lenses however may still command a good price because some new digital bodies can still use some older manual lenses!. But, anyhow, the film bodies are cheaper and your good to go quicker!. You still have to under stand photography, F-stops, shutter speeds and film speeds!. Indoor light vrs out door light and the film to match!.!. You need to go to the store to buy the film!.!. Take the film BACK somewhere to have it processed, and unless you wait, you have to go back yet again to pick up the processed film, and buy new film!.!. Over and over and over!.!.!.!. You also wind up with a lot of prints of garbage and spent $$ on them!.!.!.

Even the 3 pack of throw-a-way cameras at the check out isle give excellent results at 4x6, a size most people want anyhow!. The advantage here would only be if you wished to keep a dieing art form alive, enjoyed being the creator of something from the ground up and developed the film and print it your self!. Having a darkroom and a enlarger would be the real advantage of going back to film and having the fun of doing it your self!.!.

Being a film photographer since the mid 60's (yeah, I'm an old fart!.!.) 35mm !.!. 120 film!.!. 4x5 and even 8x10 film!.!. when digital came to age where the cameras took my Nikon lenses and looked like cameras again (for a while early digitals were looking like things from Buck Rodgers cartoon books) I sat up and took notice!. From my first D-SLR in 2000 to today, my 35mm cameras have been gathering dust and some sold!.

To be honest, I find no real advantage over film and far too many reasons NOT to go back !.!. EXCEPT to keep alive something that once was great in it's days!. Horses are not gone, but do you see many people riding them across country any more!.!.!?

The advantages would be purely personal!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.

Bob - TucsonWww@QuestionHome@Com

I don't agree with your premise that one is not better than the other - film is far better and it will be a long time before digital comes close to it!. Just open an art history book and look up Pointillism and that is what you have with digital photography regardless of how you look at it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com