I dumped digital and now I'm all film, it's stressful (rant)

[Andrey]

I'm just typing this out into a readable essay to understand why I did what I did.

Let's start at the start.

I'm walking out from best buy with a canon's digital point and shoot with manual controls for 800 bucks. It took me just 10 days longer than return period to realize that I didn't need it. I tried getting half of it back by selling it, but no luck.

I want a DSLR, because I want to change lenses and control depth of field. Digital is cheap, because you don't waste film and convenient, because I have no patience and want to see the picture instantly.

The friendly folks at the digital forums convince me that a number of things are needed for my cheap hobby: proprietary zooms, more cards, fast primes, dedicated flashes, even more cards, a backup body, good monitor, photoshop, color calibration, more cards, new body, larger harddrive for RAW files, a backup harddrive... the list is endless.

I didn't enjoy it a bit. Post processing takes longer than wet printing and I get no tangible prints.

My photo bag is huge and I feel like a mule carrying it.

The turning point was me standing in the used section of a photo store looking throught some old glass. 8 bucks give me a half working zeiss ikon uncoupled RF, the longer shutter speeds stick and it lasts me one roll, but that's enough to get me hooked. That and unlimited chemicals at the university photo club.

I discover joys of darkroom meditation.

Then a whole world of old ugly (at the time) manual focus cameras opens up. The viewfinders larger than life, x-sync with all shutter speeds, easy focus in low light!

So I'm 100% analog right now. I dumped my digital system with all the L glass in the last month and ordered a Fed 2 with the radioactive industar.

This is what I have left:
Sekonic L508
Olympus 35 RC
Olumpus stylus epic (Mju II)
Two Yashica TLRs
One vivitar 285

Canon Ae-1 with 28, 50 and 135mm lenses

I almost sold off the FD system as well, but came along a cheap working body and decided to give it another go. Maybe I'll have better luck with my 4th FD body, we'll see.

Selling digital was scary, but I don't miss it.

BTW: If anybody wants a sigma 70-200 f/2.8 in canon mount...

[phenix]

I do color in digital, and B/W in analog, and found that I love more B/W because of its higher creativity level. With the film, paper, chemicals, and the darkroom I can establish a “partnership” relation (I feel good using them), which I cannot do with the computer.

Although, I’m a newcomer in B/W but not in film – until recently I was shooting only color film and had it processed by minilabs. Because I didn’t want to sell my film outfit when digital came in, I looked for a new use for it, and so I discovered the analog B/W. Now I can say for sure that B/W film I feel it, while D-color I just do it (nothing exciting, and that’s why I do it more seldom). Fortunately, I discovered B/W film and darkroom before digital, if not I would have missed this chance.

Now I have no regrets, on the contrary: I even think I’ll go analog for good (but I’ll still keep a cheap digital to use it like a Polaroid, to study the composition).

[David William White]

Likewise: Between 2001 and 2006 I probably spent about a thousand dollars on various second-hand film cameras, a tripod, and a second-hand strobe. My TLR was my main camera. Then I dropped $1700 for a Nikon DSLR. Gave it six months, but just couldn't make it happen -- no keepers, no prints worth framing. In 'auto' mode, focus was always hunting. Switching to manual didn't work because the viewfinders are too small and no split-screen micro-prism. Dumped it for less than half of what I payed for it. Took that and and bought a second-hand 4x5 and now everything is cool again.

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

Originally Posted by Andrey

The turning point was me standing in the used section of a photo store looking throught some old glass. 8 bucks give me a half working zeiss ikon uncoupled RF, the longer shutter speeds stick and it lasts me one roll, but that's enough to get me hooked.

Boy, do you realize that this old camera saved its last gasp just long enough to save another errant soul? It's moving, in a way!

Joking aside, I hope you're making the most of your newfound analog life, and make yourself at home on APUG.

[Nicholas Lindan]

Originally Posted by Andrey

... a half working zeiss ikon uncoupled RF, the longer shutter speeds stick and it lasts me one roll

Don't throw that classic out. The shutters in old Zeiss cameras respond well to a soak in lighter fluid, usually good as new again.

[middy]

I got out easy by trading my Nikon D50 straight up for a guitar worth $700 new.

The guitar is holding its value much better.

[arigram]

Shhhhhh... take a deep breath and lay back on the couch.
The world of analog is of deep reflection.
You lose yourself through the finder and there is no instant feedback to break your focus.
Then you lose yourself contemplating the image on the physical negative.
You lose yourself when printing in the dark.
And finally, when you are holding the print...

There is weight to an analog photographer's bag.
There are million of things to add to the equipment list when you use film.
But the weight disappears when you lose yourself in the process.

Ease your mind, take it slow, go in deep.
Its like a sexual experience and a religious meditation in one...

[bobwysiwyg]

arigram,

Well put. Started out with film and moved to digital (sort of a tech. background so it seemed natural). I still have my Nikon D100, now obsolete of course, but still useful in some situations. However, during my dalliance with digital, I always had this feeling something was missing. You nailed it on the head. Sounds almost masochistic, but I enjoy the challenge of looking at a scene, forming an image in my mind's eye and trying to achieve that throughout the process even if I couldn't see the results for days.. not always successful mind you, but...

[Andrey]

Originally Posted by Nicholas Lindan

Don't throw that classic out. The shutters in old Zeiss cameras respond well to a soak in lighter fluid, usually good as new again.

I tried fixing it myself, that didn't go well at all.

If I see another one, I'll remember that.

[Paul Howell]

From a cost stand point I dont see how digital can claim to cost less than Analog. I still have my first camers I got in high school in 1965, a Speed Graphic, and a Kodak Retina IIIC Big, both still work and take good photos, I have my first SLR a Spotmatic from 1966, I would still have my Nikon F3 if had been ripped off at LAX in 2001. My D3 is 35 years old, and I got it used. My newist camera is a SA 9 paid about $400 in 2003.

Digital SD 10, need to replace with a SD 14, my SD 10 it will sell for about $300, the SD 14 is about $1400, I also need a new wide for the SD 10, around $400, need new upgrades for my computer + software, and then a new scanner. And I have ready gotten rumors about a SD 15 due out next year. Not to mention a new printer.

Totaling the cost of equipment, time and materials I figure a 8X10 digital print runs me about $4.50 in house, on R4 from a lab $8.00 to $9.00 black and white or color an analog color 8X10, in house R 4 $1.75. black and white $1.25.