Photography today, is digital photography. The most popular camera must now be the mobile phone, with some producing quality images of up to 5 megapixels. Younger photographers, may have heard of film, as older photographers may have memories of black/white film. I am wondering, if, for serious photography, film may be more economical? For snapshots and blogs, there is nothing better than a small digital camera, or mobile phone. My argument is for the serious photographer, who is likely to spend thousands of dollars on digital cameras, which depreciate in terms of value to almost nothing in a few years. Very high quality prime lenses, on the other hand, probably have some residual value. The digital camera bodies, once out of guarantee, may be no longer more useful, than a paperweight.
In several years, I have spent thousands of dollars on digital cameras, which are now obsolete. I still have my old cameras that take film, and I am now convinced that I would not have spent as much on film and processing. A good scanner would have provided digital files in a quality, far greater than that could be achieved by all, but the most expensive digital cameras or digital backs.
Moving back to film may be a serious option, if one can consider a medium format camera taking 120 film. These are available with the option of a digital back in some cases. The brands Hasselblad and Mamiya provide cameras that can take a digital back, as well as a film back!!! The biggest bargain of all, is of course, a 4x5 camera. The digital back from Betterlight will provide very large files, but like much professional digital equipment, battery power and a laptop make shooting images more of an expedition, than a pleasure. Film however, needs no power, perhaps a battery for the light meter, in some cases.
Shooting with film is not of course “free”. As I have mentioned before, there are no film and processing costs with digital. The costs are in the very rapid depreciation of the equipment in terms of value, and in many cases, becoming obsolete or beyond economic repair after the guarantee period. With four digital cameras purchased over a five year period, I have found that after about 18 months, each one has become a very poor relation, to the latest camera of the same type in the marketplace!!!!
The fact that there is no cost in the shooting of digital images, tends to allow for unending experiments, and few pictures! Medium format film and processing costs, tend to focus the mind and eye, with the knowledge that each frame shot is more than just a few cents. For the beginner, however, the endless experimentation is a great learning curve, with instant feedback. The digital camera, and internet forums are the modern schools of photography. The world has changed and learning about photography is online, as pictures are made on screen, using software such as Gimp or Photoshop.
My argument really concerns the advanced amateur photographer, who may be the owner of what are generally called “prosumer” cameras. These are designed in the fashion of many consumer durables, for a life not too long after the guarantee period. But hurry if you want to use film, most labs processing film have closed their doors......
