I think with current high film (+camera) prices we are losing primarily the younger generation because they just can't affort it anymore. Just my opinion.
I'm not young and can afford shooting film but I can't justify the current prices. I will continue shooting BW film(not Kodak) but I'm done with color print film. The colors are not that much better than digital.
@@YoYoYo same with me, digital color images are really the same as color film. There is not huge advantage for me to shoot color 35mm, it means more time consuming images to scan. I don’t print color in the darkroom and for me the 35mm black and white makes more sense , it’s hard to get good black and white images in digital and I can print 35mm black and white in the darkroom.
So many sheeple are generating the same boring images, there will be oceans and oceans of 'more of the same'. Question is...do other sheeps even recognize what's a real image and what's synthetic? I think not. And that's the problem. It's like moving all humanity to start eating plastic because people can't tell the difference between the taste of plastic and real nourishing food anymore..
@@eladbariAr this point in time (and this might change rapidly), AI "photos" still have this disgusting digital finish. Their look is still very distinct for the most part. But I guess we'll see how long that will last
@@dahterrasse Even with that plastic look, most common people who are not photographers or have any visual expertise - just can't tell AI is fake. It looks real to them. So that will be "good enough" for corporations/ brands to adopt in regards to using photography for their advertising. Sad thing is, photography probably takes 0.00001% of these brands annual budget, so how much money are they really saving with AI? For now it feels like AI is useful more for out of this world imagery like a model flying in space with 100 teddy bears floating around. Which will get boring soon
Your thoughts at 2:00 with being selective about what you shoot is what I always try and remember. I think a lot of people who got interested in film did so while watching photographers on RU-vid (myself included) shoot roll after roll after roll of images JUST for a video. Obviously there is nothing wrong with that but I think it gave people this idea that film is just like digital and its not at all. It is finite and you will run out. I myself am no longer doing videos where I shoot a bunch of photos. It just isn't economical. So I always preach quality over quantity. Like you said, having both digital and film is probably the way for the future.
@@extremelydave spot on Dave. Last month I picked up a 5D2 to supplement my analogue workflow. It is an effective way to scout a location, take some images and regroup for the analogue experience.
I'm so glad you commented, I've just found your channel and I've been looking for a more cerebral approach to film than blasting through rolls like other 'tubers.
a roll of new velvia/provia costs as much a a decent SLR or a ussr range finder. everybody can use it. every one that is interested in analog photography. "rifle mode" photography is not photography.
I’m 70, live in the US and shoot both film and digital. I started in 1970 by using my dad’s Minolta SRT 101 with a Vivitar 135mm lens and color slides. I moved to digital in 2001 and started back up with film in 2021 when I discovered my Hasselblad 500C was still very much in working condition. I then bought Nikon and Mamiya systems that I had lusted after in my younger days. Too many cameras? I don’t think so. Too many lenses maybe. My newest purchases are a Canon 7 and Canon P rangefinder cameras because who can really afford the Leica system. For me anymore cameras are my hobby and as my wife tells me, I don’t drink, smoke, gamble or chase women so I can have a few cameras, 22 camera bodies right now between film and digital. Oh and freezer full of film
A GFX 50S II with the kit les is 56 boxes of 120 Portra. I can't see myself shooting colour film ever again except for some polaroids here and there. B&W film is where it's at for me. After building a darkroom I've been really enjoying every part of the process, I've even skipped scanning negatives, I just print and scan the prints I like.
I think there was 2 different conversations and ideas being discussed in this video that are intertwined but not really the same. Whether film prices are getting too high and if film is going to away. Which I dont think film will be going anywhere, that has really shown itself but there is so much to the conversation on if the prices will soon hit a ceiling. Everyone has their limits, the market has its limits. The fuel of the resurgence of the film market coming from very young people who are experiencing shooting film for the first time will soon be at the price ceiling. A lot of young people sought out film because it was a novel thing that was cheap and got you a look that was different than the overly processed images they were constantly surrounded by but fi the novel process goes from $4 a roll to $11 a roll then a lot of that market is priced out. Its no longer cheap and novel. It HAS to be a serious hobby that you actively plan to put money towards. and because of that I really dislike the argument of "well we should be lucky that film is still around anyway so the prices going up isnt as bad a thing" which is just not how that works. If tomorrow Kodak noticed that there is a hunger for pack film because no one makes it anymore and they made fresh new pack film in 8 shot packs and sold it for $100 a pack we would be so mad. because it would be very nice and cool to have someone manufacturing new pack film, and im certain there would be people out there who would buy it because they really love pack film, but at some point people would have to realize that $100 for a pack of 8 shots is insane. Portra 800 being $20 for a single roll is insane pricing.
In India we have a thriving and enthusiastic community of film photographers. Many younger persons are being attracted to the process, which is very encouraging.
That is great to hear, being in Europe we get little to no word from places like India on film photography. I wish we could have a more connected community worldwide so its easier to help each other.
I bought a few weeks ago a Fujifilm XT30II to use for more casual photography, I will still shoot film for sure but as you said I will be more intentional with it. And for this reason I think I will shoot more in medium format than 35mm. 6x6 gives you 12 shots, and will force me to compose better i think, and this is already the reason I love my Hasselblad 500C.
"Hi Nico, being born in 1960, I spent my youth shooting film, it was the image tech of the day! always wanting expensive camera gearto take better images,🙄 the tech of the day now is digital and that is all young people know, my grandchildren (8and 9 years old) think its hilarious that you cannot see the images instantly😄 So film will be consigned to history in the next 50 years or so, something else will replace digital tech in the future, and so the cycle continues! But I still enjoy taking images with my film camera,(mirror with a memory) and shall do so as long the gear still works and film is still available! and my bank card has some money on it😳 thoughtful video Nico, cheers," Kev.
Just use whatever works best for your artistic creativity at the time. Then if you like B&W film try shooting Fomapan which works well and is cheap, process the film and scan it yourself. Yes ... we have tons of choice.. perhaps too much? Keep the joy in photography.
For the life of me I don‘t feel it when shooting digital, I feel nothing. Might as well just use my iPhone then.. Gonna stick with film, the tangibility is just unbeatable imo. The picture is one thing (looks better on film, once again imo!) but the tactile experience with old and also new film cameras (Leica M) is simply not comparable.
I am on a fixed income. I've been photographing for 50 years now and I own a dozen film cameras and half a dozen digital cameras. I shoot color digitally and for black and white I enjoy using my three Canon VT and VT Deluxe rangefinders with Voigtlander lenses. During these strange times I find that nothing is more calming and satisfying than grabbing my camera bag, taking a walk and exposing some film. I'm never going to stop purchasing film. It is tangible. Digital files are not photographs. Film negatives are. I just bought 50 rolls of my favorite black and white film. Feels good. Go buy yourself some film. It's worth it.
Honestly I'm on the verge. I have been shooting film for at least five years now, and spent a significant slice of my disposable income on film and processing because that's something that gave me gratification and joy. But that joy has been slowly soured by the fact I can hardly afford it anymore. There's always more money to be spent, and my income only goes so far. Every time I shoot some film the rolls sit for weeks or months on my shelf because processing and scanning them costs me around 14 euros per roll. And the results are not that far from what I can get with my digital camera and some color grading knowledge, definitely not different enough to make the price gap acceptable. I gave up on color film in favor of digital for this reason, and when I want the analog feel I grab some rolls of the cheapest BW I can find. It's also frustrating that my favourite film camera, a Rolleiflex, takes soft pictures due to a scratch in the lens the seller played down and getting it replaced costs way too much with a waiting time of five weeks to four months. The medium is not the message, and if I'll have to switch from film to digital in order to continue doing what I enjoy, that's what will happen.
And that's why I stick to 35mm - however attractive medium format is, it's simply a question of being able to afford it or not. It's sad but film is an expensive hobby.
I have one each 4x5, 645, and 35, all being used, though if I were to have to give up all but one, I would probably keep the 35, only because it's what I started with and because in the final analysis, I could make the images most important to me -- portraits -- with it and switch to a slow, fine-grain film such as Delta 100. I attended a big demonstration in Washington, DC, on Sunday. I had only 3 rolls of film, 108 exposures -- good discipline. It has been years since I was active as a photojournalist, so I didn't expect to come home with anything brilliant -- it's hard work and you have to be really sharp mentally and seamlessly in-tune with your equipment. I used 2-plus rolls in 6 hours; I'm saving the unused film. I have to budget my expenses, too, and I'm fortunate to be able to afford what I do use. But rather than "spending," I think of "investing" in my photography, because I do hope to make images of some significance. I can be extremely thrifty in the darkroom when the paper is running out, but there are many expenses I do--and would, if necessary--give up before my photography.
Ccd sensor digital cameras are what I use now. A Ricoh GR digital camera from 2005 for black and white and a Canon Ixus 100s for colour. When using film I pick up my Pentax Spotmatic loaded with Fomapan 200. I develop in Rodinal. Then I print in my windowless bathroom/Darkroom on my Gnome condenser enlarger through a Schneider 50mm f2.8 Componon S enlarging lens. That is very economical. I like film and digital, including my smartphone.
I bought a Nikon digital camera over Christmas, mostly for scanning my negatives, but I have used it for casual photography a bit. Film is still my main go to. I shoot at a slow pace and don't blow a lot of shots. I have a lot of equipment and may sell off a couple of digital cameras that I have had for a few years but they are still higher end. This is why I hesitate to sell them. I also have trended to shooting more medium format since it is harder for me to haul the 4x5 and the 8x10 around. I shoot within walking distance of the car mostly. I love my Hasselblad 501 and my Fuji 6x9. I will hang on to these 2 cameras for as long as I can shoot.
I will shoot the same amount. I'll shoot more B&W, and start bulk rolling Vision film. I develop myself.Ill only shoot Kodak colour film for medium format and on specific occasions.
I’ve pretty much stopped shooting 35mm. Shooting digital for fast turnaround/commercial jobs and shooting 6x7 and 4x5 for project work/where it’s requested as well as printing ra4 at home. I’m definitely agreeing about being more selective.
i’m going to college soon, and i’ve really loved shooting film over the last few years. price increases have continued to make it less viable for me to shoot frequently, and i think that soon enough, when i have more financial responsibilities to take care of, i might need to really reconsider my photography habits.
The pendulum is swinging, the price gouges for cameras is at a point where things aren't selling like they used to and film is now being left on shelves because of the cost so over the next few years we might see a crash of sorts not on the leicas or the mamiya 7's but the k1000 and ae1's will likely see their price go back down
Kodak is pushing the film market to see how high they can get before it breaks. All of its releases about needed to expand infrastructure is mostly fluff for public relations. There is still a significant excess of high quality MF cameras on the market, and contracting film sales (so some extent) will cause that situation to not change. For those who really want to shoot film, as opposed to going to parties with their Mju, there is still a glut of late tech AE/AF SLRs. If their electronics fail there is a glut of older cameras waiting to fill demand. Some of those cameras from the late 1950s and 60s will shoot rings around modern cameras, even though you actually have to manually operate them. Film supply will expand or contract with consumer demand. Kodak is an odd economic situation - a film companies split into industrial and consumer parts. Production in one and distribution in another. It's a disorganized mess of a business run by hedge funds. Frankly, I think that if it dropped over dead tomorrow, that would be the best for the film camera industry in the long run, because it would probably open the market to new companies to develop new products and would kill off the leach companies like Lomo and Cinestill which just function as repackaging distributers of products made by others, just adding cost to the same products.
I have thought that Kodak has been playing games over the last few years. It’s just an opinion, but I think that Kodak did a throwback on film by releasing a few more stocks over the last 5 years. I don’t think that Kodak was into film for a long haul. They never expected the interest and volume of sales as a result. I think Kodak is just trying to ween people off of film, raise prices and produce less film. My thoughts are that Ilford, Foma and those brands are into film for the long haul.
I've struggled to sell a few film cameras on eBay recently. They've gone for cheap with little interest in bidders. A Mamiya RZ67 Pro for £250 (body box only, no waist finder either), Voigtlander Bessa R for £250. There's a Nikon F and 1.2 lens (first SLR from Nikon) just sitting doing nothing with 2 watchers for £450.00. I think maybe 3 years ago these would be gone in hours. Film is a nuanced medium, you really need to feel comfortable burning through it and spending the money to do so. I can see a disinterest on the hills and as you say, a crash looming.
@@jamiegray3245 same with me, I have a couple of minty Canon rangefinders that I have have struggled to sell on eBay, I paid over 250.00 each back in 2020., and struggling to sell a CLA’ed by Mark Hama YashicaMat 124G for $549.00 which is what I have into it, and a Mamiya C330 body for what I paid at 295.00 from KEH in 2020. So, I agree the pendulum seems to be swinging away from film cameras.
Funnily, only yesterday I decided to leave film. I just can't justify my spendings anymore, considering what I had spent (both equipment-wise (cameras, lenses, scanner, ...) and film-/development-wise) previously. I learned a lot through film and certainly don't regret getting into it even a bit. But the cost and inconvenience, despite having potential to let you rethink your photography (I certainly did exactly that!) makes this too prohibitive for me. I'll keep one or two cameras and some slide film around for special occassions and keep watching the film scene. Should I get back into it someday, I'll go medium format though, that's for sure.
I’m moving back into film … bought a Leica M3 and 35mm lens with goggles a processing tank and chemicals. I think it should be great fun and I still have my Nikon D850
Medium format and large format is where the advantage is at with film. Color 35mm film really doesn’t have much advantage over a digital camera, unless your printing in the darkroom in color.
Hey Nico, what happen to me, I'm 76 and grabbing up cameras as backups. I went back to film, to slow down and be creative. Cost is not an issue, as I learned in the "old" days, get it right in the camera. On a roll of 120 film, I try to get 3-4 for projects. 35mm 6-7 or the a complete project. I shoot mostly B&W and some color in the fall. Great ramble . KB
I do film primarily for formats and aspect ratios I cannot do on FF digital. I shoot a lot of medium format film from 6x6 up to 6x17....and even with my 35mm I shoot that mostly in pano type cameras from the old old metal Soviet HorizonXT swing lens to the PressPan custom camera that shoots Xpan format on an old donor Nikon F2 body with a 3D printed mount to a mamiya press lens..... And hope to start into 4x5 LF format soon. But for run of the mill shots in regular 35mm / full frame format...I figure why not use the digital, but use film for "special" things!! I must say...I'm finding more and more and more "special" things to shoot.
I agree that thoughtful shot selection with film (and digital) is a good approach. I wish we could go back to 24 exp rolls. Maybe loading bulk 35mm is the way. Also medium format or sheet film is another way to put more thought into each frame. Enjoyed your thoughts.
I think for me, make sure that every shot matters is important to me and that they were worth shooting to begin with. I'll keep shooting film as something on the side because it's funny to process rolls and experiencing the pain of messing something up. I also run a digital for that work that needs to be turned around and where mistakes can't be afforded in terms of work. I think some of the people in my generation need to more methodical when shooting because it finite and can't be something we burn through like candy. I hope these prices in a way teach.
Saludos para Argentina! Muchas veces se nos olvida los precios que se pagan fuera de los EEUU. Espero que puedas seguir disfrutando de la fotografia analogica desde alli!
I don't understant why film companies don't produce 12, 20 and 24 frames rolls anymore, only 36 rolls, which I find a pain to finish a end up being more expensive. I shoot what I want, cut it and save the rest for future use. Still have some 20 frames FP4 + in the freeser. A joy!
I think it would add to the cost of production more than I guess they feel it’s worth. Different packaging, new skus, and a change in the confection end of production.😊
The lab I use charges per roll, same price for 12 or 36 frames. With those conditions it's better to shoot 36 frame rolls to try and keep the costs down.
@@danieljimenez1989 Makes sense. I don't develop color, only bw. Nowadays what I do is cut the 35mm film to develop the frames I just shot and then shoot the rest of this film or another. I lose a few frames but at least don't wait too long to have it developed. An option would be to use bulk film. Maybe someday. My best!
I am 51, so apparently outside of the main demographic. That means I'm finally cool, right? Right? To be honest, as annoying as the price rises are, I had expected that film would cost me a lot more when I got back into it a few years ago. That said, I only have 2 analog(ue) cameras (a 135 and a 120 6x6) and a digital, so I am probably pretty part-time in comparison to a lot of film fans.
I think many of us have a great opportunity to respond to these market shifts with different healthy cultures of image making Having a cheap and cheerful digital in your pocket as a compositional sketchbook, and following up with film later? Approaching film photography from a project perspective, like the recent Analogue Insights interview with Lee Johnson explores? Like you say, film is a choice. We’ve got to know why we’re choosing it, and why we keep choosing it every day (like so many of us do!)
Being more selective with shooting film is the way to go (and much easier than with digital, where every shot is "free"). I have already reduced my analog camera gear (not as much as I should) and shifted my focus to larger formats (doing developing and scanning myself makes this possible). I stay with film for the time being, as it is needed for what I'm after, no way to do it digitally (technically possible, but financially it would be way beyond imagination, even shooting 8x10 sheet film every day would be dirt cheap in comparison). For "everyday" shooting (you know, pictures of our cat and the like ;-)) I use my smartphone and m43 gear - much more flexible, much easier and cheaper to operate … 😁
I definitely don't think film has to be the choice for casual snapshots (unless that's your thing), or even for time-intensive reportage/event work. And I've definitely been realizing what an excess of cameras I've been sitting on, and I've been slowly letting a lot of it go, also in hopes of undercutting the gougers in the market by selling below value, but not so low that people will try to turn around and resell it. I love film much more than digital, and still pull my digital off the copy stand for odd jobs and when the occasion calls for it. Otherwise, I keep wondering what kind of film stashes the loudest price complainers are sitting on ...
I purchased a Fuji X-T4 a while ago and every time I'm out with it all I can think of is "I wish I was shooting on film". It's nice to have around for quick pictures and scanning, but I don't really get the same enjoyment out of it which is why I always pair it with my medium format camera.
Estás en lo cierto Nico. I agree with you, I think we are very lucky that we still have analog photography as an option to create or simply to enjoy it. Even though the prices in general are rising, we still have many options to shoot film on a reduced budget, starting from cameras and lenses to film and chemicals to process them. And once in a while maybe have the budget allowance to shoot more premium or pro films like Portra and such. But having options is great. Yes, one might not be able to shoot the more premium films or cameras, but non the less we have the option to use a different medium (analog photography) to experiment and create, or just to have fun. At the end, what will make the real difference is how good (or bad) we use those tools (camera, lenses, film) for the final results. Really, there are still many ways to cut costs significantly and still be able to shoot film, and good film in many cases for more affordable prices.
Yo creo que más temprano que tarde, el que le gusta la fotografía va a tener que pensar seriamente en dejar el color y pasarse al blanco y negro. Es decir volver a las raíces mismas de la fotografía. La película en ByN tiene una particular ventaja que es su flexibilidad, que sencillamente no tiene rival en las películas a color y menos en el digital. Dependiendo de los reveladores que se usen, sus diluciones, la frecuencia en la que se agitan los tanques y sobre todo los tiempos, dará un resultado diferente, cambiará de grano, contraste, intensidad, apariencia, etc.. Y todo sin perder en ningún momento el control de la exposición. Se recuperarían rangos tonales que incluso ya no vemos porque nos hemos desacostumbrado. Cobraría sentido y vigencia de nuevo el sistema de zonas que fue el método predilecto de Ansel Adams. Por otra parte no voy a decir que es gloriosa y mucho mejor la situación de la película en ByN vs la de color, Fuji por ejemplo prácticamente discontinuó toda su familia Neopan (1600, 400, SS, etc), solo queda la Acros la cual ha sido sí muy celebrada por la comunidad fotográfica. Aun hay que ver si Kodak relanza la Pan Plus X como hizo con la T Max 3200 (sabían que está última película se diseño con la intención de que se viera el óxido de las escaleras metálicas para un proyecto en particular?). Todavía queda Ilford...Es decir, esta flexibilidad del ByN supera al color y al digital ya que estos últimos son procesos cerrados, bloqueados. Los precios aunque más bajos, tampoco están regalados. También la película ha dejado de desarrollarse, hace 40 no se hace un desarrollo importante, el ultimo fue el grano tabular, debería hacerse un grano "digital" en mi opinión, para los que amamos la nitidez. También habría que considerar si es conveniente seguirse limitando a mostrar las fotos en las redes sociales, al mismo tiempo la masificación ha sido tal que ha perdido mucha calidad. Al punto que un día vi una discusión donde se afirma que la gente ya no sabe lo que se debe y lo que no en el ByN. El ByN no es una simple sustracción del color, es más nosotros vemos en ByN como vemos en color (tenemos conos y bastones). Hasta ahora no ha habido problemas con la tecnología digital en general, pero repito, tarde o temprano el que le gusta la fotografía y particularmente la película tendrá que decidir. ¿una resurrección del cuarto oscuro? Purismos aparte.
I am noticing the price of cameras falling in the UK. Blads are still silly but Bronicas, especially the ETR range, have seen about £100 off on average. I am also noticing the amount available has increased which to me say the "lest have a go at film" types have had a go, hopefully enjoyed it, but have decided to move on. As for film. 90%+ of my shoots are B&W and only recently I have made Delta 400 my goto B&W film. Kodak Gold 200 in 120 is firmly my goto colour film. My R6 is sitting there for when I need to nail and deliver straight away but my love is film.
Nico, I totally get the argument that having film in 2023 is great, that we should be more picky about the pictures we take, that when factoring inflation film is not that expensive in 2023. But being a student, living in Portugal (you being Spanish, know that wages around here are way lower than in other EU countries), and having inflation exploded in the last year while wages are still exactly the same as before, in a personal point of view, those arguments are pointless. I simply know that I cannot justify buying color film anymore (not even ColorPlus or Gold)
Colour film is impossible to source right now in the UK. Demand has out-stripped supply. Some vendors are (if it's in stock) charging moderately high prices and trying to keep them low buy buying ahead of the price rises from the manufacturers (which is always a futile excercise, they will always be rising but at a delayed rate). I'm not a big black and white shooter but increasingly I'm drawn to it, as manufactures such as Ilford make a fine effort to keep the prices low, and stock readily available.
To be honest, the whole process on digital is a bit botched, from a technical perspective there is something strange... the RAW file, 10 years ago the software was not good at getting all the details out of the file, so actually you were not getting your money's worth. Today we have better software so we can get better quality file for printing from let's say 12mp raw file, so investing in the latest gear is a waste of money, but no one will tell you that. Also you can scale up any file in photoshop without any loss, a 12mp file can be also a 50mp file if you wanted to, and you can choose any camera color profile, so you don't need to buy certain brand of camera ( it's all software). Yes, i make a good case for digital, but i still choose film over sitting in front of a monitor for hours, the digital workflow should be optimized..
Yes prices are getting crazy....For me digital is fine if you would compare it with negative film. I shoot primaraly Velvia50 and I simply hope I can do that as long as possible because there is so much more emotion in a Chrome then digital, but that's me.......
I really don't get how a $10 or $15 roll is expensive for people from Europe or the US compared to how it is at least here in Mexico where $15 is actually more than the minimum wage per day and I and others still choose to keep shooting film 😂
With Pentax announcing that new film cameras are under development - specifying that they should be affordable - they clearly think there is a market for film. It’s going to remain a niche, but every hobby is.
Getting a decent digital camera is not cheap, the good lenses are really expensive. Back in the day I got what I thought was a decent digital camera, it was horrible. There was no way I could afford a decent lens (more expensive than the body), so I started using old, cheap manual lenses and. lo and behold, the image quality improved dramatically! This started my journey to film. Old film cameras from ebay (if you shop for a brand like miranda, mamiya or yashica) are still really cheap. There are plentiful good lenses still out there at a reasonable price. It is my hope that inflated film prices are due to economic stresses (covid, wars, etc.). Maybe prices will go down, and accessibility will improve worldwide, when these factors are improved. I'm excited by all the young people getting involved with film, and the greater demand for film is the best way to assure film continues to be made. Yes, I'm optimistic, and will not give up on film. So don't panic! Shoot more thoughtfully, if you can help out people just starting with film by introducing them to home developing (to save money), save your $$ by shooting more b&w...and hope for better days!
"I'm excited by all the young people getting involved with film" Yeah that was true two years ago. A lot of young people now get involved and are soon pushed away by the prohibitive pricing of this hobby. Until recently, part of the draw of film photography was its cheap nature, professional-grade cameras costing a fraction of their digital counterparts. Now that's not true anymore. Cameras can still be had for cheap, but that's not the case for film.
From what I have seen people are starting to sell some or all of their film cameras. It seems that some of the professional film camera prices are now less than they were a couple of years ago. I suspect that people are now just winding down the number of cameras that they own since it’s costing them more to shoot more photos. I am down to five 35mm cameras (Nikon F2, F3, F5 (2) and Nikon S2 ), Ten Medium format (3 Bronica SQ’s, 3 Mamiya TLR’s, 2 Rolleiflexes, 1 Fuji GW690 and a YashicaMat 124G) and two 4x5 camaras (Toyo 45A and Tachihara 4x5). I am still trying to figure out which ones I use most and start selling the ones that I use less.
I am one of the old guys still shooting film...got my first real film camera (Olympus OM1) in 1978. I now have another OM1 along with 2 Mamiya 645's. I love film, but as Nico mentioned, it's getting expensive to use. Film and developing bring each shot to $2.50 so I have to WANT to shoot film instead of my Olympus EM1 ii digital camera. Like Nico said, I have to plan on what I want to use. If I have the time, I will choose film every time if it makes sense. Digital just does NOT feel or look the same as film to me, but digital cameras are SO easy and cheap to work with. 200 shots...almost the same cost as 1.
There is just no way with the current prices that the younger generations will continue to have an interest in trying out film photography. There's a reason older digi cams are blowing up. Film is not going anywhere but a lot of people especially RU-vidrs are viewing the situation from a completely different angle from a lot of average non pro shooters especially the really young crowd. Or maybe black and white film sees an even bigger boom, who knows.
I really enjoy watching your opinion videos. Here in India, it’s also very tough to find the variety of film and cameras the way I see available in the USA. But I can see a lot of people around me doing a lot to make film more accessible. I order film from the US whenever I have friends coming and I’m also usually open to sharing it with someone if they need it. Camera repairs and spares is the same story too. Finding reliable technicians is close to impossible. I recently sent one of my cameras to Amsterdam camera repairs. It’s going to be expensive and I have no clue how I’m going to pay for it. Haha. But ya, thank you for your work. All of you at camera rescue and Kamerastore, and even people in the USA I follow. You all make us aware of what all is possible and what we should be doing to make film easier to work with here. :)
Me and a few others from Nepal keep film alive here. We have to import everything from abroad but have created a sort of supply chain. Sure we cannot afford Tri-X anymore but there are other stocks to choose from. C41 too expensive? Shoot ECN2. A multitude of options exist but its just sad that you really have to be dedicated to another level.
I have been both analog and digital for over 25 years ...I use cameras to take pictures, I treat both digital and analog the same ... the final image matters more than the gear!!! I will say there is a magical aspect to developing film and that is the only difference between digital and analog that I see ... touching it as opposed to using my computer to "touch" ... ultimately it comes down to capturing an awesome image!!!
Shot film as a kid and through my early 30's. Went digital from around 2006-07 and came back to film around 2017. Started processing BW film at home in 2021 and then started processing color film at home in 2022. I started scanning with the film with a flatbed scanner in 2016, then went to a Nikon coolscan V. Around a year and a half ago I bought a light table, macro lens and proper adapters and started scanning with my Nikon D7100. I get very good results in a fraction of the time in the previous two methods I mentioned.
Couldn't agree more. -- I shoot mostly digital, even with my phone now. But since more than 10 years I have scheduled at least one "analogue month" per year (mostly starting in late spring), and more often than not it becomes several months. I love shooting medium format color and slides, because this still something special, digital cannot do. -- And just as an afterthought: The new Fuji Instax "printers" are great, at least you get a REAL picture without any hassle from your phone.
In my opinion, film today is the equivalent of having (and maintaining) a vintage car. Very pleasing to shoot (or drive) but unnecessary expensive to keep doing. Today’s digital cameras (like new cars) are way better in image quality and operation and you can make any photo look exactly like film if you want (editing raw). I found the middle way though, because I like the analog experience but I hate the film processing: vintage lenses and a minimal digital camera.
I agree - at least there's a chunk of people that will use film for a while. In my case, I'll keep the couple of film cameras I have but the key is being intentional with film. Hard to justify film prices for folks that take family snapshots ( my case). Great video, thanks for sharing your views
What do you mean I have more film cameras than I should? Is it because it is well into the triple digits count? 🤣 Agree with you. Let's enjoy what we have!
I have been shooting film for over 8 years and exclusively film until 2020. but I stopped completely after the labs closing during corona where I live and the prices skyrocketing. I still have a rollei 35 that I want to keep for bnw photography once in a while but I maybe shot 1 roll in two years with it. Im trying to get the best film look on digital ironically but unfortunately film is dead for me. loved the process, loved the images, but I cannot afford it financially, mentally and also cannot invest the time I don't have into it in my life. Sad but true. When I started shooting kodak portra was 6-7 euros and kodak gold was basically dirt cheap. Sad how things change
Shooting film is a new sport. Shoot color film as long as you can. When color film is not around anymore there will probably be some black and white available for quite some time. Film cameras are slowly dying, dslrs are slowly dying... That's just how things are.
I'm going to shoot only 6x7 and everything else will be covered by my digital camera. The whole process of shooting 35mm is just too expensive at the moment for the resolution.
There are always options. I personally have not touched Kodak rolls since the first price increase for my personal/hobby photos. Sure, Foma and Orwo have no T-Max equivalents that I can get my hands on, but I find they are more than adequate for what I need for myself. I just refuse to have to slow down even more, there is a reason I do not shoot large format, it is just too meticulous and slow of a process. I do not want that with my 35mm shooting. Also, if you are in America, cans of Cine film are readily available, and so are ECN-2 kits. I envy that kind of availability of cool stuff. The price per roll is low if you go that route. And the image quality is outstanding. Remjet is not that scary. Sure, you'll mess 1-3 rolls up as you learn to deal with it, but 3 rolls is an insignificant number compared to what comes out of a cine can.
After shooting film and digital for nearly 35 years, at this point, I have decided to stop shooting colour film. That is because of price. If it's colour I shoot digital, if it is BW, it's film. Its because the beauty and asthetics of BW film can never be matched by digital, may be it will in future. Of course there is exceptions, I still love slide film and shoot occasionally, but my workflow is as stated.
When AI makes us throw up - we will go back to analog again. Let AI make the beautiful sky, do everything sharp, correct straight lines, or even create the image in a second after you described it. Its all fine. But we will then take our analog camera, and go out and enjoy the creative proces in the real physical life, instead of thinking of the endless, meaningless endless fake Instagram stream. Photography will be art again. Not for everyone of course. Let them enjoy the fake virtual online life, it's all fine....
I use film (or paper for reverse paper positives out of my large format camera), when creating art is my goal. In all other cases I use my digital camera. When making pictures is done for documentary or utility purposes, digital is the way to go, simply because it is much more efficient. If you want to create art, but don't see yourself as a Photoshop jockey (or as a digital artist), film offers you more possibilities to create something different. I believe that the analog material and production process imbues something into the picture, what you can't get with digital, what really makes film photographs stand out in the vast sea of digital pictures. If you want to stand out, want to be seen, film may be of advantage. Commercially, film doesn't make any sense.
I currently don't touch digital because I tend to grab it first, and later regret that many of good shots are not exposed on film. Too much variety disperse concentration.
Some stores might have higher costs due to work force, but a 2x price point is too much. I always try and support local, but I understand a 10-20% more, not a 100% more.
When agfa and Ferrania used to make c41 film colour could be fairly cheap. that stuff got rebranded and I remember development places practically gave that stuff away. When that source stopped colour got expensive: a bit less than double BnW. Now...colour is just astronomically expensive.
I realize people are concerned about increasing costs of film photography. Its a luxury and if it cannot be afforded thats totally understandable. However I challenge anyone to tell me a single item you purchase in daily life that has NOT increased in price over the last 2 years. Shoot it if you are able and enjoy this wonderful hobby. One day it might not be an option and that would be a real shame.
I think you have completely missed the point Nico. The whole point now is that film manufacturers are pricing most of the bulk of people who used to shoot their products out, sure, that gap is being filled now by in-demand, hype, but when that subsides, it will all collapse on itself, those loyal shooters will be no more.
"I bought a Leica M10p and I'm just shooting some silly stuff with it" is the most youtube photographer thing I've ever heard in my life. That comment comes from a place of extreme jealousy, not hate.
Agree with what you said. Personally, I have no intention of leaving film photography. In fact I'm wanting to buy another Hasselblad film camera (maybe a SWC or another V-system camera) because that what seems to work the best for me. Digital is cool, I have no problems with digital cameras or the process. With that said, I just love the film process from start to finish. I still enjoy processing film and printing my work in the darkroom. (Note: I own two film cameras - 35mm and Hasselblad)
@@deanteb92 On Average I use maybe 40 to 50 rolls of B&W 120MM film per year. So less than a roll of week on average. So even if the cost was $20 a roll for B&W I can justify it. I develop my own film and scan it with my iPhone for social media so I'm taking lab work out of it. It works for me. Everyone has their own workflow. Honestly, I'm more concerned about the cost of printing paper going up. (NOTE: I believe any price over $20 will crash the market.)
@@sbills very fair. I just want to know how different people feel about where they would draw the line on cost and things but you save tons of money by self developing and scanning. I do as well.
Professionals who shoot film can't be more selective if there's a project/ campaign. And not every client will have an endless budget for film. Bigger problem here is supply. When the outbreak happened and supply was non existent - I was sure some pro film shooters must have some connections with Kodak because they managed to get stocks of Portra400 when it was not available in stores. And I thought...how the hell they got that? If you don't have film- you can't take that job. And we base our style/look on film. So switching to digital is... a career wrecker probably...
Having film in this day and age is an absolute blessing. people don't realize that film was this close to dying an eternal death of it wasn't for the movie industry. I think the problem is that a lot of people shooting film today have grown up with digital cameras/phone cameras and are used to the spray and pray mentality. go back 30 years when film was the only medium. most people who shot would spend months on a roll, you could have multiple family trips recorded on a single roll before it ever was finished and sent to a developer. even if people say that they slow down with film i don't think they realize to what extent people were selective back in the day with shooting. i often could go out with my camera and end up not even taking a single shot because no moment presented itself. I also agree that the reasonable way to go about it is some sort of hybrid where you have a digital and a film camera and alternate. digital cameras have come a long way and after many many years of being a digital camera hater, i've bought a gr3 recently and i've been completely convinced that digital photography is great and can yield fantastic results! taking 36 frames of abandoned houses and gas stations and then complaining about the price of film increasing.... I wish everyone would realize and consider how lucky we are that we even have film in the first place! i recommend everyone to go watch @smartereveryday 's youtube videos about how film is made at the kodak factory to realize to what extent it's a complicated process and no matter how much they charge for a roll, it's still worth it to keep this medium alive. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-HQKy1KJpSVc.html&ab_channel=SmarterEveryDay
I don’t understand the “digital can yield great results” notion considering film image quality seems to be like objectively worse in film, at least in my own images. The films I’ve shot, mostly portra 800, had less dynamic range than my digital camera, much less resolution and so on. Every young person I know who shoots film spends money on it specifically *because* the “lofi” lower image quality looks cool and aesthetic and “organic” But it seems to me that all the things that are defects in digital are charming features in film.
It’s my opinion that film still rules. Digital is good for images that are needed right away where as film is more for those who want to keep film photography alive. I for one have both film and digital equipment and I prefer to use my film gear over digital. I have been shooting film for over 50 years.
i only use film and thats all i will ever use digital really does not do it for me i remember getting a digital camera for Christmas 2013 and i only took 3 photos with it and never touched it again then in February 2014 i took on my nans old Olympus AF 50 I i got some film the the supermarket and much preferred it the photos were beautiful when ever my mum has given me a photo she took with her digital camera im always unhappy with it as i find it so cold and lifeless and i just looks like its been badly printed photos taken on film is beautiful and i will never go digital i would rather never take any photos i now have a Harman EZ35
