Blog #144 Bridging the Gap
Reader Rating
📷 📷 Hobbyist
Oh the days of film! For those readers old enough to remember or lucky enough to appreciate the wonders of film photography, I’m preaching to the choir. For the rest of you, hear me out.
Next time you’re on a family holiday, shoot a few rolls of film. With today’s camera gear (or any camera since above 1980) the modern accoutrement of technology will be there for you so that you almost can’t miss a shot.
A light meter was included in the Rollei 35 that was featured in 1966. Auto focus came 20 years later as did auto rewind, auto advance, matrix metering, and other modern camera wizardry. Cameras from the 1980’s bridge the gap from the old times of fully manual fully hand-made chemical processes and point and shoot benefits of modern technology.
So, shooting film is actually easier and less expensive, in a way, than digital. Cost comparisons can be made but a lot of film can be shot and processed for the same $1500 USD that a mid-level mirrorless or DSLR will cost. My grandfather Jacob’s Leica iiif from about 1936 still works, requires basically zero maintain and has no electronics or batteries. It turns 83 this year!
Here are 10 Reasons Why you should shoot film on your next holiday.
1. Film has character. It’s cool and nostalgic as well.
2. Film cameras are inexpensive and reliable and do not need to be recharged. Most light meters run off two tiny SR44 batteries that cost $1 USD each and last more than one year. No more futzing around with plugs and adapters [wouldn’t that be nice?].
3. Film requires more skill to make and develop images that work and therefore can be appreciated more than an image made with a point and shoot.
4. Film has amazing color and detail [especially at 100 ISO]
5. Film can be printed and shared as a three-dimensional object or made into slides and enjoyed together with friends and families with outstanding colour and image quality.
6. Film makes you wait and good things come to those who wait.
7. Film negatives can be reprinted for generations.
8. Film and film negatives take zero hard drive space [unless you scan them, but even if you do, the files are way smaller than digital files]. You don’t really need 1000+ images of your weekend in Bali. Take four (4) rolls of 35mm film and you will have 144 chances to document your time there. Your “hit rate” [percentage of keeper images compared to images shot] will increase significantly and you will slow down and be more discerning before you press the shutter release button.
9. Film requires little to no post processing. Just shoot, develop, rinse, dry, print, enjoy, repeat.
10. Film grain gives images a more dream-like atmosphere and timeless quality. This can only be achieved in digital by adding filters or post processing the otherwise sterile digital image popped out by your smartphone, mirrorless, or DSLR.
There you have it. My best advise to you is to use a film camera [at least sometimes] and shoot on holiday. For more on travel photography go to my old blog site and search keyword “Travel”.
The light is always right.
JHG
*Images: © Limelight Limited
Where: Iloilo City & Manila, Philippines
Subject: Family Holiday Photos
Gear: Nikon FE SLR+ 28mm f/2.0 lens (also Nikon 43-86mm f/3.5 Zoom) + Various 35mm Colour Films [Agfa Vista Plus 200, Kodak Ektar 100, Kodak Ultramax 400]
National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year 2017 Editor’s Favorite: Galleries: Week 4 Cities & People
Comments