Film Factory Tour | Why Shoot Film At All? | Film vs Digital Costs
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 เม.ย. 2022
- We're on a bit of a film theme this time, as we bring you the show from the Ilford factory. We'll be seeing what's involved when it comes to making film and learning why it is having a big resurgence in popularity. We'll be asking and answering questions such as... Why shoot film in 2022? Is it cheaper than digital? And many more. Plus - we're giving away a fantastic prize worth £200 to one eagle-eyed viewer...
#Photography #FilmPhotography #Ilford
Our May Part 1 show will be released Sunday 24th April 2022
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I watched this and laughed... I spend double, because I shoot both digital and film. Taking my digital camera out along with my film camera, I will take hand held images with my digital camera until I find a composition that I want to put on film. Then, and only then, will I get out the film camera and feel confident that I'm making this image count. I learned on film in the 1970s. Digital cameras are my crutch to make the film images count in 2022. It keeps the cost of film down, since I purchased my film camera in 1976 along with most of my vintage lenses. Film and processing are expensive, but the "look" is worth the investment. Living in Texas, I usually shoot color film 9 months out of the year... using B&W in the winter. Investing in high quality film only makes sense. If I want a "grainy" look, I'll bump the ISO up on my digital and "fake it".
@M
Some of us really enjoy the different process of using film.
Growing up in the 1960’s, it was fun for me to watch my dad develop his own b/w photos in a dark room he rigged up in our basement. As a kiddo, it was almost like magic watching the photos appear in the white enameled tray he used. I have never shot in anything but a digital format, and now marvel at how gifted (and fearless) dad really was with his camera.
I played along and noticed ‘the box’ at @14:55. Besides the games and prizes, this Finger-Lakes-of-New-York-State woman in her 60s enjoys your channel and all of its content. Thanks for it all!
Yeah well I saw it at 0:26. So I'm the winner! (joke).
One of the best shows ever. Thank you for taking us on a tour of the Ilford factory. I have been shooting their film shock for more than 50 years and recently have scanned some images taken in the 1970s and they are still amazing as they can be enhanced digitally. I am so glad I bought a few medium format cameras based on watching your shows so I now have many of the medium formats ranging from 6 X 4.5, 6x6, 6x7, 6x9 and 6x17. Even with extra lenses this would be less than one digital medium format or the new alpha 1 with 3 lenses. You did not cost scanning but a good Epson scanner (v800) for 500 quid will do the job to make a 30 or 50 mB file that will produce exceptional images. I use both digital and film so this becomes a nice choice when going out to a location. I get much better shots with film as Marcus says, "it slows you down to wait for the right light". If you don't get, come back another time. Keep up the good work.
I was introduced to contact printing in our cellar by my mother during the war and went on to use Ilford and Kodak products for years. I did embrace digital when it arrived for various reasons and I now use both systems. A really interesting tour of the Ilford factory, a big thankyou to Ruth and all involved for another great show.
I have several digital and now 3 film cameras. Started with film over 40 years ago, quit photography when all my kit was stolen but sooo pleased to have recently rediscovered my love of photography. And even more pleased that I haven't forgotten what I learned with film all those years ago! Recently added a Hasselblad CM to my bag and really lover the entirely manual experience.
Sounds great Keith.
I love the "man math" applied here. 🙂 Don't get me wrong, this is exactly how I justifiy my "investments" in film cameras (16 and couting 😛).
Loved the video - subscribed!
The largest format I shoot is 4x5 and only occasionally, at that. I find the process much more absorbing (or time-consuming, if you like) than any other method. When I'm using the same camera with a Horseman 6x9 back, I take just as long to expose a shot and feel that I'm optimising the time spent if it results in capturing the scene that I want.
In the same time I could have rattled off a couple of hundred digi shots and had maybe a handful of keepers, if lucky.
However, spending time with film, and being aware of the likely cost if I get it wrong, has also filtered back into my digital method and I tend to do much less (if any) machine-gunning of scenes than I used to do when I first got a half-decent digicam.
I haven't shot film in over 12 years. Before that I shot film for over 30 years. I LOVE Ilford B&W films and miss my darkroom! Thanks Ruth for the Ilford factory tour, I learned a lot.
Cheers Mark. Thanks for watching.
Digital camera bodies can also be purchased used, and since (as you stated) digital bodies depreciate in value, there are many great low cost options. In addition, while it’s true that camera bodies do lose value over time, the opposite is true for quality lenses. Finally when you factor in the fact that your time has value, film requires much more time to produce a finished product compared to digital. The last issue with film cameras and equipment, is reliability and availability of spare parts and viable repair options. Each year more film cameras will breakdown and leave the marketplace, increasing the cost over time. Since no new film cameras are being manufactured in large quantities, the market will narrow greatly at some point in the future.
So will digital, already there’s the move to mirrorless and phones are getting better. Added to the fact that a lot of old digital cameras are not worth repairing as the value is so decreased pixels are low. I’ve got cameras from the 1930s that still work fine won’t be able to say that about my digital ones
@@Resgerr I have many film cameras that do not function because of battery incompatibility, light meters that no longer work or they are inaccurate and shutter speeds no longer work reliably. Not to mention failing gaskets that cause light leaks and damaged film advancing / rewinding issues. I also have a camera that starting scratching the film emulsion. Unfortunately parts are no longer available, qualified service personnel are hard to find or cost prohibitive. I think film and digital can exist simultaneously as tools, but I disagree with the premise that overall cost of shooting film is comparable or more cost effective as shooting digital. (for the reasons I've stated previously)
@@dexon555 have you filtered in the fact that for digital you need a printer and inks and paper or the cost of going to the shop and getting your pictures all printed off?
@@Resgerr Respectfully, yes I have. It is my view that an image is not a photograph until a proper print is made. Personally, inkjet printing is a passion of mine, and compared to the effort, cost and limitations of darkroom printing (of which I've spent many years practicing), inkjet wins. The only area where traditional darkroom prints have an advantage is in durability over time, and pigment based printers are almost there now. I appreciate this discord we are having. Thanks in advance for your time.
Fascinating and adventurous insight to film photography. I'm intrigued, so much so I'm on eBay now...............A fantastic episode, thanks.
Watched it live and thought deeply about Larry Bartlett and his mastery of film developing and printing. Got a 1 hour masterclass with him once. I processed and printed my own for 25 years after that. Ilford kit at 14:55...
Watching this episode, I am so happy I just released my book “Analog Photography - A Beginners Guide” to the market. It was previously published in danish for a small market, but has received very good reviews, following which I translated it to english. Now just hoping it g’ets the same positive feedback on the much larger marketplace.
Some of us also wear watches on our wrists... watches that have hands.
I recently added a medium format film system to my shooting gear. For the first time since about 2007, I am shooting film again, and the reasons are all about what you discussed in this video.
I shot a lot of film back in the day, from 35mm up to ULF formats (10x12, 7x17, 12x20 and even some 20x24) because I was doing a lot of alternative process printing (platinum and gum bichromate) and before digital negatives became a viable approach, you needed film as large as the print you wanted to make, so we alt. process shooters used big, big cameras. Using those cameras made you consider each image you took very carefully.
I'm not going back to ULF, but pulling out film cameras to shoot will increase my enjoyment for the photography that I do because I enjoy the challenge that film presents.
Great video. Very informative. I enjoyed it very much. As well as the out takes.
I may not do black and white but this is awesome.
Best show ever: Marcus: I have chosen a Leica 35mm setup and I have the best lenses for it. I made that choice to medium format for more reasons. First of all, I can by a new Leica and get it serviced for many years. Second, I have the best and latest tech in lenses and third, well I now how Leica works for me. Simple and easy. In your comparison you did not factor the lenses. The medium systems you mention, only use old lenses. I was curious to see how a modern Leica lens with delta 100 compares with a 6x7 Mamiya using delta 100 and 400? that would be a nice comparison ;-) Thanks for a super show
Great video, thanks a lot. Love your channel.
Eagerly awaiting ❤️❤️❤️
Back in the "good old film days" I used lots of Ilford FP4. Still have an apron from them, but a white one with black print :-)
I just bought the Bronica SQ- A I love it the quality is awesome
The first time I saw a sheet of photo paper develop I was 5. Dad brought me into the darkroom to have me learn his passion. Grew up around it and started on my own journey. I'm 54 now. There is nothing like seeing that paper develop.
I suggest a Bronica GS 1. I've owned the full system since they were expensive. Now they're pretty cheap and an absolute bargain. I liked the glass better the Hasselblad is why I went with Bronica. And the RZ was too big, and I liked to go out and shoot.
Still have a darkroom in the basement. Still have my dads enlarger sitting on a bench being used as well as 2 other enlargers.
Have used Ilford film and paper for years.
Film kit seen at 14:55
Thanks for sharing your story. Please enter the competition via the link in the description, as no answers here will be submitted. All the best.
Yes, I have a similar story. If you like seeing a silver print develop, go watch someone develop a pt/pd print! It's spectacular, fast, and can happen in normal room light (subduded, but normal light, no need for a safelight).
i recently returned to film photography after a 35 year hiatus (say it isn't so - surely I'm not even 40 yet). I shoot Olympus digital and a combination of 35mm; 6x6 and half plate film (look out for my order Ilford when you open this years special buy). I have also just set up a darkroom in the basement so the magic doesn't only happen in the field. I shoot almost exclusively B&W at the moment so almost exclusively Ilford. I love the Delta 100 and the HP5 and Multigrade paper is so easy to work with and the results.........wow!
A terrific video and I am looking forward to further 'film' instalments.
Thanks for watching Morris.
That's incredible interesting video!! Thanks a lot!
Awesome to show the production of film. So fascinating
I started shooting film a year or so ago. I have always been a. Digital shooter, but had become lazy with all the bells and whistles that modern cameras have. I have found that shooting film has really made me think more about what i am doing. I still love digital photography as it is much more convenient for me to process... But film has a certain feeling about the whole thing, from choosing the film to getting my images back. The next step is to start processing my own negatives, and then hopefully set up a little darkroom too.
Sounds great Stuart.
I've been shooting film for no more than a few months now and I adore it. It has become a new passion of mine and I've had some great photos come out. Having the negatives physically in my hands is far superior to the digital equivalent.
Great to hear. Keep exposing that film!
The box is at 14:55. I haven’t hand developed film for years now, which means I’ve barely shot only b&w. I have been meaning to getting another kit, unsure where my old kit went. I shoot medium format digital and 120 film. Usually won’t do 135 film anymore, quality just isn’t up to par and can’t even in its dreams hold a candle to me my older phase one.
Saw the film kit at 14:58…. I spent many happy hours in the 1980’s in my little closet darkroom developing Ilford film and printing on Ilford paper. Definitely miss those days…
You need to enter via the competition link Robin. Thanks for watching. Good luck.
I saw the the Ilford kit at 14:55.
Photography Online - thank you for the Ilford tour as well.
Hi Douglas - You need to enter the competition on the competition page for which there is a link in the video description.
Best episode yet well done Marcus
Every time I see that RZ67 pro my heart sinks. I part exchanged mine last year because I needed a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens. To be fair, the RZ had spent most of its time nestled in my backpack not doing anything but I did use it on occasion exclusively with black and white FP4 and Pan F which I processed and printed myself. Before digital, I had shot on Velvia in Yosemite N.P. among other great locations and they are still some of my best landscapes. I loved that camera and miss it so much! Oh, and I'm a vinyl nut too!
You'll go back to film one day Ian!
Great show. Thank you ❤️
Glad you enjoyed it
I first saw film processing kit box at 14:55. I first use used a 35mm SLR in the 80's Then switched to digital in early 2000's. But I still have my first 35mm SLR which I recently shot a film in for first time in years.
Great show by the way!
Hi Stephen - You need to enter the competition on the competition page for which there is a link in the video description.
thank you Markus - for the soul of photography
Thank you for another superb video and another contest. Really great. Marcus just goes from strength to strength. Who set up those pictures falling off the wall? 🤣🤣🤣🤣
We need a new set builder!
Saw the cameo at.14:58. Great episode! Thoughtful comments. I enjoy both formats!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I noticed the film kit first appeared at 14:55. I started shooting film in my teens in the 60's! Been through lots of analogue cameras, including icons like the Olympus 35RC, Olympus OM-1n (the original!), Asahi Pentax Spotmatic II, Nikon FM, Yashica Mat 124, Bronica SQ, etc etc and enjoyed using all of them. Somehow I feel much less detached with the images I now get from analogue, and I am so tempted to dive into B&W films again.
You need to enter via the competition link. Thanks for watching and for taking the time to comment. All the best.
Ahhhhhh----Photography Zen: Film! Excellent job Marcus!!
There nothing like developing you own film, in the dark room. You made friends that like going out to shoot. We planned trips together and it was safe in numbers. As a woman you think about safety when going out. I enjoy your program very much; I just can't wait to get back you with my camera. I first saw the Film Processing Kit Box
Thanks Bertha. Please enter the competition via the link in the video description as we don't accept answers here. Thanks
I love this show. It's bloody brilliant. Every. Time.
Thanks for your support Gary.
Many film photographers quit not because they couldn't cope with a digital camera, more they got sick of Mr and Mrs R Sole becoming 'professional' wedding photographers with their crop sensor camera and charging £50 a wedding, or less. One of the most memorable names in film photography is Vivien Maier, a seriously talented amateur. A camera or mobile phone doesn't make you a good photographer, it is your skill, your eye for the image. If all my film cameras had not been stolen I would still enjoy using them. Incidentally you can often tell an unskilled digital photographer within seconds, lacking confidence in his ability he needs to check the screen after every shot, even if it results in missing the best photograph.
Thank you so much for promoting classic film.
You're welcome Stefan
Really fascinating show, originally started on film and definitely get the point of following a more considered process when taking shots. Would love to be able to shoot in both mediums but will have to stick with digital for now.
Cheers Steven. Thanks for your continued support.
I learned on film and still carry on with some film practices. Film does forced me to think about each shot; a good habit to get into as a photographer. This includes whether to even take the shot. Also, film promotes the idea of 'getting right in the can' from the start which implies thinking about what you are doing. Another good habit to get into as a photographer. The truly horrible habit digital can create is a 'spray and pray' mentality were one hopes to get a good shot by sheer quantity which almost never actually happens.
However, digital allows for more experimentation as each shot is essentially free which is good for improving my skills. I am willing to try an idea I got from someone and experiment with it. If I didn't quite get it right, it's not a big deal as I try again.
I would not put too much on appreciation or depreciation of gear as an amatuer; I plan to keep it for many years and probably will not sell my gear. To me the cost of film is more of a headache as most digital costs are essentially one-off costs not ongoing like the cost of film. The real problem with digital cameras is getting sucked into the hype about some feature you probably will never use such as 8k video for me and buying gear because it has this much hyped feature. A well cared for gear (film or digital) will last for many years if not decades.
Very good and informative today. One more thought on costs is post processing and printing. To use much of the software needed for film there is not only a more powerful processor but software isn’t cheap. My own experience is although it’s easier to shoot digital, the PP learning curve is much higher. The biggest issue I have with film is scanning and a decent (not great) flat bed scanner will run $1300 for a new Epson V850. Why shoot with great lenses and lose all of the detail in the negative in digitization. A drum scan runs between $40 and $100 per negative.
I saw the box twice, @ 14:55 and 32:09. Please don’t enter my name in the drawing, just letting you know I was actually paying attention…😂. Cheers from the US!
I really enjoyed this video. I started with film in the 90's. When digital arrived on the scene I was an early adopter of the all new technology. I was forever buying new tech since everything updates so quickly. Software, hardware, bigger and better resolution cameras. I spent so much money on digital tech! I got tired of the rat race and giving all my money to Canon, Adobe, and Apple.
I've gone back to film and it is so nice to use my old reliable film camera and develop and print at home. Honestly I cannot afford to not use film!!
I had an SLR at 13. But the one thing limiting factor was the actual money for film. I had to wait until I got a digital camera in my mid 40s before I could actually take a reasonable number of pictures. Interestingly, because I was limited to that one 50mm lens, I still prefer that focal length today, and use it almost exclusively.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Joules. All the best.
As I started last century on film, I still shoot the same way digital: "every frame counts". Sold my darkroom and all that equipment as I moved to another continent. Still kept my film camera, I bought with my first wage.
One thing Marcus didn't take in consideration is the price of the storage and backup, computer and software you need to process the digital images.
My darkroom those days didn't cost that much as the storage I have now. Well, the computer equipment is also used for other purposes.
Thanks for your thoughts Johnny
@@PhotographyOnline would it be possible for you to talk/teach about focus bracketing please?
@@vijaygade8628 it’s not really something any of us tend to do because it’s rarely necessary or desirable to have everything pin sharp. We’ll be covering tilt lenses soon though, which allow the user to have more control of depth of field.
Great show. I shot lots and lots of film over the years and could not agree more with Marcus in that it really forced you to pay attention to the detail. It seems to be a habit hard to break as I don't shoot a lot of digital frames of the same scene very often. I remember the planning that had to go into buying film to go on vacation and deciding how many rolls you would need and then packing it in the lead sleeve to avoid exposure by the airlines in the day. Still do a bit with a Pentax 645 and quite enjoy it. So my screen was at 14:56 when I saw the box. Thanks guys for the great work you put into all this.
Cheers Doug. Thanks as always
Enjoy watching your channel, last year I bought a Nikon F(film camera) and I also collect film cameras. ( Still have my first 35mm film camera, Canon AE-1). Would love to get a Medium format camera like a Mamiya RB67 or the panoramic camera fujifilm 6x17.(or both.......lol). Someday would love to visit Scotland. My dad & brother-in-law visited there while in the Navy. Thanks for sharing & all the work you put in to this channel. Haven't ever tried Ilford yet but plan to try it this year.
You can get more detail by using medium or large format film. But there is another way to get more detail. We can use slower film. A 50ASA or 100ASA film will give more detail than a 400ASA film. I get good pictures with 100ASA. I am not sure how they would compare to digital as I don't have a digital camera. I would recommend starting out with 35mm cameras.
I started on Film. My first serious set up was a Minolta X370 SLR with a few lenses filters and on of the very first thyristor flash! At one point I used a pro photographer to do my developing and printing. I taught myself using John Hedgecoe's "The Art of Colour Photography", and after having got rid of it way back when, I have recently purchased another copy in good condition. End result is even now I am very frugal when taking photos with my DSLR much to the frustration of my kids who are digital only and prefer using point and shoot cameras or their phones (sigh).
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Paul. Hope you enjoyed the show.
14.55 first timeI spotted the dark room kit ,I started B+W printing at the age of 7 (45years ago) converting the down stairs toilet.
Hi Nick. You need to enter via the competition link which is in the video description. Ahhh, a downstairs toilet darkroom - they were the best!
Great episode yet again and very Interesting about the film aspect. Film kit seen at 14:55
Thanks Lee. You need to enter the competition via the link in the video description.
I'm liking it already! 😀
Cheers Ariaan.
Love Markus' ninja shooting moves lol. I'm sure the cost of computer memory and back up drives are omitted for simplicity but, I think, there is a good case to include the costs of storage solutions and back up into the 'necessary' working tools of the digital shooter 📸👍
Hi Darran. You make a good point but you could also argue that for film you need to buy storage folders etc, so it's all pretty even on both sides. The photo companies will get our money one way or another!
@@PhotographyOnline Yep plus ça change haha
Shooting film is something I need to re-visit. Digging my old 35mm canon out of the attic and blowing a foot of dust off it isn't going to be easy. I hope the battery still has some life in it. Ohh hang on! What battery? 🤣🤣
Good friends can agree to disagree, and we've got to do that here. I've shot film since about 1970 and for the whole time its been expensive, fussy and unreliable. Add to that the used lenses rarely if ever measure up to modern glass. And then having to scan it... well that just makes it a digital image. Interesting tour if Ilford though. Good episode.
@@gui4j So were spats, Panama hats and running boards. You still using those too?
I have only just gone digital . Using film makes you understand the settings so to get the pics. The down side is hoping nothing went wrong and there are wedding shots or what event it might be. I processed black&white / colour neg 35mm and transparency with great care.
Thanks Ian, and enjoy your digital journey. You seem to be a very late convert! Wonder how long it will be before you're shooting film again?!
32:09
Hope it is not too late for this one! I am a painter who is now shooting film! I look for subjects to paint and hope to have exhibitions in both film and oil kn canvases!
Thanks and mych love for film!💗🙏🏽
Very educational video, regards from Canada thxs
Glad you enjoyed it!
This always reminds me of Bender from Futurama using Film in his photography, even though his eyes are digital sensors. He knows what its all about.
Thanks for watching Guy.
Really enjoyed the Special Feature, great work. Off to find my Canon T90 now!!
Have fun!
Film Kit is at 14.56 👍🏻Very jealous love to visit the factory been shooting Ilford films since 1980 I have more analogue cameras than digital there is something unique about shooting film I find it therapeutic
I think film cameras are easier. Once the films in you cant really change the ISO unless you're doing that push film thing. Alls you've got is focus, aperture, shutter speed. How can you think that's harder than digital with all these bewildering menus that go on and on, RAW/jpeg, Auto HDR, Dynamic Range Optimization, Creative Styles, Focus zones, continuous/single shot, continuous/single focusing, on and on.
I can't argue with any of the points for film that Marcus makes and can see why pros and some other Togs would like the challenge/experience of shooting film. However, I'm of the age that I remember shooting film on very basic cameras back in the 70s &80's and got ruined shots when it came back from the print lab. I know if I were to suddenly shoot film I'd quickly give up photography. I'd no more shoot with film than buy a turntable to go back to listening to warped records with needles jumping but I totally accept others may enjoy that sort of experience. Good to see it covered in depth even if I'm a digital man!
Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment Steve.
Good information. Thnx
Welcome
I had 35mm Practica LTL3 about 45 years ago and the prints are far better quality than my Canon 5ds, great show.
Cheers Clive
another excellent vlog
Thanks again!
loved it ruth so interesting about the film cheers from trev
Thanks as always Trev
Excellent video
Thanks Richard
I’m really enjoying the show and I think it’s time to shoot some more with my Rolleiflex 6x6. I have never developed my own film and would love to give it a try. I saw the Ilford box at 14:55.
Thanks Andrew. You need to enter the competition via the link in the video description as we can’t accept answers here. All the best.
I will show my wife this video next time a box of films arrive !
You did add a huge bias in favour of film by not bringing colour into the maths ! Luckily I shoot 90 % B&W and home dev
Good luck with the wife!
great show, and one point for film cameras, with an LF camera, you get a prespective control lens with EVERY lens you put on it!, no having to spend $2,500AUD or more for individual PC lenses, for digital, as here you MUST decide which focal length to have as a pc lens, with an LF you don't have to, just choose a lens with enough image circle to make movement possible!
loved the 'fade_out' at 22:30, as you were in a 'darkroom', just simply turn the light off, good pun, and segway into the next topic.
Excellent show. Kit @ 14:56. Love the bloopers, but Marcus does seem to appear, more than anyone else :)
Thanks John. Please enter the competition via the link in the video description. Thanks
great show!
Thanks Stephen
Brilliant 👏
Thanks for watching as always Craig
Love my Lage format cameras and can’t ever imagine selling them.
Good on you Randy. What do you have?
If I were to start shooting film again it would be only for b&w. However, I remember the days when elitism in photography was prevalent and lack of information made photography so difficult. In our cameras my grandpa had a small cheat sheet that someone gave him to use as a guide for shooting film manually. Nobody would share any info on how to do it properly and the photographic outcome would be questionable. Now that I understand photography and I have the knowledge to shoot film I just can’t be bothered. I just wish I knew what I know now, during those times.
You nearly got me with that performance marcus until i realised it was an April fool. Well done ...
You can't fool a fooler!
L
Forget all that. Film and digital are different, and it is impossible to replicate film. If you want to shoot film, shoot film.
However, if we are playing the comparable quality game, you're going to want to drum scan at significant additional cost. Regardless, he forgot the cost of buying a scanner/scanning, or setting up a wet darkroom.
My first film photography experience started when I was but a kid back around 1995. My parents gifted me a basic Kodak point and shoot camera. I would do extra chores around the house to buy film and pay the local pharmacy to develop my film. When the shutter finally failed on that camera digital had taken over. I dabbled with cellphones and digital point and shoot till I got my first DSLR after college. But part of me is still drawn to go back to analog, Last week I got my hands on a 50's Kodak brownie and researched how adapt 120 and 35mm film since 620 is no longer in production. I plan to use that as a excuse to finally get back into film and learn how to develop at home. So I got to admit this contest is very conveniently timed. After my first successful attempt it will only be a matter of time till I break down and make an investment into a film camera.
Sounds great Kayl
Interesting video and thanks for sharing. But being established a long time ago may not equate with quality or consistent quality. I am referring to FP 4 Plus 120 rolls which has expiry in Jun 2023 which I shot and developed a few rolls. They showed smudges which looked like paper backing issues which I also encountered in HP 5 PLUS previously. Do you know what's the issues? I emailed them but they did not respond to my query. Thanks.
For me, photography is about manual focusing with legacy lens. That is what I enjoy.
Well said!
(14:56). My go to for B&W film is Delta 100. I use it both in 120 and, with a recent purchase, 4x5. I like the contrast Delta 100 presents. Your question about why I shoot film is that it provides a much stronger connection to my creative muse. I like the deliberative process needed for rendering an image on film. I also like the smoothness of film when compared to digital, even though I do have a 5D4 for those times where it is warranted. We need to continue to buy film, even though there are rumors that the silver supply chain is being disrupted by this awful war. BUY MORE FILM!
Thanks very much Jeff. Please enter the competition via the link in the video description. All the best.
I have to say it is a myth that Digital costs nothing, to be safe it needs to be stored on three different hard drives or raids and ideally one of these needs to be of site in case of fir, theft or flood. then as technology moves on you need to upgrade your digital storage. I am not on my third Raid and the most recent one cost me £1500. and my 2 new hard drives also cost me £500 each and this is just my most recent digital storage upgrade. My previous set of hard drives and raid cost me a lot as well and one of those was a Drobo that failed as the company when into bankruptcy so I had to buy a second hand raid just to save some of my images. which is why I now have an even more expensive digital storage solution and that cost of storage will not go away, so film is not as expensive as we thing it is and digital is never a no cost alternative to film.
Depends how much resolution you consider is needed to make photographs for your particular niche of photography. I mean , I realise full frame digital is superior to what any 35mm film can do, but that is rather a moot point if you consider 35mm film quality to be adequate, as I do. So, for me, the financial comparisons would have stacked up vastly in favour of film.
And what of the end result? A print, surely! Pretty cheap to set up a darkroom and get nicer looking prints than are achievable with an inkjet costing an arm and a leg.
So it’s horses for courses. For a hobbyist wanting to make b&w prints, with the means to make a darkroom, film still beats digital on many levels. And I couldn’t give a tuppence how sharp digital cameras are - film (even 35mm - Ilford Delta 100 is amazingly sharp, quite a step up from fp4 in terms of grain density) is plenty sharp enough to make prints that will amaze you and your friends! And that’s all I have to say about that!
You seem to be agreeing with everything we say, but in a way where you sound like you’re trying to make a different point.
Box turned up 14.53
Great show thanks
You need to enter via the competition link David. Thanks for watching
I love shooting the Ilford films for 120MM. I missed the days of processing on my own .In the United States it's becoming more and more expensive day-by-day. but I would love to get back into it oh by the way my 1st sighting of the film kit was at 14:55. Also whatever happen to ilford color film? Making a come back. Would loved to ha e tired it
.... 100+% spot-on Marcus .... ✊
Cheers Josef.
In your cost comparison of film vs digital, don't forget that to use photoshop/lightroom, you need a really good computer, it needs to have good graphics, N.2 SSD, lots of memory, really good screen, Hi Res, lots of NITs and all that, costs a fortune.
How about the "challenge" being taking a good photo for a change? hahahah Just kidding, I know you guys can take a joke. Big fan of the show
Well I have to say that theory of a film photographer getting a digital camera will make it easy for them is not always the case. I have seen many film photographers disappear in the digital era, even some well known film photographers that became irrelevant or couldn't keep up with the amount of talented new digital photographers as photography became more popular with the event of digital photography many new talented photographers emerged. There are techniques needed to be applied in digital photography in the field, just to name a couple, focus stacking or exposure blending, that the photographer must account for while taking the shot. The whole process becomes more a responsibility of the photographers as before, with film, not every photographer would develop their own photos while now, 99% of us are responsible for developing our own shots. therefore becoming more responsible for the final result not depending only on the limitations of the camera or the film you are using. I have to mention some exceptions in film like Ansel Adams and a few others that had a more intricate way of developing the film, now most of us do it.
I don't have anything against film photography, it can be fan a challenging in many ways, but I don't think we can simplify digital photography, thinking that, the camera does all for you.
Look, this is just an opinion as an avid fan of the channel and I believe you guys accept every opinion as long as it is stated with respect.
I want to visit you guys sometime for a workshop in Scotland, I am just saving some money for that.
Keep up the fantastic work!
Cheers Celso. You make some valid points. Thanks for watching.
Kit first seen at 0:26. I started using Ilford in 1977.
I started in film and still love it today, but hated the number of hours I had to spend in the darkroom to get a few good prints. I find shooting film a lot more enjoyable when I develop it myself, which is a fairly simple process, scan it to digital, then process in Lightroom and / or Photoshop. Is that getting too far away from the original process? I can get similar results with my 45.7mp digital camera and Mamiya 645, especially in B&W. IMHO, one is not better than the other, they are just different.
As an enthusiast, I developed and printed B&W and color since the seventies and my take away with the darkroom is wasting time instead of painting the town red. My end to end process with film included capturing, developing & printing, mounting, cataloging and long term storage.
Many film enthusiasts talk about the process, the magic, hand on process, etc., but are they comparing experiences from a Eureka moment of seeing PP done right that is impossible with film? What about assembling computers using rack of 10,000 RPM hard drives, calibrating monitors & printers or developing utilities/pp software/firmware or learning to construct 3D images from 2D photos?
IMO, film is an era and the past and present isn't exactly the same. Without at least a basic photography knowledge or experience with digital to begin with, plenty of information available online, many bling bling film cameras that can be picked up for a song and scanning, I doubt there are so many people willing to dip their toes into film.
I remembered back then, a lot of wannabe pros wished to become an assistant to a local or renowned professional, so that they could learn and it is hardly a top wish today. Yeah, one isn't better than another just different pros and cons.
Now with Iford coming out with Kentmere again at 5 bucks a roll and if you develope at home I think it can be said that you can do it for even the cost or even less if you shoot 35mm.
Good, very good presentation in favour of fil. The box appears @ 32:07
Thanks Ziga. You need to enter the competition via the link in the description.
Thank-you so much for your show and sharing your considerable expertise with the photography community. Though your comparison of price and capabilities of film vs. digital is compelling, you can’t capture movies with the film kit. A movie film camera would add significant cost on the film side. The full capabilities should be fully disclosed if only as a footnote. Also, there is nothing inherent to digital that is an impediment to “slowing down” and being methodical in image capture, rather the same ‘virtue’ of film requiring it, can be construed as an impediment. As well, the comparison seems to assume 100% results on the film side, whereas I recall many “wasted” shots on film that cost the same as the successful ones. One more thing, unless you’re willing to part with your used gear and sell it, it would be kinda’ cheating to attribute a market value as this will fluctuate over time. Love my Canon A1, but wouldn’t go back to those days “just for fun”, as that’s exactly what digital is in comparison. Thanks again, love your show.
Cheers Robert. Thanks for watching.
Fascinating, thanks. Two points regarding film. A TV film made the point that when Howard Carter discovered Tutankhamen’s tomb the contents were photographed on a large format camera that out- resolved the best digital cameras we have today. Not sure if that’s still true but interesting.
Secondly I saw a photo of an expedition photographer working in the western USA. His darkroom was in a tent and the equipment was carried by mules. Move to today and we would need a truck with a generator and a truck with fuel to power it to run a computer to process the digital images. And neither could drive into the hills. That makes me smile.
Hi Kevin. I've not heard either fact before, but can easily believe the TutanKhamen one. I decent photo taken on a large format camera would easily outperform the best digital camera on the market today. It wouldn't even be a close contest, so there's no chance of digital catching up any time soon. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.