Hi there from North Port, FL

[TommyF]

Hello all. My name is Tom and I used to be an ameteur photo hobbyist, and I mean really really ameteur. It started when I bought my first SLR camera about 15 years ago. It was a Canon Rebel 2000. I played with it for a few years and took some awesome photos. Then I had to actually make a living and havent used anything but your basic point and shoot since then. I just bought a new camera for my wife. It's a Canon Powershot SX120 and I must say that point and shoot cameras have come a long way. So long in fact, that I got out the old Canon Rebel 2000 and will start toying around again. So I got the bug again and I am hoping to learn a few things and take some really good pictures again, hopefully with some guidance from some of you. I look forward to reading and posting. Cheers!!

 

[PatrickHMS]

Welcome to TPF!

When you shoot film, don't forget that when you develop your images, you can have them copied to a CD / DVD, then load the images to your PC, and then handle them digitally with the same software used by those with digital cameras.

 

[TommyF]

Dude..you totally answered what was going to be my next question to post. Que the eerie music. So I dont have to sell an appendage to scrape up enough dough for a DSLR? You probably just saved my marriage. I already love this forum.

 

[PatrickHMS]

I ain't a dude, just an old fart who doesn't see any sense in spending money just to see it go bye-bye.

Take a DSLR for example, when the newest technology replaces current models, causing prices to drop, that is when I buy. I will buy a D90 when the "D91" has been out for a few months, and price of D90 drops like a rock. I shoot with a D80 that I spent about $275.00 (had < 1,000 actuations when I bought it) net for after buying a whole camera bag as a package and sold off what I didn't need or want. It was originally like a $1,000 camera, so I got it for $0.30 cents on the dollar of the new price.

Back to film ~

You can do PLENTY with film, and GREAT film equipment is relatively cheap. The prohibitive cost for me in film was the expensive film processing, and making copies to DVD is really affordable nowadays.

You can buy 35mm film gear that originally cost THOU$AND$, much of it for less than $50 to $100 bucks a pop. And film gear IS JUST AS GOOD AS IT EVER WAS!

So, with the low cost of film equipment, and the affordable cost to process, it would take you forever to accumulate the total costs you might spend at one time to upgrade to all the DSLR gear it would take to get you into digital photography if you were to upgrade to the latest and greatest right now, which would be no better in IQ than what you already have in your film gear (whew!, long sentence).

When shooting with film, you will have to live without the instant gratification of seeing your shot as soon as you take it, and you will be limited to 36 shots per roll, but all of that might help you to become a better (like more thoughtful in preparation for a shot) photographer in the long run.

Don't get me wrong, I prefer digital, and will NEVER go back to film, but shooting film can be made to be to your advantage.

Whatever you haven't spent on the latest and greatest DSLR, buy the very best glass you can get your hands on... Camera bodies will always decrease in value, while great glass will almost always increase in value, or at least hold it's own in terms of resale value.

Happy shooting!

 

[TommyF]

Thanks for the info my friend. I think I will be buying a DSLR as soon as fundage is available though. I hate having to wait even one hour to develop film. But fundage probably wont be available in the near future. Any good websites that you guys recommend on the basics of photography? Im sure I could google one, but that isnt really getting a recommendation from experienced troops like you all.