is it still worth buying an slr camera?

[cigrainger]

Max, I think I grew much faster with digital, but now I'm shooting film. I've shot off over 2000 exposures on my digital in a month. That's several thousand dollars in film and processing if I had shot film (mostly in wasted practice shots). I now shoot film with a nearly 100% success rate, so there's no wasted film. Had I not spent that month with tons of digital exposures, I would still be at about a 50% success rate with my film. I still practice on my digital and execute on film.

 

[selmerdave]

The question is, would you have wasted as many practice shots if you were paying for film? Perhaps you would have learned out of necessity rather than by trial and error, and progressed as much shooting a couple of hundred frames of film with a lot of care? That's the film argument anyway.

Also shooting digital there is still a lot of latitude for "saving" shots in PS, and in that respect shooting transparency requires (and rewards) more accuracy.

Of course that's just an argument for one side...

Probably more important than shooting film or digital is shooting manually.

Dave

 

[Weaving Wax]

I can see both arguments, but I think people should stear clear of that "I can just fix it in Photoshop" mentality wheather it's film or digital.

 

[cigrainger]

The question is, would you have wasted as many practice shots if you were paying for film? Perhaps you would have learned out of necessity rather than by trial and error, and progressed as much shooting a couple of hundred frames of film with a lot of care? That's the film argument anyway.

Also shooting digital there is still a lot of latitude for "saving" shots in PS, and in that respect shooting transparency requires (and rewards) more accuracy.

Of course that's just an argument for one side...

Probably more important than shooting film or digital is shooting manually.

Dave

I agree about shooting manually.

See, I was able to waste a lot of shots practicing, and now I can use film with prime lenses which forces my composition and exposure techniques. I think I jumped a lot of hurdles by practicing that much that quickly, and now I am learning much faster with film.

I dunno, it was just my learning process, and maybe I had natural talent, or maybe it was the process. I'm still not completely happy with all my shots, but many people (non-photogs) tell me that lots of my shots look professional. And I've only been shooting since late January. Sorry if that sounded conceited. I give conceited people a big :thumbdown:. Ahhh, I'm babbling.

 

[lasershot]

I really want to get a digital camera just for the sake of being able to take a couple hundred pictures at a time... Thats the only thing that is holding me back from 35mm FILM....

 

[cigrainger]

I really want to get a digital camera just for the sake of being able to take a couple hundred pictures at a time... Thats the only thing that is holding me back from 35mm FILM....

So check out the Pentax K100D, and you can snag a K1000 or ME Super for very cheap, and you can use any lens that you get for the film SLR with the digital. Best of both worlds. :thumbup:

 

[dinodan]

Is it worth getting a film SLR?

At the prices they're going for today, ABSOLUTELY!!!

 

[nealjpage]

Maybe we should ask this: Are you wanting a NEW film SLR or do you have your eye on something used? That may help clarify this discussion a bit.

 

[panocho]

short answer: YES
longer answer: OF COURSE

 

[Don Simon]

You could get a good digital point-&-shoot for about $200. A digital SLR at least two to three times that. Good working film SLRs can be had for $20 on eBay. In other words, even if you go digital, why not get a film camera as well? Then you can shoot both film and digital, and if you decide you prefer digital you've hardly lost anything.

 

[YoungPic]

i know im a bit late on this thread but i was going ask this question also, but then i got my spotmatic. i started off in digital but had no clue what i was doing, but when i started to use film i understood aperture and shutter speed, iso all that stuff, and it makes you want every shot to be perfect rather than just snapping away, get a film slr and learn.

 

[lasershot]

I think im going too... but, I'm going to wait to goto a camera store today and talk to them on this subject!

 

[selmerdave]

Well at a camera store no doubt they will talk you into digital. Honestly, unless you were specifically looking for the features of a Nikon F6, I don't know why you would buy a new film camera. The prices of used ones are so dramatically lower unless you're buying specifically an F6 or a Canon EOS 1V (and need those features) you are going to get much better quality and durability for your money buying used.

Dave

 

[lasershot]

Thats the thing, I don't have a Digital SLR, or Film SLR, I'm just starting out...

So what camera are you suggesting?

 

[YoungPic]

i must say i have not had much experience with other cameras, but i love my spotmatic, and the other early pentax cameras are also good, i got a camera (spotmatic), a 135mm, a 55mm, and a 85-205mm on ebay for only $60, but in this case the meter was broken, but once you understand aperture and shutter speed the meter really isnt that big of a deal, so my advice is just search ebay for film cameras with a few lenses, and maybe do some advance research and start building a system.