therwol Loc: USA

I'd like to hear some thoughts from people who actually still shoot film. Why? Possible answers I can thing of would include, "I simply enjoy working in a darkroom making prints," I can't duplicate the swings, tilts and shifts of my large format camera with any digital offering," "I find that projected slides look a lot better to me than projected digital."

For most people, including myself, using film means scanning it to convert to digital, which degrades the quality of the image a bit, including for printing, so I don't see the point.

I'm in the process of scanning thousands of negatives and slides. I'm using an Epson V800 flatbed scanner and my Nikon D810 with a 55mm f/2.8 macro lens when I want a bit more detail from a photo. (I can easily see the difference in detail.) I can't afford a super expensive scanner, but I suspect that the camera/lens combo is going to give pretty close results. In any case, I wouldn't ever start with film again, especially not when I own such a fine digital camera. The results out of the camera blow away any film I've ever taken. My opinion.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

Its simple, I just enjoy it more and the image quality is better as well!

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Why do people still ride horses?

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Because, particularly for B&W, I prefer silver prints to inkjet. (and there’s still that magic of seeing the image appear in the developer.)

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

That question is easy for me it slows me down. I resisted going digital for a long time because I was afraid I would become one of those people who run around, shutters clicking at warp speed, in the hope of capturing a good image and you know what, I did. Both! I went out this morning hunting insects and when I got home I had shot 102 frames. I'll probably have 2 or 3 keepers. Only one of which will be a quality shot--after pp.

Tomorrow I'll go out with the Nikon F2 and add 3 or 4 shots to the partially full roll. I will feel more relaxed. I won't have 100+ images to sort through which means I will have time for other things, like continuing to set up my macro studio.

IMHO a properly focused and exposed Kodachrome image from 60 years ago will equal any camera processed jpg of today.

jefffs

I shoot a ton of digital. For myself and some portrait work for pay.
But I still enjoy walking around on a weekend with my Minolta....sometimes color film...often times black and white.
And I love the joy of picking up the negatives and prints from my camera shop.
I have one friend who gets a real kick out of taking his 62 Thunderbird out on a weekend.
Another who only fishes with a bamboo spinning rod.
I think the smiles and good feelings are justification enough.

therwol Loc: USA

IMHO, I agree if you project the slide in a dark room with a good screen and good projector. If you transfer the image to digital for the purpose of viewing on a computer screen or making a print, usually involving scanning first, I disagree.

Also consider how fragile film is. I want to add that I've read somewhere that Kodachrome excels in dark storage, but repeatedly exposing it to bright light as in a projector can cause it to deteriorate. I don't know if that's really true, but I would leave it alone as much as possible. Same with all film when you're done with it the first time around.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

If you shoot low volumes of landscape work, and use larger format film, it is much cheaper than buying full frame digital bodies and lenses and more fulfilling to boot - The quality being very competitive if done properly.
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Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

I enjoy the challenge and the different look that actual film can create, both color and B&W vs digital editing. I enjoy the shooting process and being able to process the scanned results. Developing is not an interest and after the effort of scanning several hundred old negatives, I don't like the scanning either. One or several attempts digitally to get what I want, it's a pleasure digitally to see immediately that I have a solid image to work with. Film is no longer guesswork, but still the results are unknown until the scanned files come back, with an option to process further when needed. The immediate feedback loop of digital helps my understanding of the process of film and the attempt at 36-frames of attempted perfection helps in my digital work.

Vietnam Vet

When use my Hasselblad cameras and lenses there is a feel to it that I like. I still think the image quality is better than digital.

Shutterbug57

1. I like the darkroom.
2. I can’t afford a medium format digital body.
3. Shooting large format is a hoot.
4. I like the look of film.
5. Shooting manual bodies forces you to think things through and slow down.
6. I like the 5 focus points on my F100.

krashdragon

Because they can.
Why do people still buy cars with stick shifts?
Why do I pay $50 for 2 balls of hand dyed, hand spun yarn to knit a pair of socks?
Why do people.... list whatever creative things you want to do here...

It's more a feeling of creativity and accomplishment. Not everyone can do those (and many other) things successfully.

Digital takes away some of the creativity that artists need.
Film, or other hand crafted items, vs. Push the button and a "perfect picture" materalizes. Boring, just like perfectly manicured grass as opposed to a field full of flowers.

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

Because it's inherently pleasurable to use old mechanical equipment - especially medium format - it just feels good to take the shot.
Because high resolution scans of film produce bigger image files with more detail than my digital cameras.
Because scanned grain produces a prettier image than square pixels.
Because it forces me to work more slowly and be more thoughtful before I push the shutter button, making me more of a perfectionist.
Because I can do things with my view and press cameras that I can't do in digital.
Because I'm not a pro under time/production pressure; I shoot for my own pleasure.

Don't get me wrong; the vast majority of the pictures I take are digital. And I don't have an active darkroom any more - I do mostly digital post processing from high resolution scans from my camera shop (at fifteen bucks a roll). When I do have a custom enlargement made directly from a negative, it's a special event and produces a special image.

But mostly because it's just plain fun.

Andy

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana