This article is a sequel to my previous article about why I went back to shooting film. In this article, I will discuss the benefits that film offers.
The first reason why I still shoot film is the challenge that is presented. I see the photo as an opportunity in chance. I'll explain why. When I take a landscape shot with my mirror-less camera (or any digital camera), I get an instant result. I can instantly adjust my settings for my next shot. I am still learning, as long as I pay attention to the adjustments I need to make. A lot of people, however, do not learn. They treat DSLR's and other expensive cameras as point-and-shoots. We have these amazing tools that are able to capture moments of light and yet I see many photographers not accessing the full potential that is available to them.
With film, just like digital cameras, I need to have a good idea going into the shot what my settings should be. The difference is I do not get an immediate result (except polaroid instants). I need to have a good understanding of the current light and how it is going to be processed by my lens and film. I will often take an extra picture or two and note the change in exposure, F-stop or both. This way, when I go back, I will know what worked best. What am I getting at here? Film, in my opinion, forces you to learn about light. You become really good at assessing your surroundings and knowing exactly what you need to get your shot. This in turn will roll over to your DSLR and video skills. I can almost guarantee you will improve your abilities if you are serious about what you do.
1. The fun of it!
Going out with just a normal point and shoot film camera can be fun! You don't have to worry about how the photos will come out. It is really inexpensive to shoot film. If you want better than a disposable camera, you can pick up a basic 35mm camera for less than 75 dollars. You can buy 4 rolls of film for 11 bucks. You can get that film developed for anther 10 dollars a roll. So a weekend of shooting will set you back about 100 bucks. You will spend 350 dollars for an older DSLR, another 30 bucks for a memory card, and let's say another 30 for miscellaneous accessories. So that sets you back 410 dollars.
In reality, you can spend way less and way more in both scenarios. But film will almost always be cheaper and will look just as good! Most people may take photos only on their phones now but if you own a phone long enough, you will realize the phones are very susceptible to data loss and are only trying to emulate their film counterpart (filters).
2. The grain!
The grain is something that sets film instantly apart from everything else. The fact that Instagram, Photoshop, Vscocam, and every photo editing software has a grain tool tells you the importance of this phenomenon. The grain of the film is dependent on the size of the silver particles on the film. Finer grain film will appear very smooth and sharp. In most instances, the average person will not be able to tell the difference between high quality fine grain film and a digital image. In my opinion, the grain of real film makes the image look real.
3. Black and white looks crisp!
Black and white looks real. Digital camera sensors look amazing but it is almost over compensated looking. I know this is an opinion but if you look at B&W images from most DSLRs or prosumer cameras versus B&W taken on film, you will notice a difference. If you look at Medium or Large Format cameras, the difference in quality is even smaller with Analog and Digital respectively. This is an opinion (look for yourself) but I find that many DSLR cameras need constant adjustments to the white balance/ISO and contrast to equally look as real.
4. Film Lasts Longer!
Film lasts longer than digital (at least for now). Properly stored high quality film will last a century. So far in the digital storage world, we have not been storing data digitally for long. Our current method of storage, the Hard Disk Drive, is not reliable at all. Even new SSD drives are going to fail at some point. In the digital world, you have to have multiple copies on multiple systems to ensure nothing is lost. Data backup and storage can be costly, and data recovery will cost you an arm and a leg. I have photos that my grandfather took in WWII and many of them look new. It is crazy to think the photo was taken seventy years ago because of how it was preserved and how sharp the image is.
