[Soundwave]

Guys,

I'm starting up photography as a hobby & I'm pretty useless so far, although to be fair my main experiences have been 35mm Compacts & basic Digital cameras for fun snaps on hols, at car shows, down the park etc.

However now I'm looking at trying it out properly so before I take the plunge & spend a small fortune on a reasonable DSLR I thought it might be worth me getting my dads old Film SLR & getting some practice in that way before I spend a load of money & decide I'm so pants it wasnt worth it.

So I was just curious to know does anyone still shoot this way?
If so can you recommend good film & places to buy from?
I'll be trying colour first & then moving to B&W in a couple of months time when I've got a few shots under my belt so to speak.

Thanks in advance for any advice it's much appreciated.

Neil

[sbowler]

Buy a cheap or second hand digicam, and practice with that it will cost a lot less in the long run. And you will be able to see your mistakes instantly and correct them. The trouble with film is the length of time from taking the shot to seeing the results.

[Soundwave]

I actually do have 2 Compact Digitals (2mp Samsung Digimax & 4mp Fujifilm Finepix A400) but I find that they are a bit limited in features compared to the SLR's

I'm looking at learning photography from the ground up so I was thinking that starting with my dads old SLR would be a cheaper way & also would help me learn about ISO's Shutter Speeds etc. because I know absolutley zero about any of that sort of thing.

Waiting for Pictures is a pain I know but would be worth it I think so long as I get to know the basics & get a better understanding of photography in general

Neil

[kjhirons]

If you can get hold of a film SLR to use for free go for it. The fact that you only get 36 shots a film and what you have taken is what you will get back from the processors will hopefully make you think every time you press the shutter.

The future of photography is most definately digital but you'll get a whole lot out of old fashioned film photograghy. I shall certainly be keeping my dated SLR cameras alongside any digital kit I may have.

[barongreenback]

Film is an excellent way to learn. I'm actually looking for a second hand film body to try out some landscapes with Fuji Velvia as the colour reproduction just can't be imitated on digital.

Having your pictures printed rather than viewing them on a screen is a great way to be critical and encourages you to get photos right first time in the camera rather than relying on heavy post processing in PS. Unless you fork out for monitor calibration you'll never really know whether you've been entirely successful. The lack of EXIF data might be a pain but there's nothing easier than taking a notepad with you and jotting down a few of the details as you go along - something I was encouraged to do even with digital.

If you want to be really flash (forgive the pun), there are some cracking deals to be had on Bronica medium format kit.

[cu3ed]

Yep, still use film, simply because the cameras (if you get a proper pro one), are built with better quality.

Plus, a good slide film scalps the arse out of any digital.

Film teaches you patience in a shot( rather than Digital as it teaches you to blast every concievable shot in the vain hope youll get a good one).

A good photographer dooes'nt need more than 36 shots to achieve what he/she wants out of it.

Originally Posted by cu3ed

A good photographer dooes'nt need more than 36 shots to achieve what he/she wants out of it.

I think you will find that Lord Litchfield or David Bailey whom I would consider "good photographers" would have shot 10s of rolls of film to get what they wanted out of it , the difference is that they didn't have the worry of paying for developing.

In fact I cant think of one professional field of photography that hasn't traditonally shot loads of rolls of film.

[md644]

I'd tend to agree with sbowler's advice, you should be able to get an older high spec (though probably lower megapixels than current models)digital compact fairly cheaply (i.e. one with manual control over apertures and shutter speeds - something like an older Canon Powershot for example).

This way you'll be able to take plenty of photographs at virtually no extra cost, and see the results (and work out what you did right, or wrong) instantly on the LCD and analyse further when you get back to your PC. It will also allow you to start to discover what features you're really looking for in a future camera (DSLR).

Agreed film teaches you patience and can be an excellent way to learn, but you have to wait until the film is finished and processed, by which time you might have forgotten what you did for that particular shot. In the case of prints, you're also at the mercy of the lab's printing in that they often "correct" badly exposed shots for example, which kinda defeats the object. However if you do go the film route, make notes of the settings for each shot and maybe use slides (slide fim is very unforgiving of bad exposures, it'll show up your errors rather more obviously than prints, see above).

(For the record, I use a mixture of digital and film cameras).

[dood]

Another point of view:

You may actually spend a lot on processing film. As you say that you are a novice, there will be a learning curve and it may take a while before you feel ready to splash out on a dSLR. For the amount you will have spent on film, perhaps you could put that money into a second hand dSLR. If you have some patience you could probably pick up something like a second hand 300D for under 300 pounds and this could serve you well for some time.

[senu]

Forgive me if this seems a rehash of the above.

Most " accomplished" Photographers have used film to hone thier craft. It does make you think before you shoot ( as the cost of film/ D&P) can mount.
Added to that is the wait to see whether your shot was what you thought it was and (as was stated earlier) not all processing labs have tight Quality controls and you can be at thier mercy even when youve done all the right things

I do still have a Film SLR (: have had 5 to date) but havent used it now for 18 months.
Digital "absolute quality" is still behind film at the same price point but the gap is narrowing

If you are just starting off , may I suggest you get an affordable second hand ( "lovingly pre-used" ) or new(ish) ex-demo DSLR.

You can still learn valuable photography skills ( and new ones : Post processing) which will be more helpful unless you wish to go "Pro" and end up still using film.
If you dont see yourself using film now or in the near future you lose nothing by "learning" with digital.
I suspect that some of the "masters of the art" who no doubt have great skills have had to unlearn some in this digital era and learn a few newer things. Seeing as digital is "New" who knows if they would have gone straight to digital if it had been as readily available in thier day as it is now

No matter how much we extal the virtues of film, many film companies (including KodaK) have bowed to market forces and have either folded up, downgraded thier film divisions to digital or merged with other firms to keep going so there is no gettting away from digital.

Im sure someone here will agree that you dont have to pay for film, D&P, and the wait for the D&P to improve yourself.
However as you have access to your Dads camera, you can take some pics with it , "borrow" say a Canon 300D take identical pictures and do a mental comparison.
HTH

[Soundwave]

Many thanks for all the advice guys its much appreciatd.

I've spoken to my dad & he is sorting me out the camera this weekend so as I'm off on Monday I'm taking the camera & going for a bit of a play so to speak.

I'd dearly love to just go out & buy a second had DSLR but unfortunatley I dont have the means to so I'm starting to save towards it now & in the meantime try my hand at film & at leats gain an understanding.

Ok so there is the film to buy & the Developing to pay out for but over the next few months while I save I honestly cant see me sepnding a fortune so I think it's worth starting like this first.

I'm actually really looking forward to getting my first roll shot & developed.

Which brings me netly onto another question...who do you recommend for developing?
I have a Jessops near me & have heard they are quite respectable but are there any others you'd recommend online or otherwise?

Thanks again for all the advice & help it's been a great help.

Neil

[ush flynn]

Cu3ed... a man after my own heart!

Im still of the "Learn skills on film first" school of thought. I have a nikon Fe2 an F75 and an F5 (which due to its bulk i might switch down to a F100 or up to an F6

I think that having the option to use a film SLR at no initial cost to yourself is a GREAT start in photography. As you mentioned you have digital compacts so are familiar with how quickly you can review your work. I still believe waiting for prints or slides (i get my slides unmounted... quicker to scan) then opening up the packaging to see how well you have done has a bit more appeal than flicking through your pics 5 mins after you have taken them on a 2" LCD screen.
Beware of processing costs for slide film.. I got 5 rolls i took in the lake district done in snappy snaps and one roll didnt come out (i dont think the camera was winding) and they still charged me full price £40 for the lot... no prints.
pisstake if you ask me.
If you want to use jessops make sure they have a lab instore. The labs they send away to are awful (i used to work there)

The idea mentioned of getting a used dslr like a 300d is interesting. Their price must have dropped very low by now. I remember when i worked at jessops people were using 300d's for a few months then getting 10d's and wanting to sell or exchange. Then after that some people were buying much older D30's which i think was a 4mp dslr. Very cheap now, all the features you would want minus the developing costs.

In the end though slides still smash digital for quality.

To the guy wanting to use velvia on landscapes... Give Provia a try too mate. I love it

[barongreenback]

Thanks Ush, I certainly will try that.