The dark side has called out to me for a long time. It has lured me in sometimes and I always resisted… but I think this time I’m gone!
What dark side you ask?
Well, the one I always dismissed, the one I have played down during 2 years of posts, the one that get’s excluded by the very name of my blog:
D I G I T A L
The word makes me shiver 😉
By the way, I promised to tell you a secret in my previous post, and here it comes:
The photographs of that post are DIGITAL, taken with a Fuji X-E1 and Fuji 35mm lens some time back….
There, it’s out, I have dared to touch digital photography, my hands are unclean…
But the dark side indeed has some cookies! And they not only come in the form of instant gratification, the fact that, even without chimping on your camera’s screen all the time, you can use your photos immediately, without the hassle of developing, scanning and all that stuff.
Talking of developing film, it’s not the most ecological hobby around, I think you’ll agree. Never mind the small quantities of chemicals used. And then again, film production is not quite green too!
Digital eliminates two steps from the process of making photographs. The initial step, making the photo with your camera remains the same. The later step of ‘developing’ the RAW file is similar to either ‘developing’ the scan of the negative or the process of wet printing.
What you save is the developing and scanning tasks. Time consuming, tiresome, boring… yes, boring! Though I always get that thrill when I finally open the developing tank and see these negatives…
On the camera front, I love the simplest of them. Either point and shoot film cameras or those with manual controls. Manual focus, a nice dial for shutter speeds and an aperture ring on the lens! That makes my day.
I can have that in digital too! Of course I said in a former post that I am confused by digital cameras and their numerous options and that is still true. But in the end it’s the outcome that counts. And the end Product will always be the print or the photo book. Not the low resolution pictures on a screen. If I keep that in mind I think I will keep my sanity.
‘Is it real or is it Memorex?’ the advertising went in the olden days of cassette tapes. Nowadays we have to ask differently.
‘Is it film or is it digital?’
Now tell me one thing please. If I go over to the dark side, shall I change the title of my blog?
And by all means, blast away if you want to bring me to reason! Tell me your feelings.
Thanks for giving me your opinion and thanks for reading!
Frank Lehnen Photography 
Well, that’s a turn! Honestly, the only digital camera I’d want to use would be a Fuji with some film simulation presets, like x100. Just because you can use it as a film camera but spare those dev and scan parts, as you said.
Good luck on the dark side, and get back with awesome results!
As for the blog name, I think it speaks to both film and digital, like “Why (only) film cameras”
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Good idea! Thanks! That hypothetical digital camera will indeed be a Fuji.
And the final decision is still out there…
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In the recent past, when choosing and using ‘serious’ digital cameras, I was constantly looking for something that gave me the same look and sheer ‘pop’ that I used to get from a 50mm f2 Nikkor and kodak ektar, without spending hours editing (boring!). I was constantly dissapointed, A Nikon D80 came and went – soft and mushy. Sigma dp1s produced nice results, being punchy and contrasty, but was such a pain in the a®5e to use, and really slow shot to shot. Finally, I got to my Fuji xe1. Great colours, good exposures, wonderful sharpness and contrast . All I do is cropping and minor editing in Lightroom. Dont bother with raw, there’s reallyno need. Whether its the lack of an anti aliasing filter that helps here, I really dont know. All I know is that it allows me to capture great images. I love film too, but all said and done, a camera is just a tool, a means to an end.
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Amen to that and thank you!!
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I’ve been in both camps for quite a while and I don’t regret it at all. If anything, my use of analogue has increased over the years and for portraits it is my preferred medium.
Among others, I do still own a Fuji X-E1 on which a Samyang 12mm is more or less glued. Regardless of which Fuji, I love to use them for adapted lenses. Using them is a joy and there are so many to choose from. You can start with the ones you use for the Leica. The original Fuji lenses are, however, not to be sneezed at.
I would not turn my nose up at using the raw files. They have so much more information and give you a greater latitude when “developing” them.
As to the title: I see no reason for change. You have been including IPhone pictures from time to time. At the end of the day, it is the results that count. What tools you use and how you get there is, of course, for the readers interesting …
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To be honest I think that image making is the most important thing, not the camera used. Having said that, I happen to enjoy messing with chemicals more than fiddling with computers.
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Your blog entry is very timely for me. Increasing hand tremors and deteriorating eyesight are making it difficult to use my all-mechanical film cameras. I am resigned to needing both auto-focus and OIS, and I have been thinking that if I have to deal with all those controls and menus I might as well shoot digital. I liked the example photos in your previous entry about B&W and the revelation that they were taken with a digital camera was a real eye opener. Thank you!
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You’re welcome! And indeed digital might be the ‘cure’ for old eyes and shaky hands for me too…. at least the eyes for the moment. The results are good, comparable to film and you can use those pseudo film presets…
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Ha – the best of both worlds: I avoided the ‘Dark side’ for ages, but the fact that I was unable to get colour chemicals here in Oman pushed me over the edge..
Now I quite happily swap & change – 6×6, 6×4.5, 35mm and a Fuji X-pro1 along with the Nikon Df, both of these should stay with me for as long as they keep working.
I went mad at first (3 other digital cameras) hated all the buttons & menu pages with a vengeance ! especially after using my Nikon F2. Now all I hate is scanning.
Enjoy the journey, I am sure it will be fun 🙂
Ho and it’s a question so why change it, the tile that is.
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Thanks David! Though my choice would rather be film OR digital, not both… As to the title… we’ll see
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Digital ou pellicule ? Pour moi le plus important est le plaisir.
Pour ma part, utiliser un numérique m’ennuie profondément tandis que j’ai un plaisir immense à utiliser mes Leica, Bronica et autres Zorki, en les chargeant d’un film que j’aurai bobiné moi-même.
Si tu as du plaisir en numérique : n’hésites pas, shoote en numérique.
Et puis rien n’empêche d’utiliser les deux techniques en alternance… ;o)
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Merci pour tes mots, Ben!
C’est vrai, utiliser des vrais appareils photos donne du plaisir. Surtout la simplicité des appareils, le manque de choix (pas de menus, de simulations films…) fait que je m’y retrouve.
Et je pense que mon choix est fait (…pour le moment): L’argentique, j’y suis et j’y reste.
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It is obvious you stay with analog photography. Or isn’t it?
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Guess so….. it’s just rather confused in my mind for the moment. Cost and maintenance for my Leica… will I keep it, sell it and buy a cheaper analog camera or digital??? Dunno????
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Well, people shooting film knows why they do it, I think. My friend Wojtek has huge large format and medium format cameras. Huge tripod. It is expensive to buy slides, to develop them. It is very heavy when he carnies all his gear ….but he loves it.
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One more thought….
there are two different things/hobbies…
1. Hobby around film cameras ….love to film cameras….joy of shooting on film
2. Photographing in general…. loving to capture the word around, the subject, the the beauty
They are connected. For you, it is probably combination of both of these that you like. If you skipped film…maybe you would miss it soon. Or not?
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You’re right! Thanks. I guess it’ 50/50 for me. And 50 + 50 = 100% fun. I’d certainly miss something with digital!
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Yep, I think you are strongly connected to the analog tradition, that process, that craftsmanship that you have to go throught before you get to the final image. Also, your relations to old cameras, and love to them is obvious…. https://whyfilmcameras.com/2017/02/12/a-most-unique-leica-iiia/ …. how you played with cleaning… this is real relationship!
And in this post you summed it up: https://whyfilmcameras.com/2017/02/20/paralysis-of-choice-or-why-i-love-analog/
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