What are Some Benefits of Using Film Cameras?  

With the advent of digital cameras, film cameras seem to have become a thing of the past. Or have they? While more and more photographers are going digital because of the easiness of use and the lower prices, film cameras still have many benefits.

The main benefit of choosing film cameras is photo quality. While digital photography has come a long way in the past decade, it's still far behind film cameras when it comes to definition. If you intend on printing wall-sized prints or playing around with larger sizes, film cameras offer the best quality. In the last few years, new digital cameras with high-definition clarity have come into the market, but they are still no match for much simpler film cameras.

Another pro of film cameras is price. The cheapest of film cameras will offer high-quality photography; in digital, however, you may need to pay upwards of $300 US Dollars (USD) to get the same attributes. As an example, professional film cameras can be bought for about $1200 US Dollars (USD), while the same level in digital will cost at least double. Also, because of new models continuously hitting the market, digital cameras tend to lose value rather quickly. On the other hand, film cameras will usually retain their value over the years.

Photography tricks involving variation in shutter speed cannot be reproduced in digital. Film cameras, however, allow for a variety of tricks such as time lapses and overexposure. Some of the new high-end cameras may allow for fast shooting, but only under certain circumstances. Even then, they have the disadvantage of consuming batteries much faster than film cameras doing the same process.

Film cameras also allow for a variety of filters and lenses, giving the photographer a much fuller spectrum in which to work. While 50mm lenses are common in digital and film cameras, wide-angle lenses, fisheye lenses, and perspective control lenses are only available for film cameras.

Answered by Comp Geek , an ibibo Citizen, at 11:28 PM on October 17, 2008

Benefits of Using Film Cameras

1) Film cameras provide increased dynamic range in an image. No digital can provide the dynamic range of negative film.

2) Resolution: Medium format film provides more resolution than all point and shoots and most digital SLRs. If scanned in a drum scanner, it's actually far more resolution.

3) An "original": With film, you have an original slide or negative with an intrinsic value. With digital, it's so easy to make identical copy of files that there is no real "original." Your images lose their value; negatives or slides will not. Imagine this: you have a negative of a famous star doing something bad. That negative has value. A digital file of the same thing? Yeah, once someone has a digital copy, it's worthless.

4) Slides: There's nothing like a color slide. You have to see it to understand it. Color slides are just...awesome.

5) Viewing: No special equipment is needed to view film images--you just look at prints or project a slide. But for digital--you need a computer and monitor, unless you actually print all your images.

6) Thoughtfulness: You only have 1 chance to get it right with film. That breeds care, thoughtfulness, and skill. You may not get a second chance.

7) Batteries: you can get mechanical film camera that will work without batteries in a wide variety of temperatures. With digital, you need batteries, which may not work if it gets too cold or too hot.

Answered by Mohd Saqib , an ibibo Master, at 12:54 AM on October 18, 2008

Although they've been getting better, it's more difficult to be precise about capturing photos at the instant you want with a digital camera. There is a slight lag from the time you push the shutter button until the image is captured. Further, it's difficult to capture multiple images in rapid succession since it takes a moment for the camera to record each image before starting on another. Any delay in a film camera is in the winding mechanism, usually significantly faster that digital.

There are still issues with dynamic range on a lot of digital cameras: they're generally about as good as slide film, but don't quite have the latitude of colour negative. However, the noise thing makes a big difference: you can get astounding quality at 1600 ISO+ from digital where film would just be a noisy mess.

The only other unique advantages are all in the fact that it's analogue: you can fuck about with the film in development, the negatives afterwards, and the prints while you're making them -- I haven't seen digital solarisation that looks as organic as darkroom, for example.


There are some differences with film, but I think we are at the point in technology where a DSLR is definitely preferable to film. (Note: I say this a long-time film holdout.) It sounds like budget is a big issue. Here's my 2 cents:

If you can scrape together enough for a used Nikon D-40, I think you will be very happy. Others people will have other recommendations, but I have used my D-40 for over a year now, and I could not be more thrilled with the results. A kit including a lens can be had for under $500. I'm sure you can get one used for much less. Keep in mind that the semi-DSLR you used was probably significantly different than a true DSLR in several ways, the most important of which is sensor size. DSLRs have a generous sized sensor, which makes all the difference in the world when it comes to "grain" at higher ISOs. (Properly called "noise" in digital-speak.) For example, a decent DSLR can shoot at ISO 800 or 1600 with no more "grain" than a 400 speed film. This is a huge advantage over film in low light situations. There are too many digital advantages to list here, and the internet is full of examples, so I'll leave it at that. Do keep in mind that in the long run you will spend less with digital due to not having to buy film, and being essentially unlimited in the number of photos you can take.

Now, if you absolutely can not afford a digital DSLR, and have to go with film, then by all means go for it. The digital world has given advantages to the film world as well. For one thing, a great film SLR is dirt cheap. You can get a great SLR outfit with all the lenses and accessories you want for peanuts. The other advantage is digital processing. Until I got a DSLR, I took my film to Costo, and they developed it and gave me a CD with the images for $5. I could then edit the images and upload them back to Costco for printing. This is a very inexpensive way to get back into photography. As a counterbalance to my above statement about digital being less expensive in the long run due to lack of film costs, in the same way you can buy a lot of film and processing for the cost of a DSLR.

No matter which way you go, go for it! People have used film forever, and it's no less a valid way to take pictures today than it ever was. But if you can afford to go digital, with a real DSLR, that's the better option.

Answered by Gyan Singh , an ibibo Master, at 8:30 AM on October 18, 2008

With the advent of digital cameras, filmfilmfilm cameras seem to have become a thing of the past. Or have they? While more and more photographers are going digital because of the easiness of use and the lower prices, filmfilmfilm cameras still have many benefitsbenefitsbenefits.

T he main benefit of choosing filmfilmfilm cameras is photo quality. While digital photography has come a long way in the past decade, it's still far behind filmfilmfilm cameras when it comes to definition. If you intend on printing wall-sized prints or playing around with larger sizes, filmfilmfilm cameras offer the best quality. In the last few years, new digital cameras with high-definition clarity have come into the market, but they are still no match for much simpler filmfilmfilm cameras.

Another pro of filmfilmfilm cameras is price. The cheapest of filmfilmfilm cameras will offer high-quality photography; in digital, however, you may need to pay upwards of $300 US Dollars (USD) to get the same attributes. As an example, professional filmfilmfilm cameras can be bought for about $1200 US Dollars (USD), while the same level in digital will cost at least double. Also, because of new models continuously hitting the market, digital cameras tend to lose value rather quickly. On the other hand, filmfilmfilm cameras will usually retain their value over the years.

Photography tricks involving variation in shutter speed cannot be reproduced in digital. FilmFilmFilm cameras, however, allow for a variety of tricks such as time lapses and overexposure. Some of the new high-end cameras may allow for fast shooting, but only under certain circumstances. Even then, they have the disadvantage of consuming batteries much faster than filmfilmfilm cameras doing the same process.

FilmFilmFilm cameras also allow for a variety of filters and lenses, giving the photographer a much fuller spectrum in which to work. While 50mm lenses are common in digital and filmfilmfilm cameras, wide-angle lenses, fisheye lenses, and perspective control lenses are only available for filmfilmfilm cameras.
http://www.wisegeek. com/what-are-some-benefits-of- using-film-cameras.htm

Answered by Nishu's , an ibibo Master, at 4:32 PM on October 19, 2008