Glad someone is posting videos where the “alternative” of film is canvassed. I come from the days of “film” - the creator of the video has clearly indicated the advantages of digital - I use it myself - and I would be inclined to steer a beginner in the direction of digital but isn’t it good that a medium - film - which “ruled the roost” for many decades is mentioned to the beginner. Shooting film slows one down for starters - which is not a bad thing in this age of endless pressing of the “photo” symbol or button on digital devices !
One thing that film is very good for is to understand crop factor, there is so much misconception about sensor sizes in the digital age: 1. Imagine you take ISO100 film and it's MFT sized 2. Now imagine you take an ISO100 film and it's 35mm sized (4x the surface area) 3. If you were to project the same amount of total light on both, the light intensity will be 4x less on the larger film, because you are spreading the image circle (same light) onto a larger surface area (2 stops less) 4. If you wanted to match the exposures between the films, the FF sized film will need 4x more light projected on it. If you were to observe the same exposure on MFT and Full Frame, you must be getting 4x more light on Full Frame. 5. So an f/1.4 lens on MFT will capture 4x less light than an f/1.4 lens on FF, because the light intensity / exposure is the same, but the image circle is a lot smaller = less total light. For APS-C it is 2.56x less light. Picturing this in film debunks all of the photographers claiming that f/2.8 gathers the same light regardless of sensor (or in this case film) size - that's simply not true. The exposure is the same, the amount of light is drastically different.
A day spent with a cheap/ 10 year old or more interchangeable lens digital camera, set completely on manual focus & exposure modes with a prime 50mm (35mm apsc) lens will teach the "beginner" the basics of photography far quicker than by using an analogue camera over 10-20, 35mm rolls of film. They could then develop their basic skills by trying out a cheap manual focussing 28mm & /or 135mm lens, where it could be possible after only a few weeks, they would have learnt more than I did over my first few years of photography in the 1960's! (Well I was a slow learner & the cost of d&p for an impoverished student was high!) OK, I might be exaggerating, but certainly the basics can be learnt far quicker in the digital age. However that's when the hard work of learning & honing your artistic skills really begins! My Leica IIIf & Elmar 50mm F/2.8 still hold pride of place in my camera collection, but would I recommend a "beginner" to go through some of the pain/anguish and the cost I experienced during my early photographic journey ...I don't think so!
Thankyou jules for instructive Video.I have a D7000 and the pentax spotmatic sp which i brought brand new in 1968.i would like advice how to clean curtain and seals on it if you can thankyou@julesvuottosphotofocus4696
You could also go for a N80/F80 which does supports VR and have full support for G lenses which the N90/F90/N90S/F90X lacks. It is also often cheaper 😄
@@rjbiii That’s true, but I think you can learn more quickly by seeing your results right away and making any corrections. Also, many of your settings are in each file, so you can look back at them later. Thank you for watching and your comments.
@@julesvuottosphotofocus4696 I feel like it didn't work that way for me. I saw results right away, but didn't understand them, because with a digital camera there are so many variables and settings that I couldn't figure out where I was going wrong. Since making a switch to film and using a purely mechanical camera, I was forced to fully comprehend the fundamentals. Now when I pick up my digital camera, there's no more mystery or confusion. Obviously, what works for me might not be good for someone else. This was just my experience.
@@julesvuottosphotofocus4696 Reflecting on this a bit more, I'd probably have done best with digital and like an afternoon of 1 on 1 instruction instead of random youtube tutorials lol. Also I think modern digital cameras except for Fuji and Leica obscure the basic exposure triangle too much. Using a film camera and using an X-T5 made the exposure triangle way more clear than when I started with a Nikon D3300 which has no dedicated shutter dial, iso dial, or aperture ring. Now I mainly use an OM-1 (film slr) and an X-T5 and I love being able to look at the top of my camera and know exactly what's going on.
@@rjbiii I mostly shoot with a Nikon Z8 or Z6 except for studio type headshots when I use a Nikon D810. The D810 is always used in manual mode and the mirrorless cameras I use in either manual, shutter priority or aperture priority depending on the subject. I love the fact that you can see the effects of your settings in the viewfinder before shooting. It great that we have so many options today, whether we shoot film, DSLR or mirrorless. There is something for everyone.
The beginner is much better served by a digital camera imo where they can learn faster by making every mistake in the book and trying all the different settings for no cost other than the cost of the camera itself. Doesn't have to be an expensive camera or lens setup.
It depends whether you want to be a technical photographer or and artist photographer. If you wanna be technical then digital is the way to go. If you wanna be an artist you can't beat film. Art isn't supposed to be easy or cheap. It costs money and time to make art. As you say in your video digital is cheap. Shooting film makes you think differently about what you are trying to produce in exactly the same way that shooting different formats or black and white and color or different film stocks make you think differently. To an artist painting with water color and painting with oils produces different creative mindsets. Digital is way easier to do than film which was why it was invented in the first place, however easier doesn't always mean better. So if you prefer easy and cheap then shoot digital. If you prefer a creative challenge then shoot film. In my opinion the best way to learn photography is to slow down and consider what you are trying to achieve. The best way to do this is with a manual film camera and a separate light meter. Take fewer pictures and learn faster. If you want to develop your artistic skills study art, not photography and visit as many art galleries as you can. If you don't get any of the above then shoot only digital. Many people do get the above which is why were seeing a massive resurgence in film.
@@jonjanson8021 You make some very good points. However you can still create art with a digital camera. You can slow down and use it like you would a film camera. Thanks for watching and your comments.
@@julesvuottosphotofocus4696 The point is the art will be different, A film camera will make you think differently. Film and digital are not mutually exclusive. A film camera will force you to slow down and think because it is more difficult to master. Digital is way easier than film, that's why it was produced in the first place. Many people now realise this and it's why we are seeing a film renaissance. So yes you can make digital art but it won't be the same as analog art. Choose the medium that best suits your pre-visualisation. As a painter does when selecting a type of paint. The digital vs. film debate is dead. They are totally different with totally different results.
film is expensive. shall I say, precious? if you are shooting film today, it means you really mean it. you're doing it for you. you're probably not doing it for paid work, because that's digital now. I believe that no matter how you prefer to do your film photography, whether you want full control or let the camera do some of the decisions while you concentrate on the composition, you should welcome some automation like auto film loading. young photographers who had never shot film before should spare themselves the pain of a botched film loading.
Jules, this is a very good, underrated topic. So, I have had a couple of friend’s kids show interest in photography and I often recommend to start with an inexpensive digital camera that has manual capabilities and lens interchangeability as the Nikon D3200 series. They are inexpensive and there is a huge cheap lens selection. Anyway, this video is very good and moving forward I will recommend it as it has the very basics to camera selection for someone starting out. All in all, I agree with your recommendations.
Worth noting that data storage and editing software usually end up being monthly expenses if you get into the digital side of things. You can easily end up spending $30-50/mo on the two if digital photography becomes a serious habit...
@@julesvuottosphotofocus4696 Not trying to be a contrarian or argue digital is more expensive than film, just worth keeping in mind. Adobe creative cloud is $20/mo for just photoshop and lightroom, $60/mo for the full suite. A service like dropbox is $12/mo for 2 terabytes and another $10ish for each terabyte after that. Hard drive based storage is a whole other ecosystem of costs. Since I got going a few years ago that space fills up pretty fast! But not everyone is taking lots of photos per image for focus stacks or things like that. Anyway, great video.
Just came across yourself whist browsing, well I thought you were talking to me personally because that’s the position I’m in looking for a camera and last one I owned was a 35mm film camera. Personally it’s has to be digital for me. The sending a film off and waiting a few weeks only to discover only captured a few good shots from 24 or 36 images was disappointing or at worst the light somehow got into the film with the dreaded stickers on each one to tell you so. As you say, the convenience of owning a mobile phone in 2024 and the surprised me good photos it takes for the tiny sensor size is impressive, people married about micro 4/3 being small but not realise it just how small it is on an average smart phone is. I do understand film would and can make you slow down and really focus on the shot that you are taking. Digital certainly has made people lazy including me being able to take many many shots and have the simplistic Just to delete the Shots that you don’t like. Yes I still enjoy looking back at all the photos I have from film cameras and still possess all the negatives. There is less chance that they can be accidentally erased, yes I back up my digital photos just in case . Enjoyed watching and new subscriber 🥳
@@nigelwest3430 Film has made somewhat of a comeback in recent years. I have a nephew who is 27 and he and his friends love shooting film. However, I always recommend that beginners shoot digital. Thanks for watching and your comments.
Just start wit your phone. You have to be crazy to begin with film, but even more to use it for professional work. What`s this anyway, only a talking head with a very boring background and no photos shown...........common.
Analogue camera is definite a thing of the past. Digital is the only one to go for either environment or cost due to instant results and not waste of money to get the film developed. If any recommendation to get analogue is the stupidest .
Glad someone is posting videos where the “alternative” of film is canvassed. I come from the days of “film” - the creator of the video has clearly indicated the advantages of digital - I use it myself - and I would be inclined to steer a beginner in the direction of digital but isn’t it good that a medium - film - which “ruled the roost” for many decades is mentioned to the beginner. Shooting film slows one down for starters - which is not a bad thing in this age of endless pressing of the “photo” symbol or button on digital devices !
@@Digibeatle09 The fact that film forces you to slow down is one of its advantages. Thanks for watching and your comments.
One thing that film is very good for is to understand crop factor, there is so much misconception about sensor sizes in the digital age:
1. Imagine you take ISO100 film and it's MFT sized
2. Now imagine you take an ISO100 film and it's 35mm sized (4x the surface area)
3. If you were to project the same amount of total light on both, the light intensity will be 4x less on the larger film, because you are spreading the image circle (same light) onto a larger surface area (2 stops less)
4. If you wanted to match the exposures between the films, the FF sized film will need 4x more light projected on it. If you were to observe the same exposure on MFT and Full Frame, you must be getting 4x more light on Full Frame.
5. So an f/1.4 lens on MFT will capture 4x less light than an f/1.4 lens on FF, because the light intensity / exposure is the same, but the image circle is a lot smaller = less total light. For APS-C it is 2.56x less light.
Picturing this in film debunks all of the photographers claiming that f/2.8 gathers the same light regardless of sensor (or in this case film) size - that's simply not true. The exposure is the same, the amount of light is drastically different.
@@DigiDriftZone Thanks for your comments.
A day spent with a cheap/ 10 year old or more interchangeable lens digital camera, set completely on manual focus & exposure modes with a prime 50mm (35mm apsc) lens will teach the "beginner" the basics of photography far quicker than by using an analogue camera over 10-20, 35mm rolls of film.
They could then develop their basic skills by trying out a cheap manual focussing 28mm & /or 135mm lens, where it could be possible after only a few weeks, they would have learnt more than I did over my first few years of photography in the 1960's! (Well I was a slow learner & the cost of d&p for an impoverished student was high!)
OK, I might be exaggerating, but certainly the basics can be learnt far quicker in the digital age. However that's when the hard work of learning & honing your artistic skills really begins!
My Leica IIIf & Elmar 50mm F/2.8 still hold pride of place in my camera collection, but would I recommend a "beginner" to go through some of the pain/anguish and the cost I experienced during my early photographic journey ...I don't think so!
@@johngreenwood9247 Very true. Thank you for watching.
Thankyou jules for instructive Video.I have a D7000 and the pentax spotmatic sp which i brought brand new in 1968.i would like advice how to clean curtain and seals on it if you can thankyou@julesvuottosphotofocus4696
You could also go for a N80/F80 which does supports VR and have full support for G lenses which the N90/F90/N90S/F90X lacks. It is also often cheaper 😄
@@michaelrasmussen3347 Good suggestion. Thanks for watching.
Pure mechanical film camera. You have absolutely no choice but to learn the fundamentals. Understanding that will make everything else so much better.
@@rjbiii That’s true, but I think you can learn more quickly by seeing your results right away and making any corrections. Also, many of your settings are in each file, so you can look back at them later. Thank you for watching and your comments.
@@julesvuottosphotofocus4696 I feel like it didn't work that way for me. I saw results right away, but didn't understand them, because with a digital camera there are so many variables and settings that I couldn't figure out where I was going wrong. Since making a switch to film and using a purely mechanical camera, I was forced to fully comprehend the fundamentals. Now when I pick up my digital camera, there's no more mystery or confusion. Obviously, what works for me might not be good for someone else. This was just my experience.
@@rjbiii You make some very valid points.
@@julesvuottosphotofocus4696 Reflecting on this a bit more, I'd probably have done best with digital and like an afternoon of 1 on 1 instruction instead of random youtube tutorials lol. Also I think modern digital cameras except for Fuji and Leica obscure the basic exposure triangle too much. Using a film camera and using an X-T5 made the exposure triangle way more clear than when I started with a Nikon D3300 which has no dedicated shutter dial, iso dial, or aperture ring. Now I mainly use an OM-1 (film slr) and an X-T5 and I love being able to look at the top of my camera and know exactly what's going on.
@@rjbiii I mostly shoot with a Nikon Z8 or Z6 except for studio type headshots when I use a Nikon D810. The D810 is always used in manual mode and the mirrorless cameras I use in either manual, shutter priority or aperture priority depending on the subject. I love the fact that you can see the effects of your settings in the viewfinder before shooting. It great that we have so many options today, whether we shoot film, DSLR or mirrorless. There is something for everyone.
The beginner is much better served by a digital camera imo where they can learn faster by making every mistake in the book and trying all the different settings for no cost other than the cost of the camera itself. Doesn't have to be an expensive camera or lens setup.
@@ryen7512 I agree 100%. Thanks for watching.
It depends whether you want to be a technical photographer or and artist photographer. If you wanna be technical then digital is the way to go. If you wanna be an artist you can't beat film.
Art isn't supposed to be easy or cheap. It costs money and time to make art. As you say in your video digital is cheap.
Shooting film makes you think differently about what you are trying to produce in exactly the same way that shooting different formats or black and white and color or different film stocks make you think differently. To an artist painting with water color and painting with oils produces different creative mindsets.
Digital is way easier to do than film which was why it was invented in the first place, however easier doesn't always mean better.
So if you prefer easy and cheap then shoot digital. If you prefer a creative challenge then shoot film.
In my opinion the best way to learn photography is to slow down and consider what you are trying to achieve. The best way to do this is with a manual film camera and a separate light meter.
Take fewer pictures and learn faster. If you want to develop your artistic skills study art, not photography and visit as many art galleries as you can.
If you don't get any of the above then shoot only digital. Many people do get the above which is why were seeing a massive resurgence in film.
@@jonjanson8021 You make some very good points. However you can still create art with a digital camera. You can slow down and use it like you would a film camera. Thanks for watching and your comments.
@@julesvuottosphotofocus4696 The point is the art will be different, A film camera will make you think differently. Film and digital are not mutually exclusive. A film camera will force you to slow down and think because it is more difficult to master. Digital is way easier than film, that's why it was produced in the first place. Many people now realise this and it's why we are seeing a film renaissance. So yes you can make digital art but it won't be the same as analog art. Choose the medium that best suits your pre-visualisation. As a painter does when selecting a type of paint. The digital vs. film debate is dead. They are totally different with totally different results.
film is expensive. shall I say, precious? if you are shooting film today, it means you really mean it. you're doing it for you. you're probably not doing it for paid work, because that's digital now.
I believe that no matter how you prefer to do your film photography, whether you want full control or let the camera do some of the decisions while you concentrate on the composition, you should welcome some automation like auto film loading. young photographers who had never shot film before should spare themselves the pain of a botched film loading.
@@oteliogarcia1562 Thanks for watching and your comments.
Jules, this is a very good, underrated topic. So, I have had a couple of friend’s kids show interest in photography and I often recommend to start with an inexpensive digital camera that has manual capabilities and lens interchangeability as the Nikon D3200 series. They are inexpensive and there is a huge cheap lens selection. Anyway, this video is very good and moving forward I will recommend it as it has the very basics to camera selection for someone starting out. All in all, I agree with your recommendations.
@@leod1671 Thank you Leo.
Worth noting that data storage and editing software usually end up being monthly expenses if you get into the digital side of things. You can easily end up spending $30-50/mo on the two if digital photography becomes a serious habit...
@@kyleparks4528 I think that’s a little high, but still no where near the cost if you shoot a lot of film. Thanks for watching and your comments.
@@julesvuottosphotofocus4696 Not trying to be a contrarian or argue digital is more expensive than film, just worth keeping in mind. Adobe creative cloud is $20/mo for just photoshop and lightroom, $60/mo for the full suite. A service like dropbox is $12/mo for 2 terabytes and another $10ish for each terabyte after that. Hard drive based storage is a whole other ecosystem of costs. Since I got going a few years ago that space fills up pretty fast! But not everyone is taking lots of photos per image for focus stacks or things like that. Anyway, great video.
Digital !
Just came across yourself whist browsing, well I thought you were talking to me personally because that’s the position I’m in looking for a camera and last one I owned was a 35mm film camera. Personally it’s has to be digital for me. The sending a film off and waiting a few weeks only to discover only captured a few good shots from 24 or 36 images was disappointing or at worst the light somehow got into the film with the dreaded stickers on each one to tell you so. As you say, the convenience of owning a mobile phone in 2024 and the surprised me good photos it takes for the tiny sensor size is impressive, people married about micro 4/3 being small but not realise it just how small it is on an average smart phone is. I do understand film would and can make you slow down and really focus on the shot that you are taking. Digital certainly has made people lazy including me being able to take many many shots and have the simplistic Just to delete the Shots that you don’t like. Yes I still enjoy looking back at all the photos I have from film cameras and still possess all the negatives. There is less chance that they can be accidentally erased, yes I back up my digital photos just in case . Enjoyed watching and new subscriber 🥳
@@Windsurfingaddict Thank you. Film has enjoyed a bit of a comeback in recent years, but digital is the way to go.
@@julesvuottosphotofocus4696
Yes I totally agree, thank you for your comments 🥳🥳
I would have thought the choice these days would be DSLR or mirrorless, film is old news
@@nigelwest3430 Film has made somewhat of a comeback in recent years. I have a nephew who is 27 and he and his friends love shooting film. However, I always recommend that beginners shoot digital. Thanks for watching and your comments.
What??? Huhhh??? How is this even a question??
@@dragonsystems5973 What’s your opinion? What would you recommend to a beginner?
Learn about lighting , a cell phone is good enough .
@@terrytong8665 It depends on what you’re shooting. Thanks for watching.
Just start wit your phone.
You have to be crazy to begin with film, but even more to use it for professional work.
What`s this anyway, only a talking head with a very boring background and no photos shown...........common.
Analogue camera is definite a thing of the past. Digital is the only one to go for either environment or cost due to instant results and not waste of money to get the film developed. If any recommendation to get analogue is the stupidest .
@@chingo3625 I agree. Thanks for watching.