I'm a film photographer, but I appreciate my digital camera when it's needed!
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As some of you might know I have been picking up my film camera more and more in this digital age as I enjoy the whole process – and the "slowing down" that it involves – but I also know many digital cameras. Recently I went on a trip where I wanted to take my film camera but was also debating taking my Leica M-E too, for digital images.
After much back and forth in deciding, I opted for my Leica M-E and three lenses, a 21mm, 50mm, and 135mm – as they all weigh the same as my Nikon D800 with some lenses – in one of the best camera bags.
Well, when I found this 'hidden beach' I could not believe my eyes. I started eyeing up competition all over the place and I soon realized that I picked the right choice in a digital camera.
With many pictures later, using all three of my lenses (which is a rarity) I came back with 170 images, most I was thrilled with. If I had taken my Nikon F5 with a few bulk-loaded rolls of Fomapan 400 I would have taken some great shots I'm sure, but would I have got better than what I got from my digital camera? I'm not sure...
Sometimes when visiting new places I love to 'overshoot' a location, because I'm not sure if I will ever visit the place again. So those 170 images mean a lot to me – while at best I would have had 72 images with my film camera (likely limiting myself to two rolls of 36-exposure film).
Another thing was the ability to see the image as soon as I took it. Yes, I know I sound like someone who has only seen a digital camera for the first time! But it was true, I was able to see the image I took and if I was happy with it or not, I could move on to the next one.
Another plus was a digital camera allowed me to capture black and white images to my taste, but if I felt that color was the best for the scene I simply told my Leica to shoot in color and I had the sense of color in an instant. I would not have had that with film for certain and I exclusively only shoot black and white film with my analog photographer as I develop all my rolls, and B&W is easier to do!
Of course, there is the upload to the social media platforms Instagram and Threads – this is the only form I use to showcase my work now to anyone. Having taken these images on a digital camera I was simply able to upload them to my computer, or plug the SD card into my phone via an adaptor, do a few quick edits and – boom – they were uploaded.
See, I'm not 'just' a film photographer, I just choose the format over digital a lot of the time, but I can, and do appreciate digital cameras for all the reasons I have stated above, and on this occasion, it was the right choice to take a digital camera with me, and I'll certainly consider it again!
