With the advent of digital photography, film photography lost its position among both professionals and amateur photographers. In many ways, this is justified - the advantages and accessibility of digital photography are known and undeniable. But even now film photography is not dead; it has a stable number of supporters. Moreover, many amateur photographers, especially young ones, want to try their hand at this. I am sure that there would be much more of them, but I am stopped by the well-established opinion that film photography is not only a difficult matter, but also very financially expensive.
Let's try to refute these claims. Of course, photographic film and paper are not cheap now, but if you analyze it, it turns out that in the Soviet Union taking up photography required large financial costs, but there were millions of amateur photographers in the USSR.
Let's try to “assemble” a set of photographic equipment typical for the average Soviet amateur photographer.
Let's start with the camera. Many people probably remember that perhaps the most common cameras in the 70-80s were the FED or Zorki, which cost 60-80 rubles. Zenit in those days was almost “space”, not only did it cost 100-110 rubles (Zenit E) and 140 (Zenit TTL), but it was also difficult to buy - times were scarce. And many, including me, were generally content with scale cameras - Smena-8M for 15 rubles, Smena-Symbol for 23 rubles or Vilia-Auto. I don’t remember how much Vilia cost, I think it was about 40 rubles. I will not consider medium format at all due to the fact that photo enlargers for medium format were practically unavailable; for example, Azov cost 700 rubles. And the cameras themselves were very expensive, except for the Amateur - this one cost either 20 or 30 rubles. And Kyiv-60 for 690 or Salyut for 900 rubles were naturally “out of reach.”
Photo enlargers were also not cheap, although they lasted for decades and were passed on from generation to generation. Most of my friends had either the simple UPA, or Leningrad. I got a Smena from the 60s from my father. I don’t remember exactly how much the cheapest photo enlarger cost then, but in my opinion, 15-20 rubles.
Well, and more examples of prices from our Soviet past - exposure meter Sverdlovsk - 47 rubles, Jupiter-9 lens - 140 rubles, photo tank 1 ruble 50 kopecks, black and white film - 35 kopecks, fixer - 15 kopecks, developer - 20 kopecks.
And note that all this is for domestic products, I can’t even imagine how much some imported film, for example Illford, or a Nikon F3 camera would cost if they were on sale then.
What is the situation today? Well, at least no worse than in the USSR! How much money will it take today to try film photography - from shooting to developing and printing photographs?
Of course, we are considering a starter kit to try. After all, perhaps, after shooting and printing the film, you will understand that this activity is not for you, so you should not resist and buy expensive equipment right away.
To start testing, you can consider domestic cameras - Zenit, Zorkiy, FED. Such a camera in good working condition costs from 500 to 1500 rubles. Where to buy - you can look at Avito or Newmolot - there is no shortage of such cameras. The only advice is that you should not consider cameras that have collectible value - FED-NKVD, Zorkiy-2, Zorkiy-3.
When purchasing, be sure to check the condition of the shutter curtains and the operation of the camera at all shutter speeds. If your camera has a built-in exposure meter, check it too, at least visually. The lack of an exposure meter in your camera will not cause you any inconvenience now - if you have a smartphone, install the exposure meter application on it.
All other equipment - a photo enlarger, a photo tank, etc. can be bought for about 1,500 rubles on the same sites where you look for the camera.
As a result, for 2-3 thousand rubles you can easily buy a camera, shoot film, develop it and print your first photo! The main desire!
Shooting on film when digital photography rules the roost — what is it? Archaism? Outright opposition? Or is it a lifestyle and creativity?
I think everyone has their own definition of film photography in the modern world, but this cannot in any way affect the fact of its existence. Despite numerous predictions of film's departure from the photographic scene, the number of its adherents is growing.
When I started photography, the very concept of “analog photography” did not exist. The photograph was just a photograph. There was simply no other way to obtain a photographic image other than to shoot an object or event on film, develop it and print it on photographic paper. But progress does not stand still, and today there is a generation of photographers who have never shot on film. “And why all this fuss with films and chemicals,” the digital photographer thinks logically. In reality, it's not that simple.
Photographers have always strived to quickly see the result of the shooting, at least preliminary. But all they had before digital was Polaroid with all its disadvantages.
The ability to instantly obtain an image and quickly view the footage is the main merit of digital photography. What does a digital photographer do after a short series of images? Correctly — looks through the footage. A photographer's dream come true? Yes!
However, without in any way encroaching on the obvious advantages of digital photography, I am forced to state: digital has completely deprived photography of some magic, mystery... and a responsible attitude towards it. Possibility of significant correction and easy high-quality installation on a computer is extremely chilling for a person with a digital camera.
When the number arrived, photographers joked: click, look, delete... Unfortunately, shooting really turned into an endless process of viewing and deleting useless images. But it doesn’t look much like a photograph anymore.
A familiar pose for a modern photographer. We began to spend too much time looking at the footage. Maybe it would be better to spend it on taking photographs?
If you shoot digitally and have never worked with film, try to step into the shoes of a film photographer on your next shoot. Turn off the camera display and view only through the viewfinder. Strictly limit yourself to the number of frames, for example 180 (exactly this amount fits on 5 rolls of 35 mm film, and with approximately this margin any reporter could easily go on a mission). Do not under any circumstances view or delete the frames you have just captured: you probably consider yourself good photographer, so why doubt the result? Put off such a pleasant activity as viewing finished masterpieces until the next morning or at least until the end of the shoot.
I am sure that most of the digital generation photographers will not even dare to undertake such an experiment, especially when it comes to a commercial order.
For today's photographers, who get high-quality color (!!!) images with a simple click of a button, the process of creating analogue, even black and white, photography can seem incredibly complicated. But these difficulties are precisely what foster a balanced approach to each shot and teach you to be attentive to the little things.
Experience shooting on film will help you optimize your work with a digital camera. Believe me, viewing tens and hundreds of identical digital images on the monitor after shooting, in which you pressed the button, not counting the frames, takes up not only your time... And many hours of fiddling around in Photoshop in order to correct obvious mistakes made during shooting may turn out to be significantly longer than the process of developing and printing a competent analog photograph.
And if this does not convince you, here is an argument with which there is no point in arguing. The charm of a handprint on barrite paper is a theme for high literature. Fact: When manually printing from a negative, it is impossible to make two identical prints. Each print is unique! And if it is also printed personally by the author, then its price increases significantly. Remember, wasn’t it for the sake of creating masterpieces that you picked up a camera?
Well, can’t wait to finally start creating truly imperishable works? Then let's start by choosing a decent tool.
Two main formats of photographic film. Medium - type 120 (left), and narrow film - type 135, 35 mm format (right).
Before you start choosing an analog camera, you need to decide what film format you will work with, since the choice of camera depends on this. Of course, you can do the opposite by first choosing a suitable camera. But it’s better to know in advance what you’re dooming yourself to, since it’s the frame format that determines both the quality of the photo and, importantly, the shooting style. Here it is worth noting a point that no one thinks about in digital photography - the cost of the frame.
“The Polaroid client blinks at his own expense.” Once upon a time, photographers politely laughed at this truth of life, since the cost of each Polaroid photograph was incredibly high in comparison with the usual film. Today times have changed. Alas, each press of the shutter release automatically deducts money from the film photographer's account. Remember: the larger the frame format, the more expensive it is.
Photographic film happens three types: black and white negative, color negative and color slide (black and white slide was previously a rare occurrence, and today it completely disappears from the shelves). We will talk in detail about the features of negatives and transparencies-slides later, but now we will understand film formats.
Leaving aside sheet materials large format (9x12 or more), you will see that there are actually two film formats:
Narrow photographic film is sold in rolls in light-proof cassettes. Film cassettes are placed in sealed plastic boxes that reliably protect the film from moisture and dust.
The most common film format, as it was used by both professionals and amateur photographers. Combines the required quality, compactness, efficiency, minimum cost of the final frame and a large number of frames on one video. Standard size frame - 24×36 mm. The number of frames on the video is 36 (depending on the camera and charging method, a standard video can hold 37-38 frames, but more on that later).
Of course, there were and are cameras with a frame size of 24x65, 24x18, 24x24 or even 24x32 mm, but today we’ll leave non-standard options aside.
35 mm film format had been produced by Eastman Kodak since 1916, but type 135 (35 mm film in a standard cassette) appeared only in 1934 - thanks to Leica cameras that had gained noticeable popularity, Contax cameras that competed with them, and Kodak itself, which decided enter the market of mass film cameras. But above all, it was thanks to the incredibly compact Leica cameras for the 1930s that the 35 mm film format with a frame size of 24x36 mm became the standard in photography, and not just film.
Narrow film is sold in rolls in light-proof cassettes. After the film is shot, it is rewound back into the cassette, which allows you to quickly reload the camera in any lighting conditions.
35 mm photographic film is sold not only in cassettes, but also in rolls of 17 and 30.5 meters.
You can buy 35 mm film in rolls of 17 and 30.5 meters, and wind it yourself into reusable cassettes. What is the point?
Firstly, the frame will become significantly cheaper (almost half). Secondly, you can wind a little more film into the cassette, increasing the number of frames on the video to 40, and in film photography, each frame has not only a monetary value.
Medium format (wide) film is sold in rolls covered with an opaque paper leader. The rollers are in sealed sealed bags and packed in boxes.
Wide film is the domain of professional photographers. This is exactly the image this format had in the second half of the twentieth century. Why? More on this below, but now let’s see what this format gives us. First of all — the quality that is ensured large size frame, and, no less, by the optical features of medium format camera lenses.
There are two types of wide film: 120 and 220 (twice the number of frames). The number of frames depends on the frame format of the camera used: one roll of type 120 film will fit 8/10/12/16 frames of 6x9, 6x7, 6x6 and 6x4.5 cm formats, respectively.
Wide film is sold in rolls covered with a light-proof paper leader; more precisely, the paper leader serves as a protective layer along the entire length of the film. For film type 220, to maintain the volume of the roll with an increased number of frames, a protective leader is glued to the beginning and end of the roll. Film type 220 has practically disappeared from sale.
During shooting, the wide film is wound onto a take-up roller, which is removed after shooting. Recharge a medium format camera at direct sunlight not recommended, there is a risk of exposing the edges of the film.
Well, we got acquainted with the features of film formats. It's time to look at film cameras.
Ten years ago, at flea markets you met “grandfathers” - photographers who tried to sell their cameras to at least someone for pennies. And today the price for a decent camera at an online auction approaches a thousand dollars and is steadily growing by 10% per year. Yesterday, the Japanese company Fuji reduced the production of photographic film - no one was buying it. And today it is cutting back again - film is being bought so actively that it is already threatening the “digital” business of the photo company.
The volume of film photography is growing faster and faster, and you can increasingly see people with old cameras, specialized shops and laboratories. But why does this happen? Why is legacy technology back and winning?
There are three main reasons for this.
Limitation
If you photograph on film, you belong to the material world. This is most evident in the price of the frame. Film costs money, chemistry costs money, and so does printing. It’s good if one frame costs 20-30 rubles, usually it goes beyond 100. Film photography is expensive. Because it is expensive, photography ends up being limited. You won’t be able to shoot 100 identical frames and then choose. It is noticeable that people feel this almost physically: take away the iPhone, give it a DSLR - and that’s it, the desire to take many identical pictures magically disappears.
Another limitation is the inability to immediately see what happened. In the best case, you can develop the film at home in an hour. At worst, you will have to wait several weeks for pictures from the laboratory. The result comes as a surprise. You wait for it, leaf through the pictures with joy or indignation. Film photography is similar to the creation of Japanese raku ceramics - the master throws the workpiece into the kiln and does not know what will come out in the end.
Sergey Korol
Digital photography was born to overcome these limitations, but in doing so, it killed creativity. Travelers with digital SLR cameras brought thousands of pictures from their vacations, and then painfully sorted them out. Photos appeared on small screens as soon as a button was pressed, and people learned to tweak camera settings to achieve the perfect results—but the results weren't as satisfying as they used to be.
Digital photography belongs to the new, “cloud” world - with free, unlimited possibilities. We live without a sense of creativity: only gigabytes, terabytes of identical photographs on hard drives. Film has returned to give people a forgotten sense of ownership. Paper books, vinyl records, posters on the walls and business cards in your pockets, printed photographs and rolls of film are things, things of the material world, warm and familiar. It’s nice and understandable to live next to such things.
Sergey Korol
Quality
Digital cameras appeared in the damned decades of the phenomenon of artificial obsolescence - I’m sure future cultural historians will defend many dissertations about our time.
We live in a world where things never become obsolete. They are changed by fashion and marketing, usually discarded entirely by workers. They are not repaired; often things are created in such a way that they cannot be repaired. Likewise, a modern digital camera is a fragile device, not designed to last for decades. Its creators understood that, having completed one model, they would immediately begin producing another that would replace the previous one. Do you remember what digital cameras looked like 10 years ago? Have you seen such a camera today? The story of modern electronics is reminiscent of the story of medieval underwear: it wore out so quickly and had no value that until today It didn’t really come through. It will be difficult for future cultural historians to display digital cameras in museums.
With film photography everything is different. The best cameras created before the advent of the digital era. They were created with the expectation that they would serve people for a very long time. The average film camera outlives its owner. For example, the Nikon FM shutter life is 100,000 frames. You won’t be able to shoot so much before you get old, even if you want to.
LEICA IA Anastigmat, 1925
leica-camera.com
At online auctions, old Leicas produced before the war are being sold with all their might. They still work and will continue to work for a long time. Simple metal parts can be replaced by remanufacturing them or by “cannibalizing” hopelessly broken cameras. It will still be possible to film Martian chronicles with a Leica from the time of Cartier-Bresson.
Elitism
By the way, about Leica - the German company still produces film cameras. Each camera is assembled by hand at a factory in Germany, prices start from five to six thousand euros. A modern Leica camera costs quite a bit Swiss Watches, works like a Swiss watch and produces a comparable effect on others.
This is not a camera, but a pass into the world of connoisseurs and professionals. It's nice to put this camera on a table in the living room. However, many people keep their Leicas in special anti-dust cabinets that look exactly like refrigerators for expensive wine.
Sergey Korol
A film camera is one of the most inexpensive and simple ways give others the impression of a sophisticated esthete. This is something from the world of made-to-measure leather gloves, a British motorcycle, and a collection of avant-garde jazz on vinyl records. It doesn't hurt as much as a tattoo, and it's not as expensive as a yacht or a car without a top. It is impossible to imagine a digital SLR in this row. It’s easier to come to a retro rally in a family station wagon.
The ghost of film photography is wandering around the planet, preparing for its triumphant return, and influencing the world. Kodak releases a photo app that will show your photos a week later, as if they had been developed. One after another appears on Kickstarter unusual projects. A Russian mini-company is restoring film production. Enthusiasts buy out the Polaroid factory, hire retirees from it and produce Polaroid cartridges in industrial scale- and exclusive boutiques are opening all over the world to sell them. The Japanese company Yashica has raised one and a half million dollars to produce a digital film hybrid: cartridges are inserted into a regular digital camera that emulate different types films, applying filters like Instagram ones to the pictures. Further more. What does this threaten? modern world?
Sergey Korol
It's likely that film cameras will continue to rise in price. They have not been mass produced for a long time, and the number of working cameras is gradually decreasing. If you invest in cameras now, you can get your money back with good returns in the future. In addition, photographers will need infrastructure, from laboratories to training schools and photography tours.
In any case, your grandfather's old camera or a new Leica will become both an accessory and a cure for creative frigidity. The main thing is to give a second chance: both to them and to yourself.
Digital SLR cameras are technically advanced tools. But at a certain point, many photographers begin to think about expanding their professional arsenal. They try to use film technology and often find that the first result is, to put it mildly, unimpressive. Naturally, you shouldn’t give up what you started; arm yourself with patience. Everyone needs this virtue, but especially those who like to shoot on film.
Irish photographer Vincent Moschetti has always preferred practice to theory, throwing himself headlong into experiments. He is spending one of them now, having already gotten used to a film camera for a year and learning the science of handling it. The photographer has prepared some tips for those who do not want to waste time and money, but strive to create spectacular, artistic photographs on film. He summarized his unsuccessful and successful experiences, highlighting the three most common mistakes that beginners make (and which he himself did not avoid).
How difficult it is to refill this film!
This is perhaps the most difficult and frustrating part of working with a film camera. The most unpleasant thing is that mistakes can be repeated, even if the photographer has already accumulated some experience in handling film equipment. Learning how to install film correctly is not easy - so it's best to borrow a camera first to practice, and then, if you're not disappointed in the idea, buy your own. Vincent borrowed an Olympus OM10 from a friend, a seemingly very simple camera, and did not ask how to install the film. In vain!
The photographer ruined two rolls before realizing something was wrong. When he took the photographs from the darkroom, they were completely empty - nothing, nowhere, that is. nothing at all anywhere! If you suffer the same fate, don't blame the camera or whoever developed the film. In your deepest disappointment with the life of alternative photography, think that there is a high probability that you did something wrong even at the very first stage.
Vincent returned the Olympus and decided that the camera was simply faulty, so he purchased the wonderful and legendary Leica M6 camera. Everything was perfect, rolls of film replaced each other, photo sessions flew by in a flash. After going to the laboratory and developing the film, the photographer received an incredibly beautiful emptiness. The photos didn't work out. But not because of the camera, because of the photographer himself.
Vincent noticed that when rewinding the film, he did not feel its resistance. When returning the tape back to the reel, some tension should be felt. If your fingers don't feel it, the film didn't move after it was loaded, and you were shooting in the same position over and over again. This mistake can be easily avoided if you follow the required sequence of steps:
By the way, don't relax! There is another reason why the film does not rewind in the camera. Even if you did everything correctly, it sometimes breaks (defects, improper storage, and so on). This is a problem, but it is not up to you.
Incorrect exposure
If you, like Vincent, are switching from a digital camera to a film camera, then you are most likely accustomed to slightly overexposing the frame, and then restoring the shadows in post-processing. With digital sensors on DSLR cameras, you can recover a lot of detail in dark areas (the situation is different in light areas). Film requires a completely different approach; light must be measured and assessed from opposite positions.
Unlike digital cameras, the film retains highlight detail very well, even if something is overexposed. On the other hand, if you underexpose, you will not be able to clearly reproduce shadow details in the photo, whereas in RAW files they are easily restored.
Here's an example: The top photo illustrates an overexposed image in original form, and the bottom one is processed in Lightroom (reducing the exposure by two).
Films differ in their level of ability to influence exposure. The most flexible in this regard are black and white and color S-41. With them you can underexpose by several stops and still keep the details in the shadows. There is another type of film - slide, also known as E-6. You should be especially careful with it - it is “capricious” and requires you to be more precise when shooting. It’s better not to start with slide film, but in the first stages of getting to know film, you should stick with standard film. S-41, for example.
Buying expensive film
If you've just recently opened the door to the world of film photography, you may be overwhelmed by the abundance of film types. This is normal - the author of the article also felt like a boy in a candy store. Reading reviews, comparing data from photos on photo stocks, at some point you begin to notice familiar names. Most often, several types of film are used: Kodak Portra for color photos and Ilford HP5 or Kodak Tri-X for black and white. They are very common, but quite expensive. If budget is not a problem for you, you can skip this topic, but if the cost of pictures is of interest to you, it’s worth looking into.
Vincent himself claims that, as a newbie, he researched the issue diligently and chose the expensive Kodak Portra 400 as the ideal film. He really liked the photos that other authors took with it, and when his five rolls were delivered, he eagerly rushed to work. He was willing to pay a hefty price for quality that he expected to be high. When Vincent processed the negatives, he experienced a feeling similar to the sensations from a cold shower. The result had nothing to do with expectations, but the problem was not in the film, but again in the lack of experience.
Let's be honest: newbies don't have enough knowledge to unlock the potential of professional consumables, and you have to live with that. To realize all the possibilities of an expensive, good film, you need to develop a base, find out how various external factors- , quality of light, even development. If you shoot with professional film but process your negatives with cheap equipment, High Quality difficult to achieve. You can compare this to driving a Ferrari racing car with the cheapest tires.
If you have just recently started working with film, there is no point in buying an expensive one right away. With options that are less burdensome on the wallet, the result will be no worse, maybe even more interesting due to the artistic “flaws”. Consider Afga 200 color film, or Fomapan 200 black and white film. Manufacturers have done a great job to save you from frustration and unnecessary costs. Below is an example of a photo that can be taken with Fomapan 200 - a roll of film on the European market costs no more than 4 US dollars.
After you gain experience, study the capabilities of your camera, get used to it, you can switch to more expensive film. It should be developed in professional photo laboratories where they are installed and operating experienced craftsmen. In this case, your costs are compensated by the result - original, impressive photographs using the full power of the camera, film, and imagination.
Digital photography has proven its superiority over film, but still the victory is not final. There is something attractive about the film. Something that makes you study with trepidation the warmth of the colors and the unique grain of the surface of the photo card. Of course, someone will object and say that all these properties can be given to a digital photograph in a graphics editor. Perhaps the film is used by those who are nostalgic for the old days.
All pictures in the examples were taken with the same settings on a Nikon D800 digital camera and a Nikon F100 film camera. In both cases the same Nikon lens 50mm f/1.4.
On the left is a film frame. The number is on the right. Aperture: f/2.8-, shutter speed: -1/1600-, Light sensitivity -ISO: 100.
Advantages of shooting with a film camera
On the left is a film frame. On the right is digital. Aperture: f/1.8-, shutter speed: 1/320-, light sensitivity -ISO: 100.
Negative qualities of film
On the left is a film frame, on the right is a digital frame. Aperture: f/5-, shutter speed: -1/640-, light sensitivity -ISO: 100.
The benefits of digital photography
Film on the left, digital on the right. Aperture: f/2.8-, shutter speed: -1/400, light sensitivity -ISO: 100.
Disadvantages of Digital Photography
On the left is a film frame, on the right is a digital frame. Aperture: f/5.6-, shutter speed: -1/250-, photosensitivity: -ISO 100, flash.
