I have a record deck, well one that transfers records to pc, still .............. a record deck, and vinyl never did go away and now it has increased in popularity.

Same for film

https://fstoppers.com/film/whether-you-it-or-not-film-having-resurgence-445069

https://www.ilfordphoto.com/ilford-photo-global-film-users-survey-the-results-are-in/

This however is causing a problem, those £5 film cameras once on Ebay are now £55 ! and the better ones are selling fast, now we are seeing re cameras, hammered cameras at silly prices.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CLASSIC-...386090?hash=item1ee99ccc2a:g:EuIAAOSwXIhbjOsF

As an owner/user filmer the asking prices are now becoming unrealistic (won't sell) but the more the realistically priced ones do sell we will be left with a real shortage.

Therefore if you want to go back to film, get in now.

 

I still have two F5 bodies. If you remember they were the cutting edge in 1996 but today, well actually a few years ago, the AF can best be described as pedestrian. The metering is all it ever was and film is expensive. The expenditure of £100 will get you, possibly, 240 exposures with processing. For the same amount I got an XQD card, over 800 exposures and reusable. Film is great but I will be sticking to digital for most of my photography thanks.

 

Not a problem - I have around 50 working film cameras. I buy them not working, and repair them.

 

Not what I was saying !

 

No, it wasn't. I was merely pointing out that the limitations of film, particularly that of cost, preclude film from ever becoming mainstream again.

That camera prices are edging upwards probably indicates that some people are taking an interest in something different, which is great, and long may it continue. However, the more recent cameras are showing their age the older, mechanical ones, like your Nikkormat are still as desirable as they ever were.

Oh, and to answer the question, no, film never went away it just became a less attractive medium, for the reasons I mentioned earlier.

 

Film has it's limitations agreed, but the limitations or the expence that film incurrs, is off set by the fact I don't have my camera on motordrive all the time so I use less film, the batteries last longer and consequently the camera will too. I still get a feeling of anticipation when I remove the film from the tank to see what I have managed to get. Once you have the bug properly it never leaves you.

I have several 35mm film cameras including a Nikon F6 (A present to myself when I sold my last house.) I have one digital camera a small Fuji X20 for little jobs that have to be done yesterday, But my Nikons and Minoltas give me the most satisfaction.

 

Also digital has it's limitations, it is instant, people take less time over bothering to take photographs it is now so "throw away" that many many many take a snap, look at it, and some time later delete it, where as I bet the large majority of film users till have those negatives and have, at some point, even if for just one image, gone back to them years later

 

A couple of years ago I set myself the task of digitising ( hate that word) all my slides and negatives
from the last 5 decades,a mammoth undertaking.For several months I got up at 6am and worked on them til lunchtime.
I`m now close to the end and most of them are now on HDDS,saved as tiff files and processed thru CS4 & Nik collection.
I still have film in three cameras,Oly XA,Dynax40 & Zorki4 which will hopefully get processed later this year.

 

I wouldn’t describe that as a limitation. If an image is rubbish, it’s rubbish. Why would you keep it just because it’s film?

 

It's in the middle of a strip of 6 negatives...?

 

Even more of an inconvenience then. Got to hoard rubbish you don’t want

 

Au contraire, it serves as a permanent reminder that we can, and must, do better. If one steps up to sheet film one needs to know the c£5 an exposure will be worth it.

Joking aside, that can be useful for teaching discipline and dedication, but many don't have the patience and prefer instant gratification. Neither way is 'right' or 'better' though.

 

Ever thought of "sentiment", I took may "rubbish" photographs, now my parents are dead, point made

See, you have to consider others points as well !

Also I loved my dog lassy, not one good photograph but love them all

 

Thank you, good point

 

In that case ditch your 135 and 120 cameras and go large format. .
One shot at a time , really slows you down , makes you think .

And any really bad shots can simply be erased from history !

 

What may be a bad shot to you is a memory to another

 

The percentage of keepers goes up as the quantity of shots taken goes down .
And the larger the format your using , the less shots you take , the more time you take to take a shot .
At some point the only scrap shots are the ones that got screwed up , wrong exposure , forgot to close the shutter before removing the dark slide etc .
I had the camera set up for a shot , everything spot on , just a little bit if rise on it , a touch of forward tilt , ND and ND grad filter fitted , infrared film in ...
Just as I was pressing the plunger of the cable release a horse trotted over and started a waterfall of its own .

If you want a photo of an out of focus horse having a piss , let me know , I'll see if I've still got the negative !

135 I'll use for snapshots ( though much less than digital )
120 I use for carefully composed images .
Very rarely have I bad shot that has any reason to keep it ( but it's attached to the other 2 or 3 in the file so is kept ) .
Large format , with one shot at a time is different .
If you mess a shot up , another us taken .

I've a lot of 135 film or prints that were taken a good number of years ago that I'll always keep .
Obviously these are before digital , and were taken with a crappy point and shoot , the pictures are of family or places we went that bring back memories .
But these are snapshots , the film I tend to shoot now is not for s snapshots , so don't compare the same way .

 

The problem I had with moving from 135 to 120 was that I found it almost impossible to finally take the picture. I’d go to lengths to get ready then decide, nah, not worth it. I went to use 120 to improve my photography and yes, the technical quality was a huge advance but in effect I almost stopped taking pictures.

 

I have owned a Pentax 6x45 and a Bronny SQAi

I'll stick with 35mm

 

It can happen .
There's been times when I couldn't make my mind up and ended up walking away .
Generally though I've got it in my head the shot I want when I'm finding places before travelling there .
I tour around a lot in my campervan , and plan my journeys to suit .
OS maps of the areas I'm visiting allows you to work out good areas to go .
I am more experimental with 135 or digital though .