Why I Still Use A Film Camera in the Digital Age

I’m a millennial (a person who was born between 1980 and 1996) born in the late 80s. I have grown up with using both analog and digital tools, and have been old enough to have witnessed the rise of the digital age and the decline of analog.

Film photography isn’t new to me. I have actually used a film camera (and have a clear memory of it) when I was child because my father was an avid photographer when he was younger. I remember how often I asked him if I could use his Canon AE-1P, that gave me a point-and-shoot Kodak KB10 to get me started.

When digital cameras and camera phones started to emerge, my interest in film photography declined. Digital cameras has truly revolutionized the photography industry. They are, for the most part, easy to use and provided us with instant gratification. No more traveling to the photo lab, no more wait an hour for your films to be ready, and there was no need to wonder if you took the shot correctly.

My love for film photography was rekindled 10 years ago and it has not stopped since. I’ve acquired several digital cameras too but I always come back to film photography. I often get asked why I still use a film camera (even by people who are way older than me) – why still bother shooting film?

#1 Unpredictability

The primary difference between digital and film photography is that with digital, you can literally view your shot within seconds. Then, if you didn’t like the composition, delete that photo and try again.

Film cameras don’t come with a viewfinder so you don’t really know how the photo is going to look like. Sometimes, even if you know exactly which settings to use, you still wouldn’t know it exactly until you use up the entire film roll and develop your films.

I find that unpredictability is what makes film photography exciting. There is this element of surprise every time you receive your processed film rolls – and I have heard from so many film photographers that it’s like Christmas every time you see your photos for the first time.

#2 You’re more intentional and deliberate when taking photos

I am by no means a professional photographer – analog or digital. I take photos as a hobby and sometimes I don’t really know what I’m doing. More often than not, I just think of what I want my photo look like and then compose. That’s it. I never really thought or cared about aperture, shutter, or ISO (although I am aware of those terms) for as long as I get the shot that I want.

Film is not cheap; they cost at least $5 for 36 frames. On a digital camera, you can easily take 36 shots in an hour then decide which ones to keep and it won’t cost you (except for the price of the camera or the smartphone itself). When using a film camera, you can’t just take 10 photos in a row and hope for the best (well, you can, but that isn’t really practical).

You need to put some thought in each photo that you take. You need to understand your surroundings and the lighting situation, whether you’re using something as simple as a disposable camera or something as advanced an SLR.

I’m still not very good with manual photography, but I’ve learned a few tricks to help me such as the Sunny 16 Rule. With at least that in mind, I always try to examine my surroundings before I take a shot so I know how to adjust my settings or if it would even be worth taking a photo.

#3 [Some] Mistakes are celebrated

Another thing I love about film photography is that imperfections, such as light leaks, vignetting, or grain, are often embraced. I feel that this has become more acceptable in the digital age because of filters in photo editing apps. I’m also pretty sure that Lomography had a hand in this. Lomography is known to embrace imperfections and you can easily tell that they do from their slogan “don’t think, just shoot”.

• Read: Lomography 101

There are also other online communities that celebrate imperfections such as Marion Herbain’s First of the Roll. It is an Instagram page dedicated to showcase photographs from the first frame of a film roll, which is usually burnt/exposed. This initiative has been proven successful as the account has nearly 200k followers and 100k submissions on the #firstoftheroll hashtag.

#4 You don’t need batteries! (well, most of the time)

Most film cameras are mechanical and don’t need batteries to function, only film. Of course the more modern point-and-shoot cameras require batteries to power the flash and anything that’s automated. Most of the [relatively] newer battery-operated cameras run on AA batteries which you can get anywhere. Also, the old Polaroid cameras didn’t need batteries; the Polaroid film packs are what powered them.

Since it does not require power, it’s actually quicker to draw and take a photo. You wouldn’t need to turn it on, wait for it to initialize, and shoot. Typically with a digital camera, you would always try to conserve power so you would turn it off when you don’t need it. And when you do, you would have to wait a few seconds before you get to take a photo.

#5 It’s such a classic look

I really love how some film cameras look. There’s just something about it, you know? When mirrorless cameras like the Fujifilm ones started to gain popularity, it was clear that they were modeling it after vintage film cameras such as the Canon AE-1. I’m sure that this design was the reason for the brand’s success. Fujifilm is not a stranger to analog revival; they have been successful with making the younger generation fall in love with a small aspect of film photography through Instax.

Film photography is a unique and interesting hobby. It’s challenging, that’s for sure, but you will never be bored. The element of surprise is one of the best things and it’s true that it’s similar to opening a present. It’s a hobby that is timeless because of the community that helps promote the beauty of shooting film.

• Read: Best Analog Cameras for Beginners