THE DSLR: A DIGITAL BURDEN?
August 22 2021
I wasn’t sure how to title this post because, although I love shooting with my dslr, owning one feels more like a necessity than a joy. This is because the only reason that I have a digital camera is so that I can take pictures without wasting film. If cost wasn’t a concern, I can’t think of one reason that I would prefer a digital image over a film one. However, cost is a huge concern and is ultimately the reason digital beat film. Of course digital cameras do have major advantages in a lot of areas like resolution, speed low light performance and so many other reasons. For me though I don’t really need a fast camera that can store hundreds of photos, so for me, if I have the choice, I will always choose film.
That photo was an early capture from my first ‘real camera’. It was taken on my Nikon D3300 back when I didn’t even know film could still be used. For 5 years my Nikon D3300 with an 18-55mm kit lens was all I had, but it was enough to get me into photography. I’ve since sold that camera but to this day I feel a need to keep a digital camera in my collection.
The digital camera that I have now is a Nikon D610. I absolutely love that it is full frame and that I can use my Nikon lenses with it, but there’s a limit to how much I can like it because it isn’t a film camera. The D610 not being a film camera is a poor excuse for not liking it. It is an incredible tool and fantastic to own. When I want work on composition, take a ton of pictures for my friends, or just take pictures to take pictures without wasting film it is perfect. But if I want to take pictures for the ‘vibes’ the D610 doesn’t work for me.
I think the ‘vibes’ that I don’t capture with digital is related to my editing skills. I’m pretty much a total noob when it comes to editing… which is why I love the film pictures that I barely tweak to get the look that I want. I don’t want to discount digital in anyway. I’ve seen some incredible photographers produce amazing nostalgic and unique images from digital cameras, but I can’t do it.. yet. So I prefer film for getting the shots that I like.
I think about ditching digital a lot. I prefer the outcome of film, I enjoy shooting film more, and I feel more comfortable with a film camera by my side. I would say 90% of the time I shoot with film but have yet to go more than a few weeks without a digital camera in my collection. I think there are two reasons that I hold onto digital. First, digital is ingrained in me. Digital is what I started shooting on and it is the normal way to create an image in our day and age, I feel like using only a film camera is like writing with only a typewriter. It is fun but less practical then writing with the digital equivalent. The other reason is cost. I brought it up in this post and I've mentioned it in earlier posts, and honestly it will probably become a theme of the blog, but film is expensive. A lot of times when I just want to shoot I’ll use digital so I don’t have to worry about wasting frames and the cost associated.
You can also take random pictures like mirror selfies without worrying about wasting film too :)
For me I like film for the slow process and uniquely analog results. This blog and my website are primarily centered around film photography, and it is what I care most about. But at the end of the day a photo is a photo and sometimes I wish that I could obtain the same joy of taking a photograph with digital as I do when taking one on film. One of my goals is to get better with digital I think digital is an incredible medium and I don't want to feel obliged to hold onto it. I think that to grow as a photographer I should appreciate the process regardless of the medium.
There are a lot of things that I need to work on to improve my digital photography and I will share some things along the way, but I intend to share far more of my analogue work since that is why I made this blog and that is the type of photographer that I see myself as.
Thanks for Reading!