Preface:
I do my best not to entertain this is better than that discussions. I am brand agnostic. Do not care what size sensor you choose. Image capturing medium of choice does not matter to me. Natural light or strobe preference does not matter. Whatever floats your boat. Instead of comparisons I look for things that compliment each other. I enjoy using and have used all.
I recently ran a roll of film behind a 7Artisans 50mm f/1.1 lens.
A day or so later I had the same lens on me but with a very different configuration.
I was not far from where I had taken the earlier film photos so the thought hit me. Let me try to recreate a few photos with digital. The goal was not to see which was “better”. Beyond the digital sensor and AF I was just curious what the differences would be. Framing and lighting will not be identical. Different days and there was about an hour difference. The conditions otherwise were very similar. Here we go.
Well, that is about it.
The result is no surprise. I like both. Neither can replace the other. Each has their advantages for me.
Film
- The process. The whole thing folks usually go on about. The focusing. The film processing. You have to be intentional about how you shoot.
- The limitations as advantages. Being limited to 36 exposures changes how you shoot. There will be no spraying and praying.
- Different “sensor” same camera. You choose the look up front. Want black and white, you shoot black and white. Same goes for color. ISO speeds have to be considered up front.
- For me nothing beats the feel of a good film camera in hand.
Digital
- With M lenses macro is a thing.
- With TECHART adapter AF is a thing.
- The world is your oyster ISO wise.
- You can shoot up front and choose the look later.
So “and” not “vs”. I will continue to use and enjoy them both.
-ELW
Eric L. Woods 