Film Photography in the Digital Age: Why I Still Shoot Analog

In an era where my Z9 can capture 120 frames per second and smartphones produce stunning images, I still find myself reaching for film cameras now and then. It's an expensive habit, but there's something about analog photography that keeps pulling me back. Here's why I still shoot film in the digital age, and why you might want to give it a try too.

The Cameras That Started It All

My relationship with film started with my dad's Nikon FG, but over the years, I've owned and shot with number of different cameras. The only analog camera I still have is my Nikon FM2T - the T stands for titanium. When I was a kid looking through my dad's camera brochures, the FM2T seemed like the epitome of cool - a space-age titanium body that was completely out of reach for a kid with no money.

Years later, around 2017, I spotted one in excellent condition on eBay from Japan. It wasn't too expensive - a couple hundred dollars - so I took a risk andbought it. It's become one of my prized possessions. What makes it special is that it's entirely mechanical and can operate perfectly with no battery at all (the battery just powers the light meter). I've got a lightweight E Series 50mm f/1.8 lens on it, which makes for a wonderfully compact setup that I've taken on various trips.

In the past, I had a Hasselblad 500C at one point - a beautiful medium format camera that produced stunning images but was eye-wateringly expensive to run. I owned an Olympus Mju-II, one of those cult compact cameras that became so valuable that I ended up selling it. There was also a Nikon F100 that felt like a modern DSLR but shot film - with its motor drive, you could go through a roll pretty quickly! It felt like cheating.

I had a Canon A1 that my mother-in-law found in a charity shop for about €20. I played with it for years before selling it for a lot more. It was a fun camera, and I noticed a difference in the color rendering compared to my Nikons - whether from the lens or something else, it was interesting to experience different systems.

A Different Creative Approach

What I find most fascinating about film photography is how completely different the creative process is from digital. With my Z9, I can fire off 120 frames a second if I want, for free. There's no cost per click, no limit to how many shots I can take beyond battery life and storage space.

With film, everything changes. You're taking maybe a frame every couple of seconds, and it costs a couple of Euro every time you press that shutter. This fundamental economic reality changes how you approach photography. You slow down. You think more carefully about composition. You wait for the right moment rather than capturing 20 moments and picking the best one later.

It's a more deliberate, thoughtful process. When I'm shooting film, I find myself deeply engaged with the scene in front of me, considering angles and light in a way that sometimes gets lost in the rapid-fire approach of digital.

The Beauty of Mechanical Simplicity

There's something satisfying about using a fully mechanical camera. No batteries to die, no firmware to update, no menus to navigate. Just solid mechanical parts working together with a precision and reliability that can last decades.

My FM2T is from the early 1980s, yet it works flawlessly today and will likely continue to do so for decades to come. In a world of planned obsolescence, where digital cameras become outdated in a few years, there's something refreshing about using a tool that defies that cycle.

The physical experience is different too. The weight of the advance lever, the precise resistance of the shutter button, the satisfying click of a well-engineered mechanism - these tactile experiences connect you to the photographic process in a way that's hard to describe but impossible to ignore once you've experienced it.

Medium Format: A Different Dimension

While I've mostly shot 35mm film, my time with medium format was a revelation. The Hasselblad produced negatives significantly larger than 35mm film, resulting in incredible detail and a different look altogether. The depth and dimensionality of medium format images have a quality that's difficult to achieve with smaller formats, film or digital.

The downside, of course, was cost. Medium format slide film and processing were prohibitively expensive for regular use. It was a beautiful, manual process - taking your time, composing carefully, working deliberately. Super enjoyable, but not very practical for everyday photography.

Film Types and Their Unique Characteristics

One of the joys of film photography is the variety of film stocks available, each with its own unique characteristics. Fuji Velvia slide film, which my dad used, produces incredibly vibrant colors, particularly greens and blues, making it perfect for landscape photography. Kodak Portra has a beautiful way of rendering skin tones. Ilford's black and white films each have their own contrast and grain characteristics.

These aren't just different "filters" or presets - they're fundamental differences in how the film captures light. And while you can approximate these looks digitally, there's something about knowing that the image was actually captured on that specific medium that adds to the experience.

The Challenges of Film Today

Shooting film in 2025 comes with challenges. It's getting increasingly expensive, with film prices rising and development options becoming more limited. Finding places that develop certain types of film, particularly slide film or black and white, can be difficult.

There's also the waiting period. In our instant-gratification digital world, having to wait days or even weeks to see your results feels almost archaic. But that waiting period has its own charm - the anticipation builds, and there's a genuine excitement when your developed film finally arrives.

Why I Think Everyone Should Try Film

Despite the challenges, I believe every photographer should try shooting film at least occasionally. Here's why:

1. It teaches patience and deliberation. When each frame costs money, you think more carefully before pressing the shutter.

2. It develops technical skills. With limited or no automation, you really learn how aperture, shutter speed, and ISO work together.

3. It helps you see differently. Knowing you have a limited number of frames makes you more observant and thoughtful about composition.

4. It connects you to photography's rich history. There's something special about using the same basic technology that created the iconic images of the 20th century.

5. The results have a unique quality. Film renders light, color, and contrast differently than digital sensors, producing images with a distinctive character.

If you're interested in trying film photography, you don't need to jump straight into expensive equipment. Borrow a film camera, or pick up an inexpensive one from a charity shop or online. Get a roll of color film (C-41 process film is easiest to get developed), and just start shooting. Don't worry about getting it perfect - enjoy the process of learning and experimenting.

Digital and Film: A Complementary Relationship

I don't see film and digital as competitors but as complementary approaches to photography. My Z9 is incredible for certain types of photography - sports, wildlife, events where capturing the decisive moment might require dozens of frames. It's reliable, versatile, and produces consistently excellent results.

But film has its place too. For personal projects, for slowing down, for creating images with a different quality and feel. Sometimes the constraints of film - the limited frames, the lack of instant feedback - can spark creativity in unexpected ways.

The images for sale on this website come from both digital and film. The resurgence of film photography in recent years, particularly among younger photographers who grew up with digital, suggests I'm not alone in finding value in this older medium. There's room for both approaches in photography today.

Looking Forward

Will I ever give up film photography? I doubt it, even as it becomes more expensive and less convenient. The experience of shooting film - the mechanical process, the deliberate approach, the unique rendering of light and color - continues to bring me joy and creative satisfaction.

If you've never tried film photography, I encourage you to give it a shot. If you're a film shooter thinking of going all-digital, maybe keep one film camera around for those special projects. And if, like me, you enjoy both mediums for their different strengths and qualities, then you understand the rich tapestry that photography offers us today - from the latest mirrorless technology to 100-year-old mechanical cameras, all tools for capturing and sharing how we see the world.