Any seasoned photographer will probably scoff at an iPhone photographer’s misunderstanding of film, but if you’re like me and your first camera was a smartphone, then there are a lot of differences to unpack.
Sensor – Silicon chip that captures images in digital cameras. It can vary in size, but usually bigger is better. Film – Usually comes in rolls. Standard cameras use 35mm film, but it can be larger or smaller. ISO – This determines how sensitive your sensor or film is to light. Shooting at higher ISOs allows you to take photos in dark areas, but it can also make your images grainier. Aperture – This number controls how wide the lens opening is. An aperture of F/2.8 is a very wide opening, while F/11 is a small hole for the camera to see through. This can control the amount of light entering the sensor/film and how much blur you want in the background. SLR – it’s like a DLSR without the D(igital). So basically the purest form of a mechanical camera and everything is manual.
I want to do cinema photography. Where do I start?
The film I used for all these comparisons was Cinestill 800T. Film is super hot right now, and editing apps like VSCO that can apply film-inspired presets to images have been popular for years. However, if you’re like me and started your photography journey digitally, you probably have a lot of questions related to film. Question one: I want to make a film. Where do I start? The answer to this starts with making sure you have a lab near you that can develop film. Many larger cities still do, but finding one in a small town might be a little difficult in 2022. The photos in the movie came from an Olympus OM2 Program. The iPhone is an iPhone 13 Pro. After that, you have to decide how seriously you want to take it. If you want to take some retro shots and learn nothing about photography, get a consumable (yes, they still make them). If you want to treat yourself, a point-and-shoot camera from the early 2000s is your best bet. They have a lot of modern conveniences like autofocus, are small, easy to use, and can be loaded with whatever cool 35mm film you can get your hands on. Plus, they’re easy to find online for less than $100. If you want to step it up a notch, you could get a bigger SLR camera that will offer more lenses, better photos, and more of a learning curve. Depending on how modern the camera you see in this category is, it may also have many automatic functions. For example, my Olympus SLR has a “Program Mode” that allows the camera to automatically adjust shutter speed and aperture. However, I have to focus manually The last tip for beginners is to just get the film scans instead of the actual prints. While it’s nice to keep a stack of actual photos, these days, all photo sharing is done online, so scans are much more useful. Also, if you’re just starting out and you’re like me, if you have prints, there’s a good chance they’ll be blurry. So seriously, stick with the scans.
The movie is nice but what are its limitations
Now that you’ve acquired a film camera, you’ve probably learned about its limitations. First is the movie. As unique as it may seem, every film has a set ISO, making it harder to find a film that is versatile at night and during the day. It can be done, but you should weigh the film you’re going to shoot long before you start taking photos. In addition to ISO key, movies are also locked to white balance. This helps you get consistent shots across the entire roll, but if you’re shooting film balanced for tungsten lights like I did, you can get interesting colors. The most common limitation (I like to think of it as a challenge) is that each die only has a limited number of shots. Most 35mm film has 36, but if you take a medium format camera and shoot the larger 120mm film, there are usually between 10-15 shots per roll. The ultimate challenge is anticipation and growth. I use a lab in Toronto that usually does same-day color film processing, but even then, the wait makes it a little harder to learn when you’re starting out. With a phone, you can see what a shot will look like before you take it and adjust accordingly. With a film camera, you won’t see if that photo was taken for hours at least and days or months at most. I can’t deny that seeing a series of photo scans pop up in my email is kind of like my birthday every time, but the immediacy of digital is impossible to beat.
Other things I’ve learned
Finding a movie you like is a long process of trial and error. Try not to be too picky and just try several different options. While there aren’t as many to choose from as there used to be, there’s still plenty to experiment with. I started with Fujifilm since that is the brand that is my go-to mirrorless camera for work, but after about eight months of shooting, I’m starting to like Kodak a lot more. Cameras are a lot of fun if you’re into gadgets, as they’re all unique. The point-and-shoot market from the 80s to the early 2000s was hyper-competitive, so there are plenty of options to choose from and learn about. For example, I found a Canon Sureshot at a Salvation Army, and it can even detect when it’s stationary and will keep the shutter open longer as a forerunner of modern night functions on phone cameras. Others have weather protection, smarter focus buttons, and more. You have to be much more stable with the film. I’m used to picking up my phone, snapping a picture, and popping it back into my jeans at lightning speed. But with film, the process involves a lot more focusing, even with my modern(ish) point-and-shoot cameras. So now, whenever I’m shooting film, I make sure to plant my feet and hold my position until I know for sure that the image has been captured.
