When learning to use a SLR, is it better to start off with a film-based model, or skip ahead and invest in a digital SLR?
by 
machinerat
ANSWERS: 8
-
Not only are brand new 35mm SLRs drastically cheaper than digital, but you can often find them used (in ever increasing numbers) for super cheap.
-
Personally, I'd just go right to digital. The only real difference between film and digital SLR is the medium. The lenses are the same, and you still have absolute manual control over your f-stops, shutter speed, and focal length if you so desire. Film is expensive to purchase and develop, and you can't see how it came out until you get your photos/negatives developed. With digital, you see the results immediately, giving you the opportunity to accept or reject what you shot. I used a Canon Rebel (film) for years, and switched to a Canon digital SLR a few years ago. It was expensive, but when you consider the money saved on film and developing, it's probably far better of a value overall. The Canon EOS lenses are interchangeable with their film and digital SLR cameras as well, so there was no need for me to spend 800 bucks all over again on new lenses.
-
"better' is a difficult word to pin down. If I were looking SLR I'd go digital. Digital pics never degrade (as long as you keep your files secure) and since most processing is digital it seems to make sense to skip the scanning process. That said, good film still has better resolution than budget SLRs, and a film setup will be cheaper initially than digital. But actually using film costs. I've no idea what you have in mind for lenses, but it's very hard not to spend far more on lenses and other accessories than the camera body itself. So there isn't all that much to be saved. Might as well get the DSLR body.
-
I think there's pros and cons to buying either as a learning tool. With film, I find that I plan my pictures more carefully and tend to take fewer shots because of the cost involved. Using digital, I tend to get snap-happy, as much as I try not to. With digital, it's nice to be able to look back and see exactly what you did to take a picture, as opposed to needed to write it down for a film camera. (things like exposure, shutter speed, ISO) Personally, I love film, and slide film, and still shoot it. But, if I had to make a suggestion to a person I've never met, I would say go digital, but choose older manual lenses, and try to be careful about planning your pictures and definitely purchase a good book (I like The Photographic Eye)
-
A compromise may be to find a used film SLR within the family of cameras you are interested in buying in the digital version. You can find them dirt cheap and then you can use the lenses for digital. As already pointed out, digital can make you a little snap happy and shooting 100's of bad pics because it is not costing you any extra will not necessarily make you a better photographer.
-
I myself just got my first DSLR. Since i know how to work regular digital cameras i just when & got a digital one. Cause i would be able to figure it out! & i did!!! But i still have alot to practice or work on! As i always say : practice makes perfect!!! so just keep takin pics with it & u will learn how to & discover new ways of taking pictures with the settings on the camera! Have a Fun picture takin time!
-
You can probably get a good film SLR really cheap from eBay, but you'll soon spend oodles of money on the film and processing. Here's something you can try: See if you can find an old film camera PLUS LENSES for which you can buy a digital camera body. I had a Minolta film camera with all the lenses from before, and I bought a modern Sony digital SLR body which fits all the lenses (from eBay).
-
Digital- Beginners go broke on wasted film and developing while they learn.
RELATED QUESTIONS
Copyright 2023, Wired Ivy, LLC