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I have an entry level Sony Alpha that I picked up for a vacation earlier this year. With the portrait lens on there it definitely registers as “camera” far more

I have an entry level Sony Alpha that I picked up for a vacation earlier this year. With the portrait lens on there it definitely registers as “camera” far more than a phone. Between that factor and the hassle of having to manually go through and upload the photos afterward, I only take it on special occasions — trips, hikes, etc. It’s not worth all that hassle for trying to get day to day stuff.

MarcelOlsz 1y ago
Why not live a little and get a film camera? It's more time for sure but are you not tired of optimizing everything in life?
- asimovDev 1y ago
  I found our childhood film camera last year and I took it to a couple trips. price of scanners/getting your film scanned and needing to buy 10eur film rolls for like 20 photos turned me off. I still haven't scanned my first and only roll I shot last year.
  - MarcelOlsz 1y ago
    I bought a Gralab timer and hooked it up to an old shitty enlarger in my tiny dark wine cellar, along with a red bulb. A few chemicals and tools and you're golden. The only thing that screws me is having to cut up film and spool it but I can get more frames out of it that way since I use mini spy cameras. Yes the film being expensive isn't great but it also makes you choose your shots carefully. Get a cheap darkroom film changing tent and start there.
- foldr 1y ago
  I enjoy film photography in some contexts (I do a bit of 4x5), but film photography basically sucks. I think possibly a lot of the people who find some kind of magic in it are those young enough not to have grown up in the era where shooting film was the only option. I don't mind 4x5 so much because just taking the photo is so much effort that the associated ordeal of developing and scanning isn't out of proportion. But for 35mm and medium format, there's a hugely disproportionate investment of time and money for a small number of photos.
  - etrautmann 1y ago
    That’s kind of the point though. The scarcity focuses you n taking more deliberate and intentional photos.
    - foldr 1y ago
      It's what some people see as the point now. Back when film was the only option, the cost and time per frame were just negatives (if you'll excuse the pun). There was no romance in deciding whether or not to use one of your last three remaining frames; it was just annoying. I don't deny that for a whole range of reasons, some people might take better or more meaningful photos using old cameras. Limitations can feed into the artistic process. I just think it's a bit silly to romanticize the cost and inconvenience of film, or to think that photos taken using film are somehow inherently more interesting or valuable.
    - BeFlatXIII 1y ago
      The parable of the pottery classes that were graded on their best work and total volume of work springs to mind. I never would've bothered with photography if I didn't have the ability to be shameless with burst mode and pick the winners later.
      - peteforde 1y ago
        What you are describing isn't photography.
        BeFlatXIII 1y ago
        [ citation needed ]
  - dugidugout 1y ago
    Curious how 4x5's inconvenience is "proportional" while 35mm's is "hugely disproportionate". I'm not familiar with the specifics of these formats, but you seem to be arbitrarily drawing the line for where the added friction is still serving the "magic" I believe is very real if not fragile. I think you recognize the value of photography isn't solely in the product. I'm curious what you personally find in 4x5 that saves you from these younger artist's silliness.
sneak 1y ago
I have a top of the line Sony Alpha (7CR) with a large zoom lens (24-70GM or 70-200GM) and I carry it almost everywhere, every day. It is absolutely worth the hassle to get day to day stuff.
- BeFlatXIII 1y ago
  As they say in the audio world, “there ain't no replacement for displacement.” I love gigazoom lenses. For focal lengths under 100mm, I can use my phone. My SLR is my personal spy satellite.

MarcelOlsz 1y ago

Why not live a little and get a film camera? It's more time for sure but are you not tired of optimizing everything in life?

asimovDev 1y ago
I found our childhood film camera last year and I took it to a couple trips. price of scanners/getting your film scanned and needing to buy 10eur film rolls for like 20 photos turned me off. I still haven't scanned my first and only roll I shot last year.
- MarcelOlsz 1y ago
  I bought a Gralab timer and hooked it up to an old shitty enlarger in my tiny dark wine cellar, along with a red bulb. A few chemicals and tools and you're golden. The only thing that screws me is having to cut up film and spool it but I can get more frames out of it that way since I use mini spy cameras. Yes the film being expensive isn't great but it also makes you choose your shots carefully. Get a cheap darkroom film changing tent and start there.
foldr 1y ago
I enjoy film photography in some contexts (I do a bit of 4x5), but film photography basically sucks. I think possibly a lot of the people who find some kind of magic in it are those young enough not to have grown up in the era where shooting film was the only option. I don't mind 4x5 so much because just taking the photo is so much effort that the associated ordeal of developing and scanning isn't out of proportion. But for 35mm and medium format, there's a hugely disproportionate investment of time and money for a small number of photos.
- etrautmann 1y ago
  That’s kind of the point though. The scarcity focuses you n taking more deliberate and intentional photos.
  - foldr 1y ago
    It's what some people see as the point now. Back when film was the only option, the cost and time per frame were just negatives (if you'll excuse the pun). There was no romance in deciding whether or not to use one of your last three remaining frames; it was just annoying. I don't deny that for a whole range of reasons, some people might take better or more meaningful photos using old cameras. Limitations can feed into the artistic process. I just think it's a bit silly to romanticize the cost and inconvenience of film, or to think that photos taken using film are somehow inherently more interesting or valuable.
  - BeFlatXIII 1y ago
    The parable of the pottery classes that were graded on their best work and total volume of work springs to mind. I never would've bothered with photography if I didn't have the ability to be shameless with burst mode and pick the winners later.
    - peteforde 1y ago
      What you are describing isn't photography.
      - BeFlatXIII 1y ago
        [ citation needed ]
- dugidugout 1y ago
  Curious how 4x5's inconvenience is "proportional" while 35mm's is "hugely disproportionate". I'm not familiar with the specifics of these formats, but you seem to be arbitrarily drawing the line for where the added friction is still serving the "magic" I believe is very real if not fragile. I think you recognize the value of photography isn't solely in the product. I'm curious what you personally find in 4x5 that saves you from these younger artist's silliness.

sneak 1y ago

I have a top of the line Sony Alpha (7CR) with a large zoom lens (24-70GM or 70-200GM) and I carry it almost everywhere, every day. It is absolutely worth the hassle to get day to day stuff.

BeFlatXIII 1y ago
As they say in the audio world, “there ain't no replacement for displacement.” I love gigazoom lenses. For focal lengths under 100mm, I can use my phone. My SLR is my personal spy satellite.