Why Film Photography is Better than Digital
Today we take on one of the most contentious topics and brace for incoming hostility. I’m sure everyone has a purist friend who only shops local, shoots film, and has the one hat that’s objectively way to small for their head. I’m not here to scoff at your digital setup while I smoke a hand rolled cigarette, instead lets just have a discussion of why film is so popular, and why there is such a divide between film only and digital only shooters. I’ll discuss many of the reasons people are drawn to film over digital and even a couple benefits digital has over film.
Color Representation
When you boil it down, a simple reason people prefer film over digital is just because of the way film looks. Digital photography and film photography inherently differ in how they capture and represent colors, which makes it challenging for digital photography to match the color profile of film. Let’s get a little technical and break down why film and digital have two different looks.
Color Sensitivity and Response:
Film: Different types of film have varying chemical compositions, affecting their color sensitivity. For instance, classic films like Kodak Portra or Ektar have distinct color renditions; Portra is known for its excellent skin tones, while Ektar is famous for its vivid colors and high saturation. These films react to light in a layered manner. They have multiple layers of emulsion, each of these sensitive to different colors.
Fujicolor Superia Film Structure
Digital Sensors: Digital sensors use a Bayer filter mosaic over the sensor, with pixels dedicated to red, green, or blue light. The interpretation of these colors is done through a complex demosaicing process. However, this method can struggle to replicate the subtle color transitions and nuances that film naturally captures, especially in mixed or challenging lighting conditions.
Image Processing Pipelines
Dynamic Range
Film: The dynamic range in film is influenced by its exposure latitude. Films like Kodak Tri-X or Ilford HP5 can be over or underexposed while still retaining detail. This is due to the non-linear way film responds to light, particularly in the highlights, which often results in a softer roll-off compared to the abrupt clipping you might find in digital sensors.
Digital: Modern digital sensors, especially those in high-end cameras, have improved significantly in terms of dynamic range. However, they still often exhibit a more linear response to light, leading to a different aesthetic in how they handle transitions from shadows to highlights. HDR (High Dynamic Range) techniques in digital photography attempt to address this, but can sometimes create an unnatural look.
Grain vs. Noise
Film Grain: Film grain is the result of tiny metallic silver particles developed in the emulsion layer. Each type of film has a unique grain structure, which can add a sense of depth and texture to the image. This grain can also subtly influence the perceived color saturation and sharpness. Film grain is mostly a difference in luminance while digital noise creates changes in luminance and color differences.
Digital Noise: Digital noise, particularly in low-light situations, can significantly degrade image quality. Unlike the often aesthetically pleasing nature of film grain, digital noise is usually seen as a drawback and can distort color integrity and overall image clarity. As the years have gone on digital noise has greatly evolved and regained a subtly it once lacked. However, it’s still able to be differentiated from film grain to a trained eye.
Color Profiles and Processing:
Film Processing: The chemical process of developing film can greatly influence the final color output. Factors like the temperature of the developer, the type of chemicals used, development time, and even the age of the chemicals can create variations in color.
Digital Processing: Digital images are processed through algorithms and can be manipulated extensively in post-production. While this allows for great control over the final image, creating a digital emulation of film's organic color profile is complex. Software presets and filters that mimic film looks can approximate but not perfectly replicate the unique color nuances of specific film stocks. Again, this replication has gotten much better with time, programs like Adobe Photoshop have spent expensive time creating presets to match specific film types. However many people still feel these edits lack the color intricacies and overall look that a well exposed, processed, and scanned negative/positive provides .
Resolution and Sharpness:
Film Resolution: The resolution in film is determined by the grain size and the emulsion quality. Medium and large format films can capture an immense amount of detail, influencing how colors, blacks, whites, and middle grays are perceived, especially when viewed at large sizes. It is immensely hard for digital to replicate the detail that can be pulled out from something like a 4x5 or 8x10 negative.
Digital Sharpness: Digital images are composed of pixels, and the resolution is fixed by the sensor's megapixel count. While high-resolution digital sensors can capture extremely detailed images, the pixel-based sharpness creates a different texture and color transition compared to film.
Stripping away technical terms, the appearance of an image significantly impacts our emotional response to it. Elements such as the type of film used, its color characteristics, the texture imparted by grain, and the range of light and dark tones (dynamic range) all contribute to evoking emotions that often go beyond words. Many, including myself, find that film photography has a unique ability to transcend these technical aspects. It allows us to connect more effortlessly with the deeper, more intangible feelings an image can convey. Film helps us move beyond just seeing the technical details and into a space where we can experience the image on a more profound emotional level.
Tactile Experience and Process
Film offers a tactile experience like no other medium. One of the biggest reasons people choose film over digital despite it’s high price points and frequent frustrations is the physical nature of handling film, loading a camera, and the process of developing and printing in a darkroom. This hands-on process is often seen as more rewarding and engaging than digital photography.
Handling and Loading of Medium
Film: Loading film requires opening the camera back, inserting the film roll, threading the film leader onto a spool, and ensuring it's properly engaged before closing the camera. This process varies between camera models, adding to the tactile diversity. The feel of the film canister, the tension in the film as it's wound, and the mechanical clicks and whirrs add a sensory depth absent in digital photography. Loading a roll always feels good and never gets old.
Digital: Digital cameras require inserting a memory card and possibly a battery. The process is straightforward and uniform across most models. The tactile experience is minimal and lacks the variety and nuance of handling different types of film rolls and cameras. That memory card click in feels pretty good though!
Shooting Experience
Film: Shooting with a film camera involves manually adjusting focus and exposure settings. The tactile feel of turning focus rings or aperture dials, the resistance of mechanical buttons, and the sound and feel of a manual shutter release add a level of physical engagement that can be deeply satisfying.
Digital: In digital cameras, adjustments are often made via electronic buttons or touchscreens. The experience is more about navigating menus and less about physical interaction with the camera. While some high-end digital cameras offer manual controls, they typically lack the mechanical feel of film cameras. The jury is out on whether a film camera or a digital camera is more user friendly when it comes to manual shooting but no one can deny the inherent tangibility of a well made film camera.
Development and Darkroom Process
Film: The development process in a darkroom involves a series of physical tasks: mixing chemicals, timing exposures, agitating development tanks, and making prints through an enlarger. The tactile experience is enhanced by the smell of chemicals and the feeling of working in a dimly lit environment, creating a multi-sensory experience. People have hailed and become obsessive of this experience since the creation of the photograph.
Digital: Digital post-processing involves sitting at a computer, using software to edit images. While this can be creatively fulfilling, it's predominantly a visual task, with limited tactile interaction. Some tactile feedback comes from keyboard shortcuts, mouse clicks, or the use of a graphics tablet, but it's more about fine motor skills than the broader physical engagement of a darkroom. In defense of digital, there has been some extremely excellent color panels to come out in recent years by companies like Black Magic Design that bring that bring button tactility and precision to life.
DaVinci Resolve Advanced Panel
Archival and Storage
Film: Film negatives are physically handled, cut, and stored in sleeves. The process can be meticulous, involving the organization of physical objects in binders or boxes. There's a tangible sense of history and permanence when holding and sorting through film strips.
Digital: Digital file management involves organizing images on a computer or hard drive. It's a task that requires careful organization and backup strategies, but the physical aspect is limited to computer interactions. The tactile experience is largely absent, replaced by a visual and cognitive task. (Although from experience both are stressful, and can result in the permanent deletion of photos….)
Sensory Feedback
Film: Film cameras, particularly older or mechanical models, offer rich sensory feedback. The sound of the shutter, the physical sensation of advancing the film, and the texture of the camera body contribute to a sensory-rich experience. Even the ambient sounds in a darkroom become part of the tactile experience.
Digital: Digital cameras provide feedback through electronic sounds and vibrations. The tactile sensation is more uniform and less varied than film cameras. The interaction is primarily with smooth surfaces, buttons, and touchscreens, offering a different but less diverse tactile experience.
Digital over Film
There are some very valid and practical reasons an entire industry transitioned from doing things analog to the digital word. The sheer volume you can shoot the, the ability to immediatly correct a mistake you might not have figured out had you been shooting film. To remedy my highly biased point of view in favor of film, here are a couple reasons you might choose digital!
Post-Processing Flexibility: Digital files, particularly RAW files, offer vast post-processing flexibility. You have the ability to adjust exposure, color balance, sharpness, and many other parameters after the shot has been taken, without any degradation in image quality. Most people shooting film require a lab to develop and return their image to them, in digital photography you have control from the start to the end.
Faster Workflow for Professional Use: For professionals working in fast-paced environments like journalism, sports, or event photography, digital provides a quicker workflow from shooting to delivering the final images. Hard to tell a client “Oh something happened to the film,” and walk away with your head held high. Digital photography ensures you, at the very minimum, have a few images to show for!
Advanced Camera Features: Modern digital cameras come equipped with advanced features like autofocus tracking, image stabilization, panoramic stitching, time-lapse, and high-speed video recording, offering capabilities that extend far beyond traditional still photography. If you consider yourself a cross disciplinary artist this might be essential for you.
Greater Accessibility for Beginners: Digital cameras, particularly entry-level models, often come with user-friendly interfaces and automatic modes that help beginners learn photography more easily. The goal is to get more people shooting, so if digital is easier, a win is a win!
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