Film vs. digital camera

[Alis]

Why some professional photographers still prefer film over digital cameras?

[Mike R]

That's a big subject. Do a Google search on "film versus digital" and you'll find many discussions to give you a flavor. Digital is evolving rapidly, so be wary of anything written more than 2 years ago.

Mike

[McQ]

Yes, this topic has been discussed on the internet ad nauseam. At this point there's really a very narrow range of situations where film is favorable-- and that range has been decreasing rapidly over the past few years.

From a technical perspective I feel that there's not too much serious debate anymore when it comes to the most common shooting scenarios. However, from a more subjective and qualitative perspective it's less clear. Some people I know quite well still prefer film simply because they like working in a dark room, and feel that film cameras give them more of a "hands on" experience, for example.

[Henry Peach]

People doing all sorts of things choose different tools. Some painters work in oils, others watercolor. Some chefs prefer gas ovens over electric. It's important that each photographer choose the tools that they enjoy using, and that helps them be successful. What works for photographer A doesn't necessarily have any bearing on what works for photographer B.

Some photographers have more experience with film. Others like the easy workflow (shoot and drop off at the lab is about as easy as it gets).