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              "plaintext": "I recently took part in a film photography workshop, where the starter question was 'So why do you shoot on film?'. We were also warned, that the wrong answer is that 'it looks kool'."
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              "plaintext": "My original answer was that the artificial scarcity imposed by the number of frames on a film roll makes me more careful about composition, and on choosing what to shoot. And while this is true, I later realized that the true reason I have a film camera is not this."
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              "plaintext": "The true reason is probably even more controversial than the koolness argument."
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              "level": 2,
              "plaintext": "It's actually cheap!"
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              "plaintext": "I know, I know. The usual argument against shooting on film, that it is expensive. But for a digital camera, you have to put down a significantly higher sum at start. Then each lens will run you more. If you take enough photos, then the per-photo cost will diminish, as each photo costs zero on a digital system."
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              "plaintext": "With a film camera, your entry is dirt cheap. I got mine for 25 euros, with a nice 50 mil, f1.8 lens, that I would happily pay 25 euros for on its own. It's a simple Chinon, with a Pentax K mount, and a working light-meter. There are a ton of lens for this mount online in the 25-100 euro range to experiment with. Buying additional lens for my digital camera (which has a Micro 4/3 system) would be around double/triple the cost."
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              "plaintext": "And even though the per-photo cost of a digital camera at some point becomes favorable, \"financing\" film photography still has an advantage: it's effect on cash-flow."
            }
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              "plaintext": "Once I'm travelling somewhere, the cost of 1-2 rolls is not a huge addition. It's in the range of a meal. Spending hundreds of euros while trying to find a digital camera one likes is a lot harder to justify."
            }
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              "level": 2,
              "plaintext": "In summary"
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              "facets": [],
              "plaintext": "Overall, I think it's best to find a camera that you are happy with. All argument on the superior look of film are snake oil, just as the supposedly superior sound quality of vinyl is (which I might mathematically prove in a followup post)."
            }
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              "plaintext": "Happy shooting!"
            }
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  "path": "/3lyrysc5j622x",
  "publishedAt": "2025-09-14T09:41:21.232Z",
  "site": "at://did:plc:h3vrshm7jgnqpltbkuj3lo5s/site.standard.publication/3lyrykjzda22x",
  "title": "Reflections on shooting film"
}