Me and Film Photography

My first camera was an analog, film camera. To be specific, it was a Canon AE-1 Program. Because of my nerdy nature, I was quick to adopt digital, although I spent a lot of time using disposable cameras due to their convenience while in the military. My first digital camera was a Sony Mavica FD5, the infamous floppy disk based camera. I switched pretty quickly to the Fujifilm MX700 soon after as I greatly appreciated the handsome and durable aluminum chassis.

With the recent resurgence in film, I’ve begun to lust after shooting film again. Maybe I’m romanticizing the days when film was the only option but I Long for it just the same. The main driving factor behind my recent purchase of a Fujifilm GFX-50S was a desire to slow down my photographic process; medium format digital requires me to be more deliberate in my photography with its slow focusing, slow shooting and high resolution demanding an extremely stable platform for the best results. Something else that has the same demands? Film.

So lately, I’ve been lusting after a Hasselblad 500C, 500C/M, or 503CX. If I’m going to shoot film alongside digital, I would prefer to shoot 6×6 or 645 instead of 35mm, where I can see the benefits of shooting film over digital. I’ve even begun to plan for shooting both alongside one another. The things that hold me back are the cost, both in the camera itself and the cost of worthwhile processing, the cost of the film, and the cost in time. A 500C/M in mint condition runs about $800-1000 complete, not including a lens of similar condition for $1000-1500. And then there’s the opportunity to be different. I like owning things that most people don’t. And I can’t be sure if shooting film on a 500C/M is driven by a desire to be different or that I truly long to shoot film on occasion.

This is something I definitely need to revisit 6 months from now and avoid any impulse purchases.