Family Photos with D700 vs F100 {film vs digital}

posted December 15, 2011 in Photographer Resources, Portraits

Since I started my photography business back in 2005, I’ve been shooting digital due to the streamlined workflow and what I thought the market wanted. It worked for awhile. However, there was still something elusive I wanted to capture using film and I just wasn’t feeling it in digital. I’m a luddite at heart, and if I could live without a cell phone or internet in the wilderness with cool, creative people around, I would. Then again, that’s what Burning Man is about (more on that here and here).

The backstory
I learned on film in 1994 in my high school darkroom shooting T-Max with the Honeywell Pentax my father gave me. While I dabbled with my holga shooting film on vacation, I never did much with it since. However, after meeting Jose Villa in Denver a year ago with friends Jenna Walker and James Christianson, talking with Brian at Richard Photo Lab, hearing colleagues Collin Hughes and Eliesa Johnson speak of their love of shooting film while attending Elevate Workshop, I knew I should begin taking the steps to incorporate it into my professional work. I totally connected with Laurence Kim’s thoughts after 6 months of shooting film. I researched about the Nikon F100 vs F5, and at the recommendation of three dear friends, Denver Wedding Photographers Gino Siller, Rachel Olsen, James Christianson. Hell, even Ken Rockwell loves the Nikon F100. So I gave it the old college try.

My first session shooting 35mm film
I dipped my toe into the film waters with paying clients watching, veeery slowly. I’ve shot personal work on 35mm film for years, shot several portraits with film for free, but not for actual paying clients. I feared screwing up, but embraced the challenge with enthusiasm and excitement. I brought along my digital Nikon D700 not as my photo security blanket, but because I wanted to draw my own comparison and conclusions in real world shooting situations.

Gear breakdown:

For film, I shot a Nikon F100 with a 24-70 mm lens using T-Max B&W film which I’ve had in the drawer for about 10 years. Sure, not the optimal scenario, but it worked like a champ. I got the film developed and scanned at National Camera Exchange in Edina, MN. It cost me about $30 for a roll of 36 plus time to drop off/pick up.
For the digital shots, I used my Nikon D700 with a 24-70 mm lens and used a B&W conversion in Photoshop (Channel Mixer Red: 68%, Green: 24%, and Blue 8%) then Cinnamon Toast at 20% opacity (from TRA1). I’ve used this B&W conversion for the last several years, so it was interesting me to compare it to the film I learnt on (I prefer my B&W slightly warmer than what T-Max 400 offers).

Leah and Craig got married at this same location, walking down this same aisle where we met, which made for a perfect spot to shoot my first roll of film on their Minneapolis family portrait session I blogged about here:
FILM / Nikon F100 / TMAX 400 :
wpid-dirkes_family_portraits_bw_film1-2011-12-15-12-171.jpg
DIGITAL / Nikon D700 :

FILM (notice that lovely grain) :

DIGITAL (better overall image sharpness with greater dynamic range) :
wpid-Minneapolis_family_portraits_dirkes_01-2011-12-15-12-171.jpg
FILM (best for that timeless look) :
wpid-dirkes_family_portraits_bw_film2-2011-12-15-12-171.jpg
DIGITAL (best for difficult lighting situations with fast moving subjects) :

FILM (same great background bokeh, but with a genuine old school feel) :
DIGITAL (share captured moments on the back of camera with happy clients on the spot) : wpid-film-digital-comparison-d700-f100-2011-12-15-12-171.jpg

My observations

Film is great. But so is digital. There can always be a balance between the two mediums, with two different looks, both suitable in different situations.
Shooting 35mm is like bumper bowling. It’s fun at first, but risks (and rewards) aren’t as big. I prefer the big leagues of shooting medium format film. 35mm is dull compared to 6×7.
Film workflow isn’t cheap and still takes time. $1 per click philosophy over time is certainly cheaper than staying on top of expensive Photoshop upgrades and buying actions to emulate film.
You shoot very different at the beginning of a roll of 36 than the end of a roll. Instead of shooting digital like a 2-year old with ADD, film forces me to slow down, compose, and think before I click. The end result? My hit ratio increases and I end up with more “keepers” and enjoy the experience. Shooting a roll of film yields a solid group of photos, versus culling through 100 digital images to find the same.
I’ve always known medium format digital was the direction I wanted to take my work. However, medium format digital backs have been prohibitively expensive until recently (still on the fence with an Mamiya 645 with Aptus II back). Getting the hang of shooting film first, then moving into more medium format cameras, eventually to graduate to medium format digital. That’s my natural progression and where I see myself going in the next few years.
I’ve only shot a few rolls with my Nikon F100, but I can say I love the way the camera feels in my hand, ergonomics and focusing, and sold build construction. Added bonus: all my Nikon lenses work as they were designed. I expect to continue using the camera for personal work time to time, just to keep things fresh, different, and a reminder of my roots.
Film cameras are a fraction what they used to be. I purchased a used Nikon F100 used for $180 ($1400 new in 1999) at KEH and enjoy their warranty, customer service, and fair prices. After a year of use, I could probably sell the same camera for what I paid for and avoid massive depreciation. Extra bonus.

The film vs digital debate will continue for years, but I enjoy the dialog. I’m not necessarily worried about clients judging my equipment. But for me, it is about creating a final, gorgeous print to hang on the wall. In the end, creative process to arrive at that destination IS important.

Stay tuned in the next two weeks for highlights from portrait sessions shot exclusively with medium format film along with my full analysis.
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Other inspiring film and creative kern-photo posts you might be interested in: