Digital vs Film

I did a little comparison experiment today. Just cause.

I took this picture of me gitter using my DSLR. I set the ISO as low as it goes, put the camera on my broken tripod (it doesn’t tilt) with the legs closed all the way because otherwise I would have had a picture of the wall above the top of me gitter. I then used the light meter on my iPhone to figure out the aperture and shutter speed, used the auto focus and snapped.

I then put Dad’s film camera on the tripod and did the same. The ISO of the film in the camera is 100, which is lower than the DSLR goes so it’s not an exact duplicate test. I did set the aperture the same on both cameras but the shutter speed was a smidge lower on the film version. I manually focused and compared the light meter in the camera to the app and they were very similar. I then snapped the pic. The shutter was open for one second but it felt like 15 years.

Someday I will get the roll of film developed and in theory I will compare the two images. I say in theory because I can pretty much guarantee I’ll forget all about this by then and will never compare them at all. Oh well. I have a photo for the photo a day thing though, so that’s good.

Digital vs Analog Comparison

I started the film page with the idea that I wouldn’t post film images on this page (unless they were reblogged from the other page). I also said I was going to post digital vs film comparisons because… because. So I guess that allows me to post a few film pics, right?

Last week I put on a record and took a spinning media picture. Pretty sure I posted it here. I also took about the same shot with the Nikon Ebay film camera too. I think everything about the digital pic is better, but I also think I prefer the film pic. Maybe I am just an old fashioned sucker.

This one is digital:

This one is film:

Isn’t that interesting?

Now we move to Methuen’s little downtown area, specifically the used record store. I’ve taken this three times, one digital and two film, one with each camera. The two Nikons have a wider lens than the Pentax, so the Pentax is zoomed in much more than the other two, but you’ll get the gist of it.

This one is digital, it’s also portrait:

This one is film from the Nikon and it’s landscape:

This one is Dad’s Pentax. Like I said, it’s zoomed in more. It also has a coloring that might be from the roll of film or it might be from scanning it with my iPhone or maybe it might be because it was within about an hour after sunrise while the other two were later in the morning. I don’t know exactly, but I kinda like it.

Which one do I like best? I think the second one. The Nikon film one. I think I will do the Pentax one again at some point. If I do, I won’t get it developed at CVS and I won’t be scanning it with my iPhone.

Now I just have to try to remember not to reblog whatever posts these film shots end up on. I can do that (but I’ll probably fail).

Digital vs Analog

I am pretty nervous about my camera failure this morning. Is the camera broken? Did I break the camera? Will the same thing happen again? I loaded a new roll of film into it when I got home and it seems okay. I don’t know though. Am I screwing up Dad’s camera?

I did another experiment today. Mostly just as an excuse to take a couple of pictures and make sure it’s winding correctly. It is. So far, so good.

I took out my D90, put it on my tripod (which is broken! The head piece doesn’t move anymore. Sand in the gears?), and pointed it at a candle. I used the light meter app and set up the camera manually. I then turned off all of the lights and took a picture. I then did the same thing except that I turned off the lights and then checked the light meter. The only setting on the camera I changed was the shutter speed.

Then I swapped cameras and did it all again. All of the same manual settings, everything. I took two pictures and the film advanced successfully. No issues at all.

Maybe someday I’ll get the pics developed and I’ll be able to compare, but for now I just have the digital stuff.

Aperture f/5.6, ISO 400, Shutter speed 1/30:

Aperture f/5.6, ISO 400, Shutter speed 1:

Now, we just have to wait for the film… someday. Remember, I just sent a roll off to get developed that is at least 30 years old. So… be patient, m’kay?