The Struggles of Using a Film Camera in the Digital Age

by Rebecca Alston

Taking pictures is something that almost everyone does at one time or another. This could be a selfie, a picture of a beautiful mountain or even a picture of your dog. While digital cameras, phones and other modern solutions are available, many people prefer to instead use older film cameras. 

These can be fun and nostalgic to use, no doubt, but there is a good chance you will experience some struggles through your usage, especially today. While there are pros and cons of each, digital cameras are more popular today for a reason.

With that in mind, this blog post is going to go over a few problems you may encounter when using a film camera in the digital age.

The Inability to Get Your Photos and Videos Online

The first struggle with using a film camera is that it is harder to get your photos online. Many of the photos we take, we want to share with our followers on social media or instantly send to friends and family. But with a film camera, this generally isn’t possible. You may be able to print them out or go get them developed, but won’t instantly be able to upload them like some modern cameras can.

Of course, you can always use a service that can allow you to transfer 8mm to DVD. It may take longer than using a digital camera, but it is a great and safe way to get your film photos and videos converted to a digital format.

You Won’t be Able to Instantly See the Photo

With digital cameras, you can instantly see any photo you take and see how it turned out. This allows you to try and try again until you get the perfect shot that everyone is happy with. Unfortunately, with a film camera, you won’t be able to instantly see the photo you took and make sure it’s a good one.

Even polaroid ones take a bit of time for the photo to be ready to view, which can make photo sessions a lot slower. While this is fine for some, many of us like the instant gratification of seeing the photo and being able to take another in mere seconds.

You can just take a lot and hope one eventually will work out, but you don’t want to waste all the space on your camera either.

You Don’t Get The Same Useful Feature

The features of modern digital cameras are another reason you may struggle with a film camera. For example, digital cameras may have multiple ISO speed settings, while film cameras will generally only have one film speed. Other features that are included in modern cameras include higher capacity, the ability to edit and upload right from the camera, built-in filters and many others.

Of course, there are some pros to film cameras, but when it comes to what the camera is actually capable of doing, there is no doubt that modern cameras have more to offer in general. New camera technologies are always coming out, too, and digital cameras are constantly getting more and more features.

If you don’t need these features and quality of life changes, feel free to continue with a film camera. But those who have gotten used to these inclusions may struggle going back in time.

The Size and Weight Factor

The size and weight of the camera is also something you may struggle with. Many modern digital cameras are incredibly light, easy to carry and simple to hold, even for long periods of time. They can be tossed in a bag, a jacket pocket or a purse and hardly even be noticed.

Unfortunately, many older film cameras have a bit more heft and weight to them. This can make them more annoying to carry and lug around with you all day. Many will be larger and may need their own case or something like a backpack to comfortably have them with you for longer periods of time.

While using a film camera is still relatively popular in the modern digital age, there are often a lot of struggles that will be experienced. We hope this blog post has helped you see and prepare for the struggles you may have if you use a film camera.