Should You Invest In Film Cameras? 📸

Digital Camera: Olympus Fe-280

Film Camera: Olympus Oz-1 Panorama

📍 Thrifted both cameras at Dongmyo Market, Seoul

After owning both a digital and film camera (+ an iPhone 13), I find it a struggle to decide which cameras to use for what photos 😂 But here are my honest reviews about how I view both cameras, which should be helpful when it comes to deciding whether you should invest in either cameras!

1. Hidden Costs of Film Cameras 💲

Before you jump into the film camera hype that’s been going on for ages, let’s talk about its affordability. Film cameras aren’t cheap to begin with, but you can test your luck with carousellers or even ebay! I got mine for about $50 so that’s pretty cheap, considering it’s quality. But we also cannot forget about how you have to constantly invest in film rolls + developing it. Film rolls in singapore cost about ~$8-10 depending on the type of film, and I usually develop my rolls at Triple D, which is also about ~$10. This means every time I develop 36 photos, I spend at least $18! 🤔 so you have to decide if this will be worth it in the long term!

2. Risks of Buying A Working Film Camera 🎥

For me, I got mine in an overseas thrift shop. It’s honestly down to luck whether you get scammed or not because I know some of my friends bought theirs for $80 and have it spoil after 2 weeks of using. And it’s hard to determine whether the camera works unless you’re an expert and know the different parts. I only knew my camera was functioning well when I developed my first roll! But for digital cameras, it’s much easier to test its functionality - you can literally see instant results!

3. Thrill & Joy From Developed Film Photos 😆

Those who own film cameras will know this!! Or at least for me HAHA I feel like the uniqueness of film cameras is that when you eventually finish your roll and develop the photos, they come out as a pleasant surprise! Sometimes I even forget that certain photos are taken and it’s a joy to see how they turn out eventually after some time 🥹 kinda like a walk down the memory lane also when you revisit these photos after some time!

4. Nostalgic Vibes 🤧

Honestly both film and digital camera photos give off nostalgic vibes (and they all differ according to the different camera models & films used) but generally I do prefer film photo vibes! Though I’m sure there’s something you can do about editing your digital camera photos / apps that can achieve similar results

5. Functionality 🫠

The downside to film cameras is that you cannot adjust the settings, like the exposure and you some of the photos that I take indoors/at night won’t turn out as nice… 🥲 but in digital cameras there’s more flexibility! you get to zoom in (some film camera can do that too but definitely more pricey) and you can also record videos or adjust the exposure before taking photos!

All in all, if I could choose between getting a digital or film camera, I think I’d go with a digital camera purely because it’s more cost-efficient + more functional! I also use my digital camera more often and would usually save my films for overseas purposes 🤭

#filmphotography #filmcamera #digicam #lemon8recommendations