Why use an SLR film camera rather than a digital SLR camera?

Question

Why does Nikon still offer SLR film cameras when they are offering DSLR cameras? What makes someone still interested in an SLR film camera when digital SLR is there?

Is it because SLR film cameras produce superior image quality (being analog and capable of enlarging the photos greatly with virtually no image distortion) or is it cheaper or what?

Answer 1

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The only two film SLRs offered by Nikon are the manual focus FM10 and the top of the line F6.

Essentially Nikon offers the FM10 for people who want an entry-level manual focus camera.

Nikon also offers the F6 for those photographers who want absolutely the best 35mm film SLR available, for those times when a professional needs/wants/desires to shoot film.

Why shoot film? With digital, every bit for bit copy of the original file is the same as the original--effectively, there is *no original*. With film, the original is the negative or slide, and thus it has an inherent value. Let's say you take a photo of Lindsay Lohan crashing her car with your SLR. If you have a negative, that negative is worth a lot of money. If you have a digital file, every identical copy of that file diminishes the value of your file so that it ends up being worthless when it shows up on the Internet.

In addition, negative film has a huge exposure latitude--you can be off by 2 stops and still get a great image. You can't do that with digital. And if you've ever shot slide film, the richness of the colors is truly something to behold.

While film is no longer superior to digital, there are still times when film offers something you can't get with digital. So, you still need a film SLR to accomplish that, even if Nikon only offers two film SLRs.

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Asker's Comment:

Offered unique information (negative being the original in case of film).

Answer 2

Film camera often offer bulb (shutter stays open until you close it).

They have a wider contrast range than digital.

They have more resolution potentially available in bright sun (100 ISO film is still better than 15 MP in bright sun).

No dithering is used to create colors.

No edge problems or artifacts between colors.

Infinate possible tones not just 2 billion possible.

Answer 3

Because I like using film and my film cameras. I also like the results I get.

Answer 4

Because many people are set in their ways.

Moreover, some digital cameras tend to do a bad job rendering pictures with lots of straight lines and "depth" (Think taking a picture looking down a hallway, with horizontal stripped wallpaper)

Some digital cameras bend the lines. Analog do not.

Answer 5

It's becuse film can still offer better color accuracy and greater tonal range than digital.

When digital catches up, I suspect there will be no more film cameras made.