Do professional photographers use 35mm film? (2024)

Do professional photographers use 35mm film?

Of course, 35mm gear shooting film/slides was by far the most popular format for professional photographers. However, as with anything, it depended on what type of 'pro' you were. As a commercial photographer, I had to shoot with 3 different formats and had complete systems in 35mm, medium format and 4x5 view camera.

Yes! 35mm is still made and is by far the most popular film format that we sell.

DSLR cameras are the go-to cameras for most professional photographers today because they produce professional-level photographs and feature adjustable settings. Arguably the best thing about DSLR cameras is the customizable settings. DSLR cameras can come with a full-frame sensor or crop sensor.

Film is better at capturing subtle details and color contrasts, especially between black and white. Lower initial costs. Traditional film cameras are generally cheaper than digital cameras. No fear of your camera losing power.

Medium format film is much larger than the 35mm counterpart, and is preferred by many professional photographers. Of course, due to the size of medium format film, a medium format camera will be needed to use it. Most often, medium format film is 6 x 6 cm square or 6 x 4.5 cm rectangular (commonly referred to as 645).

Heck, for many, the smartphone is also the go-to device for taking photos and capturing memories. And that begs the question, do professional photographers (or any photographers) still use film? The short answer is yes.

Disadvantages of 35mm Film:

Most consider the biggest disadvantage of 35mm film, compared to medium format, to be the resolution. If you print your images large, the maximum size you can print a 35MM negative will be exponentially smaller than an image made on 120 film without up-resing your image.

Photography Composition Rule #1: Use the Rule of Thirds

The rule of thirds refers to dividing your image into three horizontal sections and three vertical sections. You should have two lines running top to bottom, and two lines running left to right.

The cameras used by professional photographers for their personal photography ranged from full-frame and APS-C sensor mirrorless cameras (Sony a7 III, Fujifilm X-T3) to full-frame and APS-C sensor DSLRs (Nikon D850, Nikon D7100). The 8-year-old APS-C sensor Sony a6000 mirrorless camera also made a surprise appearance.

As 35mm is encased in metal canisters, these require careful and complicated processes to get them finished and packaged properly, without light leaks. There aren't many machines in the world that can do this, and this is one of the reasons for the lack of colour 35mm available today.

Why do people use 35mm film?

35mm is a very convenient format, coming in light tight metal containers that are easy to use and less fiddly than working with sheet film or medium format spools.

The number of available manufacturing facilities is decreasing. The equipment to produce film is no longer being produced so everyone is trying to maintain what they have the best they can. The environmental costs continue to rise, especially around chemicals, which have a direct impact on the cost to manufacture film.

35mm lenses can allow for closer focusing distances, and paired with the wider field of view, they provide a deeper depth of field overall. Depth of field refers to a set distance between the closest and farthest objects in a photo that appears acceptably sharp.

Choose a Low to Mid-Range ISO

When shooting a sunrise or sunset, you'll generally want to use a low to mid-range ISO setting, like 200, 400 or 800.

As a general rule, you can expect to receive between 50 and 100 photos per hour of shooting time. But there's no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. Of course, this depends on various factors such as the type of shoot, how many people are involved, and what you want to achieve.

Film photography is on the rise, and recent developments from camera manufacturers suggest that it's not just a passing trend. Leica, for example, has started re-manufacturing its flagship M6 35mm film camera for ongoing sales. This isn't a limited edition run, either.

No matter what type of film requires developing, you can bring it to your local CVS Photo location for processing. Services include processing for 35mm film, disposable cameras, Advanced Photo System film, black and white film, 110 film and slide film.

Are 35mm Cameras Worth Anything? Simply put, they are. Even though they may not always bring high prices in the vintage market, 35mm cameras present an accessible gateway into film photography.

How Long Does Unexposed Film Last? Unused rolls of film typically have an expiration date of 2 years from the date they were made. However, don't throw out your expired film stock yet. Just because the old film is beyond the expiry date doesn't mean you can't still use it.

Our general rule of thumb is that anything under 10 years is pretty good. You will see some minor color shifts, your blacks will start to turn blue, maybe some indoor shots taken without a flash will be too dark, and so on. 10-20 years will see some noticeable deterioration.

Why does 35mm film look so good?

“When filming on 35mm, each frame consists of a single image taken when the footage is shot. However, when it is filmed digitally, each frame on screen consists of thousands of tiny pixels that are put together to create the image. This gives footage shot on film a more subtle and accurate depiction of the images.”

The 3-2-1 rule, attributed to photographer Peter Krogh, follows these requirements: 3 Copies of Data – Maintain three copies of data—the original, and at least two copies. 2 Different Media – Use two different media types for storage.

In lunar photography, the Looney 11 (or Looney f/11) rule is a way to estimate correct exposures without a light meter. The rule is to set your aperture to f/11 and shutter speed to the ISO you've selected. Example: If your ISO is 100, the shutter speed should be 1/100s, and ISO 200 puts you at 1/200s.

Term: Description: The 500-Rule states that to obtain a clear image of stars without trails, take the number 500 and divided it by the focal length to get your exposure time. For example, a 20 mm lens would call for an exposure of about 25 seconds and theoretically, still obtain the stars without trails.

Fujifilm cameras, while they are well-built and reliable, are not designed to withstand the rigors of professional use, which is why many photographers opt for more durable and rugged cameras from brands like Canon and Nikon.