Film vs Digital
Film vs. Digital Cameras for Landscape Photography: Insights from Mark Zissis
In the world of landscape photography, few debates have persisted as long as the one between film and digital photography. Both mediums have their champions, and both offer unique advantages and challenges, particularly when it comes to capturing the vast beauty and subtle intricacies of natural landscapes. Australian photographer Mark Zissis, renowned for his mastery of the Outback’s sprawling vistas, has worked extensively with both mediums, and his insights offer a balanced perspective on the merits of each.
In this blog, we’ll explore the key differences between film and digital cameras for landscape photography, with a deep dive into Mark’s personal experiences and preferences. By the end, you’ll have a better understanding of how each format can shape your landscape photography and how to choose the one that best suits your artistic vision.
1. The Aesthetic Differences: The Look of Film vs. Digital
One of the most significant differences between film and digital photography is in the aesthetic qualities each produces. Film, especially when shooting landscapes, often has a distinct look that’s hard to replicate digitally, something that Mark Zissis deeply appreciates.
Film’s Organic, Timeless Look
The film captures light in an organic, almost tactile way. The colors can be softer and more nuanced, with a unique grain structure that gives the image texture and depth. This is especially true with medium and large format film, which Zissis has occasionally used to capture the Australian Outback. He explains, “Film brings out a richness in the landscape that feels almost tangible—there’s a soul in film images that sometimes gets lost in digital.”
The subtle imperfections and color shifts in film stock often enhance the mood of a landscape, especially during golden hour or twilight, where light plays delicately on natural elements like trees, water, and sand.
Digital’s Precision and Clarity
On the other hand, digital cameras offer incredible precision and clarity. Mark Zissis notes that digital sensors capture a broader range of tones and colours, making it easier to preserve detail in both shadows and highlights. This dynamic range is particularly useful when photographing landscapes with strong contrasts, such as a bright sky over a dark foreground.
“Digital allows me to capture exactly what I see,” Zissis says. “There’s no guesswork or waiting for the development process. I can assess the shot instantly and make adjustments if needed.” For the more meticulous photographer, this instant feedback and high level of control are invaluable.
2. Resolution and Detail: A Battle of Pixels and Grain
When photographing landscapes, the level of detail you can capture is crucial. Both film and digital cameras offer exceptional resolution, but they achieve it in different ways.
Film’s Infinite Resolution
Film doesn’t have pixels—it has grain. With larger film formats, such as medium or large format, the amount of detail film can capture is virtually unlimited, especially when compared to older digital sensors. Mark Zissis finds that when he shoots on large format film, the level of detail in his prints can be staggering, particularly when working with vast Australian landscapes where small details—like the texture of rocks or the sweep of distant mountain ranges—add to the overall impact of the scene.
However, Mark acknowledges that this level of detail often comes with a trade-off in convenience. “With film, achieving high resolution means you have to scan your negatives at an extremely high DPI, and that process can take time. But the reward is an image that feels organic and layered, even at massive print sizes.”
Digital’s Megapixel Advantage
Modern digital cameras, particularly high-end DSLRs and mirrorless systems have caught up with and, in many cases, surpassed the resolution offered by film. Today’s digital cameras often boast sensors with 50+ megapixels, which offer stunning detail straight out of the camera. Zissis appreciates this when he’s shooting landscapes that require sharpness and clarity across every inch of the frame.
“For commercial work or when I’m producing large prints, digital is often the more efficient choice,” says Zissis. “I can get the sharpness and fine detail I need without having to worry about scanning film or dealing with grain.”
3. The Dynamic Range: Capturing Light and Shadow
Dynamic range—the ability to capture detail in both the highlights and shadows of an image—is critical in landscape photography. Natural scenes often feature strong contrasts, such as the bright sky against darker landforms, and managing this range can be a challenge for both film and digital cameras.
Film’s Smooth Transitions
One of the reasons many landscape photographers, including Zissis, still love film is because of its smooth tonal transitions and superior highlight retention. Film, especially slide film like Fuji Velvia, is known for its ability to handle highlights gently, without the harsh clipping that digital sensors can produce.
Zissis explains, “With film, the way it handles bright skies, especially around sunrise or sunset, feels more natural. There’s a subtle roll-off in the highlights, which means you don’t lose important details in the brightest parts of the image.”
Digital’s Greater Flexibility
Modern digital cameras, especially those with full-frame sensors, offer a dynamic range that rivals and sometimes surpasses film. Digital sensors excel in pulling detail out of shadows, allowing photographers to recover information in post-processing that might have been lost with film.
“With digital, I can shoot a scene with extreme contrast and know that I’ll be able to adjust the exposure later on,” says Zissis. “The flexibility to recover shadow detail without introducing noise is a huge advantage in post-processing.”
4. Workflow and Convenience: The Speed of Digital vs. the Patience of Film
Another key difference between film and digital photography is the workflow involved, from the moment you press the shutter to the final print.
The Discipline of Film
Film photography requires patience and discipline. With a limited number of exposures per roll (especially with medium and large formats), Zissis notes that shooting film forces him to slow down and truly consider each shot. “Every frame matters,” he says. “You can’t just shoot endlessly. You have to be intentional.”
Mark also highlights the delayed gratification of film, where you have to wait until the film is developed to see the results. “There’s a certain magic in not knowing how the shot turned out until days or weeks later,” he reflects. “It makes the process feel more deliberate, more personal.”
The Efficiency of Digital
On the other hand, digital photography offers near-instant results, which is a significant advantage for many photographers. Zissis appreciates the convenience of digital when working on tight deadlines or when he needs to quickly assess a scene and make adjustments. “I can shoot, review, and reshoot within seconds,” he says. “It’s a faster, more efficient way to work, especially when conditions are changing rapidly.”
The digital workflow also extends to post-processing, where photographers can easily make adjustments in programs like Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop. With film, post-processing involves scanning negatives or prints and manually adjusting the scanned files, which can be more time-consuming and less precise.
5. Cost and Accessibility: A Practical Consideration
Cost is another practical consideration for photographers choosing between film and digital. While both mediums require an initial investment, their long-term costs vary significantly.
The Cost of Film
Shooting film can be expensive, especially when factoring in the cost of purchasing rolls of film, developing, and scanning. For photographers like Zissis who work in remote locations, these costs can add up quickly, not to mention the logistical challenges of transporting and storing film in harsh environments.
Digital’s Long-Term Value
Digital cameras come with a higher upfront cost, especially for professional-grade equipment, but the long-term expenses are significantly lower. Once you own a digital camera, you can shoot thousands of images without worrying about the cost of film or development. For Zissis, this makes digital the more practical option for extended projects or commercial work, where high volume and quick turnaround times are essential.
Conclusion: Film and Digital as Complementary Tools in Landscape Photography
For Mark Zissis, the debate between film and digital is not about which medium is superior—it’s about understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each and choosing the right tool for the job. “Film and digital both have their place in landscape photography,” he says. “It’s about what you’re trying to achieve. If I want to slow down, feel more connected to the land, and capture the mood of a scene, the film is my go-to. But if I need precision, flexibility, and efficiency, digital is unbeatable.”
Ultimately, Zissis believes that photographers don’t need to choose one over the other. By embracing both film and digital, you can expand your creative possibilities and deepen your connection to the landscapes you photograph.
Whether you’re drawn to the timeless beauty of film or the precision and convenience of digital, both formats offer unique ways to capture the ever-changing beauty of the natural world. And, as Mark Zissis’s work shows, the real magic comes not from the tool you use, but from how you use it to tell the story of the land.
The cameras that I love to use the most are both film and digital, the NIKON D850, NIKON D800e INFRARED, LINHOF TECHNORAMA 6X17, and THE FUJI GFX100. I have also used CANON, NOBLEX 6X12, and PHASE ONE, but the camera that gave me the most joy would be the LINHOF 6 X 17 with Fuji Velvia 50 and 100 Film.
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