The age old question, is film or digital better? There is no definite answer and mine is both. If you say film is rubbish just because it’s old or having tried some fun film camera, sorry to break it, you cannot be more wrong. On one hand, digital cameras have come to a pinnacle on the other the resurgence of analogue cameras that’s difficult to ignore so there’s really no answer as to which is best. To quote that famous saying, it is about the destination not the journey and here’s mine this far.
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Film Combo
Point and shoot film cameras have certainly soared in price over the years so I’m sticking to a Canon 300V which has access to over eighty EF lenses. Coming from an EOS 3 may seem like a downgrade where maximum shutter speed only at two-thousandth of a second nonetheless reliable exposure and autofocus in a relatively compact dimension more than make up for it.
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When you are in the mood for the best of the best, the Mamiya 7 lives right up there by having the sharpest glass ever made, to those who care. Concentration, quite a bit of that will still be required to make things picture perfect. This Mamiya is often regarded as a traveller’s medium format camera and it probably is the lightest amongst its kind but one still a leviathan to lug about. Despite that, the Mam 7 is for good reasons one of the most celebrated film cameras in history making one pricey back then and is still today.
Digital Combo
A Leica Q is a brilliant image maker, that glass just gives an extra polish that cannot be found in other manufacturers. A 28-millimetre focal length requires some getting used to and it is as wide as I’d like when it comes to an all-rounder. A full frame sensor and lack of weight makes the Q a hell of a combination however it is ultimately down to you to paint the picture. When professional video work isn’t required, this is everything you ever need.
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The A7 is like having a cake and eating it as it does both videos and pictures rather well which is no wonder Sony was rocketed to being a photographing giant with the alpha series. Grand Master lenses are technically the best modern lenses out there but they are ultimately compromised by size and heft. If you’re unfazed by that then why not stick to DSLRs since it is somewhat about downsizing when moving into the world of mirrorless. Unreal tracking autofocus performance and all the dynamic range in the world will keep other brands busy playing catch up for a while.