Rediscovering Analog: Film Photography with the Nikon FG

Nov 27

As a digital photographer, my world has always been one of instant gratification. Shoot, review, adjust, and perfect—all in the span of seconds. Yet, somewhere amidst the megapixels and memory cards, I felt an itch to slow down and rediscover the roots of photography. Enter the Nikon FG, a compact 35mm SLR camera from the early 1980s, which became my gateway into the analog realm. I bought my FG on eBay from a seller in Oregon. His ad showed photos he had taken recently so I decided to take the risk.

Why Film?

Film photography feels like stepping into a time machine. The deliberate process, the mystery of waiting to see your results, and the tactile satisfaction of winding the film—it all combines to create a more immersive experience. The Nikon FG, with its accessible controls and lightweight design, seemed like the perfect first film camera.

The camera’s aperture-priority mode and full manual control mirrored the settings I love in my digital workflows. Plus, the Nikon FG’s compatibility with Nikon F-mount lenses made it easy to find lenses from the extensive catalog of Nikon glass. My new Nikon FG came with a 50mm f1.8.

The First Rolls: A Journey of Trial and Error

Loading my first roll of Ilford HP5 Plus was a nervous thrill. It was surprising how quickly things came back. Remembering how to open the film back, loading film, were tactile motions that brought back wonderful memories. Are there issues with the camera? Would I expose the film properly? Is the light meter functioning correctly? These questions buzzed in my head as I ventured out to capture my first shots. We took off to shoot around the Denver metro area. Mostly looking for old signs and other interesting local scenes. Street photography is not my specialty, but shooting with a film camera piqued a different interest in capturing the apparent minutiae of the everyday.

Living in Denver provides me with several options for film developing and scanning. For the first rolls I took them to Englewood Camera, located about a mile and a 1/2 from my house. They are affordable and quick with their processing. They are a locally owned shop and have been around for a long time. Check them out if you happen to be in the Denver area.

When I received my scans a week later, I was hooked. Here’s what I learned—and some highlights from the results.

Lesson 1: Light and Patience Are Your Best Friends

Film is far less forgiving than digital. We struck out in the evening before dark, but the fast changing light required us to shoot quickly. I didn’t have a tripod and with film there is no adjusting your ISO to assist with your shutter speed. Thinking in black & white was a shift, looking for contrasts and interesting lines or shapes was a different mind set. Though you can change your digital photos to b&w if you want there’s not this option with film.

Local laundromat shot with Ilford HP5 Plus.

Lesson 2: Composition Comes First, but Take the Shot

Without the luxury of a digital screen to check my shots, I found myself slowing down to consider each frame. It was liberating. I took time to evaluate the interplay of lines and textures, knowing every shot counted. Though I will never shoot the volume of film photos as I do with digital, I have realized that I should take the shot. I don’t want to have such a scarcity mind-set that I miss out on a photo simply because I think it’s too expensive.

Photos from left to right: 1: Denver, Fuji 400; 2: Maine Fuji 400; 3: Maine Fuji 400; 4: San Francisco Kodak Ultramax 400; 5: Portland, Maine Fuji 400; 6: San Francisco Kodak Ultramax 400; 7: Maine Kodak GC 400; 8: Redwoods NP Kodak TMax 100

Lesson 3: Embrace the Flaws

Film photography isn’t about perfection—it’s about character. A slight light leak on one frame, unexpected grain on another, or an off-center focus I don’t feel will detract from the images. Instead, I think they add personality. I did find myself annoyed with some dust that transferred to some shots, and the missed focus. After a trip to Maine for fall color, I was sad to learn that I had mistakenly put in a roll of black and white film instead of color. Much of my shots were chosen with color in mind wasting almost an entire roll of film. Not really a flaw, but there’s no recovering if you don’t realize it quickly.

Photos 1 & 2 were taken with Ilford HP5 Plus. Photos 3, 4, & 5 were taken with Kodak TX400

Lesson 4: Plan for travel

About a month after I got the FG we were headed to California for a long weekend of shooting in the Redwoods National Park, the ocean, and San Francisco. When leaving Denver I got flustered at the TSA line and forgot that I had film. Denver has the new CT scanners for pre-check and clear travellers. My several rolls of film and the camera went through the scanner. I decided that I wasn’t willing to take a chance on damage so we searched for film on our way out of San Francisco. With no luck, until we got to a small town Ukiah that had a really interesting camera store, complete with a few rolls of film. As you can guess it was incredibly expensive, about 3x the price of the rolls I ordered from B&H before we left.

I have since shot the other rolls and I don’t see noticeable issues with those photos. The TSA indicates that the CT scanners and the x-ray scans are safe for film under ISO/ASA 800. However, I have since seen a video of someone doing close up examination of film that also accidentally went through a CT scanner. There was noticeable haze, grain damage, and lack of exposure of some portions of the film. Their film was all below 800 ASA.

Moral of the story, always request a hand check of your film and camera if there is a partial roll in it. The TSA agents have been very accommodating every time we’ve flown since. Be sure to give yourself some extra time!

Final Thoughts: Falling (back) in Love with Film

Shooting with the Nikon FG has changed the way I approach photography—even digitally. The act of slowing down, planning each shot, and cherishing imperfections has been a refreshing challenge. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with the results from the Nikon FG. It consistently produces sharp, beautiful images, meters well in a variety of settings and is truly a joy to shoot with. While I’ll never abandon my digital setup, I’m excited to integrate film into my workflow for personal projects and creative experiments. I do find myself reaching for film more often lately, even when I have my digital workhorse, the Nikon Z7ii with me.

To my fellow digital photographers: if you’ve ever thought about trying film, do it. Start with an accessible camera like the Nikon FG and an inexpensive roll of film. It might just reignite your passion for the art form.