Why is it a virtue to make things hard? The analogy of "if you truly want to learn programming, you have to do it with punch cards" feels apt.
Instant feedback is good for learning. I sometimes feel that old-school photographers are just kinda bitter that it's a lot easier to take competent photos today than it was 20 years ago, and think it's not real unless you're carrying a light meter around.
Actually, today the quickest way is to start with a digital camera, but the caveat is that you must have discipline not to fall into the technography trap.
Technography is not photography.
I can take a photo without a light meter.
Zone focusing and the zone system are a thing, even today.
The idea behind making things hard for yourself is to develop a discipline and way of seeing the world without assistance. When you get this superpower, you will use the digital aids in a completely different manner.
The instant feedback is so bad for the development of photographers mind, that some brands like Leica and Fujifilm have a digital camera without screen on their back.
P.S. Not every debate is a generational war. I have learned plenty from the young, but in my view ignoring the knowledge of the past is not a good thing. In photography and the arts in genereal, slowing down is a feature, not a bug.:)
Instant feedback is good for learning. I sometimes feel that old-school photographers are just kinda bitter that it's a lot easier to take competent photos today than it was 20 years ago, and think it's not real unless you're carrying a light meter around.