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Digital vs FilmAug 20 '01 Write an essay on this topic.
Popular Products in Digital Cameras
The Bottom Line If you take lots of photos regularly, the digital camera is for you. On the other hand, if you hardly use a camera, stick to film.
There have been numerous articles written about the pros and cons of digital photography compared with traditional film photography. Certainly it is not an easy choice between these 2 media. I do not wish to repeat what's been written but merely to give my own 2 cents' worth based on my personal experience. Casual Photographer To me, if you are just a casual photographer - you know, using the camera on the occasional holidays, friends' weddings, birthday party etc - perhaps the traditional film cameras are a better choice. If you get a reasonably good camera (even a point & shoot type) you'll get great photos and the advantages of digital cameras are not so crucial to you. Let me elaborate. Some of the advantages of digital cameras are: 1. You can see your results immediately and can choose to keep the shot or retake it; 2. You can edit the photos on your home computer; 3. You only need to print out the good shots and delete or archive the rest; and 4. There is no need to pay for film each time you need to take photos. Now, don't get me wrong. These are indeed great advantages of digital photography. Absolutely no doubt about it. However, to an occasional photographer, their importance is diminished. With today's technology, you don't need an expensive SLR with multiple lenses to take great photos. I have an Olympus point & shoot which produces great results. In fact since I got it, I have taken more photos with it than with my Nikon SLR. It's compact, light & a no-brainer to operate. If your camera can give good consistent results, you don't need to view the image on the spot, neither do you need to do any editing nor is it an issue with printing only the good photos. And if you are going to use the camera just occasionally, the costs of film and processing is nominal. In fact since the price of a digital camera is often much more than that of film camera with equivalent functions, it is hard to justify the extra costs involved for the occasional photographer. In addition, there is also the costs of the recording media (CF Card etc), the computer and perhaps CDRs. Avid Photographer If you are an avid photographer, either as a hobby or because your job requires lots of photos to be taken, then perhaps you should choose digital over film. I am not a professional photographer. I just take photos as a hobby. I don't have a dark room at home and before I started taking digital photos, I had absolutely no creative control over the "post camera" processes. I had to do all the adjustments on my camera and leave the rest to the minilabs. With film, you tend to be careful on what you take. You certainly won't want to "waste film" on doubtful subjects or compositions. With a digital camera, you really start to experiment on all sorts of techniques. After all the "erase" button is just at your finger tips if your shot does not turn out nice. I started with a Nikon Coolpix 950 2 years ago. Six months ago, I switched to the Canon G1. I have taken more than 5,000 shots in the past 6 months. If I had used film, the amount I paid for the film and processing would have far exceeded the sum I paid for the G1 and the 340MB Microdrive. Now with Photoshop, I have complete control over the outcome of my photos. It's like having an entire darkroom on my desktop. I print the photos with my Epson Photo 870 printer. The results (up to A4 size prints) are simply amazing! All my jpeg files are burned into CDRs. No more worry about scratching those negatives or archiving them or keeping them in the dry box. Which Camera?? So you have decided to get a digital camera. But with so many models and such a wide price range, what is right for you? This is a tough question to answer. Only you can answer the question. Start off by looking at what your requirements are. Do you need a zoom lens? Is the size a factor? What recording media do you prefer? How much creative control do you need? What do you intend to do with the recorded images (this determines the CCD resolution that is suitable for you)? What's your budget? Here's a look at my choices. I have always been using SLRs and have enjoyed full control over the cameras' functions. So obviously when I started looking for a digital camera, it should offer me the same sort of control, or at least close to it. When I first started, the Nikon 950 was just released. It was considered one of the top "prosumer" digital cameras at that time. Sure, it is not as complicated as the Nikon D1 nor can the lens be interchanged, but it only costs about $900, a fraction of the price of the D1. The images captured were truly amazing. At 2.1MP, it was capable of producing photo-like 8"X10" prints. Then I upgraded to the 3.3MP Canon G1. The G1 has a lot more functions compared to the 950. I love the fact that it has a hotshoe for an external flash. With the 950, you'd have to get all sorts of optional weird attachments to hold an external flash. The G1 also has infra-red remote control, can take MPEG files (including voice recording) and comes with a rechargeable Lithium Ion battery. The battery life on the G1 is fantastic. Another clincher is the fact that the G1 accepts Microdrives. The low $/MB ratio of Microdrives makes digital photography that much more attractive. It's not all good with the G1 though. I am still yearning to upgrade to a professional digital camera, like the Nikon D1x, or maybe the Canon D30. The reason is speed. On even the best "prosumer" digital cameras, you can feel a lag between the time you press the shutter release and the time that the photo is actually taken. The auto-focus is also not as fast or as accurate as a "normal" auto-focus film camera. If you tend to take a lot of "action" photos, you'll be very frustrated with a prosumer digital camera. You'd be much better off (if you don't have the budget for a "pro" digital camera) with a good film SLR, like the Nikon F100 or Canon EOS 3, for example.  |
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