Depending on whom you talk to, digital cameras are the be all and end all, and everyone who is anyone is rushing out to buy a digicam. But there are die hard traditional photographers who are quick to maintain that the quality of photographs produced by digital cameras cannot match the quality provided by a film camera, at least not at the same price point.
In a nutshell, these are some of the specific points being hotly debated:
- Are digital prints as good as 35mm prints? Some folks think digital prints are actually better. With a 2 mega pixel camera, digital prints can rival 35mm prints quality. Working with a good printer, you can produce astounding images.
- The ability to edit on the fly is one of the main draws of the digicam. Rather than having to wade through poor shots and discard them, you can quickly delete any bloopers from your camera, leaving only the cream of the crop in memory.
- It is just plain fun. There is something tremendously appealing about using a digital camera. It is partly the instant gratification that comes from being able to upload your memory card immediately after a shoot. It is also knowing that you can effortlessly share your pix with anyone, anywhere, thanks to the internet and email. Free photo sharing web sites also make it enjoyable and easy to share photos with online albums.
- The chance to have some creative recreation with your photos using a software program is another strong draw of digital photography. No more darkroom. Now with the help of your computer, you can enhance your photos in a million different ways. Or you can make greeting cards, illuminate personal or business newsletters, or add pizzazz to your web site.
Now For The Flip Side
- Film is available everywhere, memory cards are not. If you are traveling far from home, it may not be as easy to pick up more memory cards as it would be to buy more film. And it is certainly not as cheap. You can’t just pop into a convenience store to stock up on memory cards. If you are traveling to a remote area, you won’t be apt to find compact flash or micro drives available if you need them. Instead, you will need to make a rather substantial investment in memory before ever leaving home.
- Many photographers believe that film still offers better resolution than digicams.
- Digital cameras run into problems when you are shooting in low light locations. Film offers greater sensitivity to light, allowing the photographer a greater chance of getting a good shot in low light. With your digital camera, you may need to add extra sources of light in order to get a good photo.
- Digital cameras run into parallax problems more frequently than film cameras.
- There are more lenses available for 35mm cameras. Fewer lenses mean fewer ways to be creative with your camera.
- Film cameras provide quicker shutter response than digital cameras, resulting in better sport and action shots.
