Digital or Film?

 

I wrote this specifically for TERSCH.com. Many people don't understand the many differences between film and digital cameras and wonder what is really so great about Digital Cameras. Hopefully this article will help answer their questions.

Pro's of Digital Cameras:

• First of all, and probably most obviously, with a digital camera you don't need to buy film ever again. Digital cameras, or "digicams" for short, store their pictures as electronic files on digital (magnetic) media of some type. Although Sony Mavica cameras use conventional floppy disks, and older digital cameras use built-in, non-upgradeable memory chips, the vast majority of digicams use either Smartmedia or CompactFlash memory cards, which typically hold between four and sixteen megabytes of pictures per card. (Which can be anywhere between one and 300 pictures, depending on the camera's resolution and image compression settings.) Speaking of which...
• Digicams allow you to choose the image quality of each picture. What this means is, if you want to take a lot of pictures, you can slightly reduce the image quality of each, so that you can fit many more pictures on the memory card. Or, if you're taking a special picture that you want to look the best possible, you can change the camera's image quality settings to either a lower compression or a non-compression mode. Lower compression trades off larger file size (and therefore fewer images being able to fit on a card) for a sharper, more detailed photo. It's a trade off, but it's your choice for each photo.
• With a digital camera, you have the ultimate freedom to experiment. Because you can delete any photos you don't want, you can take pictures of small, boring, or unusual subjects you would not think of with a film camera. The instant you take a picture, you can view exactly how the photo looks on the small LCD screen on the digicam. (About 95% of the digicams out there have LCD screens.) And you can also instantly delete it if the subject is blurry, too dark, off-center, or just bad looking. This capability is incredibly beneficial to people who always find themselves wasting film on pictures that don't turn out right, or having important pictures ruined by their thumb in the picture!
• Not having to pay for film development in addition to the actual film. Also, if you work with your computer a lot, as I do, you will probably find it much easier and neater to have organized folders of browsable pictures on your hard drive than boxes of yellowing photo prints! It also saves you a ton of time that would be taken up by scanning the photos for use on the web, email, etc. You can simply print out what photos you really like or ones you want to give to people. Today's color inkjet printers, especially most Epson Stylus printers (like mine) print exceptionally good photos. (The secret to great prints is to use the best printing mode on the special glossy paper!)
• A digital camera lets you do things that would be impossible with a film camera. In addition to being able to delete unwanted pictures, adjust compression settings, and other benefits I've mentioned, there are tons of other cool features exclusive to digital cameras. Not all digicams have these, but each of these features is present on at least one camera currently on the market, and most of these features are very common:
  • Sequence, or Action mode. Many newer digicams can snap pictures in very quick sequence, usually two or three pictures per second. So you can capture something that is happening quickly in detail, and have nice "action shots" of what's happening. I've posted some pictures I took with my Olympus D-400z digicam's sequence mode on my special photos page as an example of how handy this feature can be.
  • Video recording. Although it's essentially just taking the idea of Sequence mode a little farther, being able to record actual MPEG format video is another cool feature of some digital cameras. A camera that uses this, the Sony Mavica FD-91, also records sound with the video, which makes for nice little quick video clips. I say quick, because at this point in time, very few (if any) digicams can record longer than a minute of video on their storage media, due to the enormous amount of storage space needed by video, as well as the need to save the video to the storage media almost instantly. I should also note that there are true portable digital video cameras, but even the cheapest models cost several thousand dollars, and are not really intended for mainstream consumer use at the present time (February/March 1999). But they will eventually become affordable enough for widespread acceptance. Like digital still cameras, they are still somewhat ahead of their time. I will post some video recorded with a Sony Mavica camera on here in the near future.
  • Macro Mode. Most newer digicams include macro mode, which overrides the default auto focus settings to allow sharp, detailed pictures of of subjects within eight inches of the lens. There are a few great examples of macro mode photos I've taken posted on my close up photos page.
  • Video output capability. Many recent digicams, including, coincidentally enough, my own, have a small video output port and a special cable. You can hook up a digicam with video output capability up to a TV, some computers, a VCR, or anything else that has a video input port. This feature is very cool, and surprisingly handy, if you are travelling with your camera,or just want to view your pictures quickly while away from your computer. You can very easily show all the pictures "in" your camera in a nice automatic slideshow on any TV. Very handy. But there is one thing to be aware of: a digital camera with this capability will NOT be able to hook up directly to most TV sets. This is because only newer TVs have video input ports on them. With the majority of TVs out there, you will need to use what's called an RF Converter between your camera and the TV. An RF converter changes the video signal from [sic] video output format to antenna signal format. I realize that these are not the technical terms... but that is essentially what it does. You then connect an antenna cable from the RF converter to the TV, and can then see all your digital pictures on TV. RF converters cost *around* $30, and are available at Radio Shack and probably any other place that sells TV and video equipment. Also, be aware that it is possible to circumvent the need for an RF converter if you have a VCR connected to your TV. I'm not sure exactly how this is done, since I've never done it.. but it CAN be done. Technically minded people: e-mail me if you have specific instructions. So, video output capability is handy if you know how it works.
  • Panorama Mode. This mode locks white balance, brightness, focus, and other settings inside the camera, and provides onscreen guidelines so that you can shoot quality pictures for stitching together as a wide panorama. This way, the resulting pictures all have a similar color balance focus, etc., and are much more conducive to accurate stitching. You then use special software (provided with many cameras) on your computer to 'stitch' all the pictures together into a seamless loop. A digital panorama is like a high-tech version of those picture prints you've seen people tape together to make bigger pictures. A few examples of panoramas I've made utilizing this mode are on my special photos page.
  • Time lapse photos. Higher-end Kodak cameras, like the DC260, can be set to snap a picture every few minutes, hours, etc. This allows for breathtaking time-lapse sequences. Sort of a reverse of the sequence mode on my camera. Same technology, different timing. If I come across a set of time lapse photos from a digital camera, rest assured that I will post it online and provide a link for "you".
  • Sound recorded with the picture. I'm not sure of particular models other than recent Sony Mavicas, but certain digital cameras have built-in microphones and allow you to record a few seconds of audio with a photo.
  • Through-the-lens viewfinders. Practically all digital cameras allow you to use their LCD screen as a viewfinder, and hold the camera farther away from your eye. This does more than just look cool! Because the image you are looking at is not from an inaccurate viewfinder, you get a much better idea of what the picture will look like. Not only can you visibly see if your subject is backlit or something like that, but you can also see things from exactly the same angle as the camera. Believe me, this is super-important if you're photographing things from up very close.
• Plus, digital cameras are just cheaper in the long run. I've taken well over 1,500 digital photos with my camera in the less than four weeks that I've had it to date. This would cost a fortune with a film camera. But digicams are essentially free after you purchase them. (Just don't buy alkaline batteries... these cameras use up batteries like you wouldn't believe. You need to invest in Nickel Metal Hydride batteries... they're incredibly worth it.)

 

Con's of Digital Cameras:

• You don't, by default, have a tangible photo printout for each picture you take. And it's kind of a hassle to print out the photos you want. I've printed out less than 5% of the pictures that I've taken. You might find yourself inviting friends and relatives down to the computer to show them your vacation photos. But you can always print out an album of your trip photos like I did, and get the best of both worlds!
• Cost. The cheapest digital cameras made are around $200. Obviously, digital cameras cost far more than their film counterparts. For example, my Olympus D-400z looks almost identical (same size, shape, and color) to my dad's Olympus Stylus 105 film camera, and they both work in somewhat similar ways. Yet mine cost almost seven times more. The prices of consumer level digicams currently average between $500 and $1000. This is enough to scare off most people. But believe me, they are worth the money, particularly if you're a computer and digitally creative oriented person like myself. And owning or using a digital camera can change the way you look at things and give you the ultimate freedom with taking pictures. But, before I turn this into a "pro speech", I'll quit and just say that they are quite expensive, particularly since they become obsolete almost as fast as computers.
• Ease of use. Digital cameras are marginally more complex to operate than most 'point and shoot' film cameras. Although you can just pick up most digital cameras and take pictures, you will be missing all the cool features they offer. But they are still more complicated and require a bit of learning to get the hang of. Also, it's a bit of a drag to have to download your photos from your camera to your computer practically every day. It's just a little chore that's necessary.
• Standards and conformity. I know, that is very bad wording. But what I mean is that, if you're hypothetically on vacation, with a digital camera, you pretty much need to lug along a heavy laptop as well, to download your pictures onto. (The camera's memory card will fill up pretty quickly!) You will just be different because you will just download your pictures onto a computer and wait until you get home to your printer to print them out, instead of getting them developed while your on vacation like most people. You will be doing a much different thing than the other 99% of the populace. So if you are a compulsive conformist or something, a digital camera is probably not for you... yet! Another thing to remember is that you totally rely on the camera. If your memory card is filled up, you will have to choose out which pictures you want to delete... you can't just pop in another roll of film. So, if you unexpectedly find something you really MUST photograph, you'd better be ready to delete other pictures you've taken. You don't have quite the same flexibility which is brought upon by film cameras and their easily replaceable and universally available "image media". (But you can always buy a bigger memory card or additional cards... they're less than $70 for a 16 megabyte card now.) Just keep in mind that with a digital, you can't just put in a new roll of film!
• Speed. Today's digital cameras work by projecting light onto a tiny CCD chip, (charge coupled device,) which then converts the image data into binary information. Then a microprocessor in the camera compresses the image data into a specific format, which is usually based on the JPEG (Joint Picture Experts Group) standard. The digital camera then goes about saving the resulting computer 'file' on a memory cartridge of some type, in magnetic format. This whole operation takes much longer than what a conventional film camera does, which is opening a lens to expose a tiny piece of plastic film (a negative,) to light, then mechanically advancing the film to the next, as yet unexposed square of film. Of course, I'm just explaining the most basic ways that these two types of cameras work. There are many other things that occur when you take a picture, like the camera automatically adjusting the focus, light balance, etc... but for obvious reasons, I'm not going to explain everything. Anyway, all digital cameras take slightly longer to capture an image than film cameras. They must first 'turn on' the CCD and do other 'tasks', which takes a second. So the photo is really captured maybe a half second after you press the shutter release, although it is said to be as long as eight seconds for some cameras. Just keep in mind that if you're shooting things that happen very quickly, it's a good chance that you'll end up with a picture of the scene a second after you really wanted to take the picture. You will eventually learn to press the shutter release an instant before, in preparation for the brief delay. But also keep in mind that digital cameras are becoming faster and faster at doing everything... I bet that it won't be long before the delay is imperceptibly short, and effectively nonexistent to the photographer. Technology moves quickly. In addition to a minor delay between pressing the shutter release and the picture being taken, there is also a delay after you take a picture before you can take another, which is caused by the digicam needing to save your just-captured image data onto the memory card media. On my camera, it's about eight seconds. Which isn't a big problem. The delay is much shorter if you take pictures a lower quality mode, and longer in the higher quality mode. It's just another thing to know about.
• Image quality. This is not totally true, because today's megapixel+ digital cameras actually produce images with more true image detail than is contained in a typical photo from a 'point and shoot' 35 mm film camera. But, it you're into professional photography, digital is still not really there. The resolution is plenty good for taking pictures of family, friends, and practically anything else, but it's not really ready to be used for art, 'photo shoots' or any other applications where extremely sharp photos are necessary. You could just say that it will be several years before we see calendars and photo books containing digital pictures. Nevertheless, digital photography is already widely implemented by newspapers, magazines, the real estate and passport industry, and practically anywhere else where large volumes of photos are constantly being taken. Many schools even have a digital photo of each student on their student id/ name tag.

Thanks for reading through all this. I genuinely hope that you gained knowledge from this 'article' and have a better understanding of the differences between film and digital cameras. Please send an email to dc@tersch.com with what you think.