Should I Buy a Digital Camera?
The pros and cons of joining the digital revolution.
The holiday gift season is quickly approaching. Are you
planning to give a camera to that special someone on your list? Now is
a good time to decide whether that will be a digital or film based camera.
(If you're a photography buff, and are thinking of asking for a camera,
these questions will help you too.)
Yes, digital. All the way. ASAP!
- Film costs: Say ‘Bye, bye’ to film and processing
costs.
- Immediate results. No more wondering whether you got
the shot.
- Easy to use. Shoot and send.
- Ecologically "greener" than film which uses silver
and lots of chemicals.
- Lens changes: wide angles become normal; normal lenses
become telephotos, teles become super teles – nice if you like to shoot
long.
- Variability: different films have different characteristics.
CCD sensors respond uniformly.
- Color balance is easier than with film.
- Easy to manipulate the image with photo software.
- All the pictures you want.
No. Not digital. At least, not now.
- Quality: Film holds more info than digital files.
This means sharper enlargements – no matter how big you go.
- Power: Digital cameras are notorious battery hogs.
- File storage problems: who wants to lug around a laptop?
- Money: Digis make high-end film-based photo gear look
dirt cheap. And in a few years, you’ll be looking at replacing it all.
- Fragility: Digi equipment is fragile.
- Lenses: A good wide angle lens was never meant to
be a normal lens, etc.
- Weight: You think your camera gear is heavy now? Try
digi.
- Variability: different films have different characteristics.
CCD sensors respond uniformly.
- Time exposures are much better.
Some final thoughts:
This is a complex and expensive question. If you decide
to get a digi, borrow or rent the model you plan to buy so you can judge
check the quality of the image you’ll get. Also, check the processes you’ll
need to go through to use and print your images.
Photoshop will not turn a snapshot into the Mona Lisa.
Digital cameras don’t do all the work – any more than
film-based cameras. Film can be scanned.
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