So What’s The Digital Camera Advantage?
I heard a news report recently that said that no one owns film cameras anymore, that film is obsolete. Of course in the strict sense that is untrue. Take a quick look at any serious camera catalog or do a search on the Internet and you will easily find film for sale and film processing available.
The truth is, film has become a choice of media for the photographer. It’s like the painter who prefers pastels to oils. Choosing film over digital is a choice of the process used to get the desired results. Many professionals and amateurs alike still prefer the medium of film to create their photos.
So that raises the question, “What makes digital the preferred choice of nearly everyone choosing a new camera today? Here are my thoughts on the topic…
“Everyone’s a photographer, and everyone’s a better photographer, because of the digital camera.”
The digital age has made it even easier for everyone to have a camera and know how to use it and get good pictures. In America, we’ve become a nation of photographers even more than we were before because of the digital camera.
Cost: Digital cameras are more affordable, especially when you consider the cost of processing. You can even get an excellent DSLR Camera for a relatively small price these days – especially if you check into used digital cameras online.
Convenience: Digital cameras, especially the new ultrathin models, are incredibly convenient. You can literally carry a Compact Digital Camera in your pocket all the time, without worrying about whether you have film or whether you have enough film. A camera the size of a credit card means you can always have your camera with you. More than one pro has said that the best camera is the camera you have in your hand when the shot happens.
by wwarby
Take lots of shots for FREE: Another reason for our love of the digital camera, and another reason I think it’s so great, is I can shoot all day without paying a cent for film or processing. This means I can get creative and try crazy stuff just for fun. And I can finally eliminate those pesky blurry shots(if I want to, that is) by taking many multiples of the same shot or through Image Stabilization. This makes it much easier to capture the photos I’m looking for.
Instant gratification: There was a reason Polaroid cameras were so popular—you could see what you took immediately. There was also a reason they didn’t take off—the prints were too expensive. The digital camera breaks both of those barriers, and makes instant gratification available to everyone, cheaply and easily.
Ease of sharing photos: Facebook, Flickr, email and the rest are with us to stay, and everyone loves to share their photos. Digital cameras make this so much easier than it used to be when scanning was the only way. This is one of the biggest arguments for a digital camera if you don’t have one and love to share your photos.
Ability to edit photos: Not everyone cares about editing and improving their photos, but many people do. If that’s you, then this is another biggie in the list of reasons to move to digital if you’re considering a new camera and aren’t digital yet.
The use of film cameras has become an artistic choice, and it no longer suits the way most of us use our photographs on a daily basis.
So don’t sit on the fence…choose a digital camera!
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Ha! Now we just need more time to sift through 300 shots! Yea, I remember the feeling of getting double prints of those shots that weren’t “keepers.”
I love taking photos and remember waiting until the mega pixels reached “5″ and I could afford a floor model from Bestbuy. I am cheap and hated spending money on prints that weren’t keepers. I do however love a GREAT shot. I remember seeing an extra large print at a juried art show. It was of colorful leaves floating above the rocks in a shallow stream. It was Sooo real looking. I made the mistake of asking the photographer if it was a digital photo. He commented that there is no way to get that same quality without using film, especially in that large of a format. He obviously knew much more about it than me. I still love using my digital camera. We took over 300 shots while tubing on the lake yesterday and I could have only afforded a roll of 24 with my old camera.
I like the coloration of the website. I love the statement,”Everyone’s a photographer, and everyone’s a better photographer because of a digital camera.” I would like to see this statement at the very beginning to catch peoples eyes and “pull” them in. And, I like the last statement,”Share and Enjoy”
There is a lot of info to “wade thru” and more folks might read it if it were made at least half the length.
Hi Amy, Thanks for reading.
Some photographers choose film for a variety of reasons. Many grew up using film and just don’t want to change. Some like the process it involves, or the expertise necessary to get a shot “right” the first time. I think it’s like choosing and medium to create a picture. Needlepoint or cross-stitch? Oils or watercolors? Canvas or burlap?
Thanks for all the great reminders of why I LOVE digital cameras! I do not miss dealing with film and negatives at all. So what are some reasons that people still choose to use film cameras?
The things you don’t think about. How interesting about why things have changed and the advantages to digital camera’s. I had forgotten about the waiting and all those trips to the store to pick up my pictures and then the money spent!! I was so resistant to buying a digital camera but finally did. After reading this article I am even more thankful for making the decision. Thanks for giving me more reasons to be thankful!
I found this article very helpful. I don’t know much about cameras and I have wondered what ever happened to film cameras. Now I understand why almost everyone has a digital camera. I didn’t know that you could do that much with digital photos. Thank you very much for writing it.