Which Camera; Digital or Film?

For over one hundred and fifty years the medium of photography has used light sensitive emulsions to create images. Digital imaging has been in existence for only a small percentage of that time. It is only in the past few years that it has become a serious contender to conventional film photography. Many people will be faced with a choice; do they invest in a film or digital camera? This photo tips article was originally written in Dec 2001 and has been updated for Nov 2003. Let us now review the options again.

Just two years ago this article quoted "One of the main problems of this question (digital or film?) is of course that the future can't be predicted. Some experts will say that digital cameras will completely take over the photographic market within the next decade. Others say that it will only ever be another format e.g. slide, print, black & white and digital." Sales figures for this year (2003) show that for the first time, digital cameras have outsold film cameras. So people are starting to vote with their cash. The digital medium, despite some of its shortfalls, is being embraced not only by the consumer, but even by professional photographers who have previously opted for the high quality imaging of medium format cameras.

This article also quoted "At the moment and for the foreseeable future it is best to start with a film camera outfit." This frame of mind has also changed in just two years. Not only has the image quality of digital cameras improved, but many of the creative features (such as manual exposure mode) have been introduced into many affordable compact digital cameras. Many of these compact cameras have all the features of an SLR camera. The beginner no longer needs to spend a vast sum of money for a digital SLR of equivalent film SLR specification that would be a fraction of the price.

Another reason for using a film camera discussed in this original article is "Using a film camera with full manual control will force the beginner to learn the basic principles and workings of a camera through practise and trial and error." First of all find a new camera on the market today that has only manual functions...can't? True, manual functions are still available but all consumer and many professional film cameras now have some form of automation in both exposure and focusing. So what's to stop the beginner using these just like they would on a digital camera? Also trial and error is a lot cheaper for the beginner with a digital camera as they don't have to pay for processing, just delete the bad pictures!

Lets look at the next reason for using film: "Yet another good reason for starting out with a film camera is that it offers a wider variety of display mediums. The photographer can choose between prints, slides, black & white or even convert the images to digital at a later stage." All of the above are possible with a digital image file. Converting color images to black & white is effortless. Some commercial digital processors have the capacity to convert digital images to slide. Besides this even digital projectors are coming down in price.

Another quote from our original article: "For the serious amateur photographer, a digital camera with totally manual control can be up to three times the price of a film camera of equal specification." Digital cameras with total manual control are on average still more expensive than a film camera with manual control, but the gap has narrowed considerably.

In the images above we have two digital cameras. The camera in fig 3 is the latest digital SLR on the market, the Canon EOS 300D. The design of this camera is that of the film version EOS 300. This is considered a breakthrough camera at the moment because of its remarkably lower list price than that of other digital SLR's. This is largely due to the new Canon CMOS sensor which is much cheaper to produce than CCD chips.

The camera in fig 2 is the latest from Minolta, the Minolta Dimage Z1. Although this is considered a compact camera, it has all the features of an SLR including fully manual exposure control, a flash hot shoe, and through the lens viewing. The only thing it really lacks is interchangeable lenses in comparison to an SLR. The list price of this camera is about half that of the Canon EOS 300D and it is in the same price range as many low end film SLR cameras.

Digital Cameras, the plus points

Digital cameras are still more expensive than film cameras but they do have a long term economical factor. Film can work out quite costly to use. It may take days before you see any results. Then when you start weeding out - lets just say - "weak images", you may if your lucky, have two or three strong images. Once you have a digital camera and one or two memory cards, the cost of producing images is next to nothing. Also the instant you take the shot, it can be viewed for inspection. If it isn't right, it can be deleted and attempted again.

The digital image opens up many new doors for the photographer. Internet and email capabilities allows the possibilities for the photographer to display their work, for whatever reason, further and faster to a wider audience then the conventional printed image.

Digital Cameras, the negative points

In our original article we quoted "...there is a delay between pressing the shutter and the digital camera finally deciding to take the picture, you can miss a lot of action shots." This factor is true for some models of digital cameras. However most new models have improved on this fact immensely, especially those that use an optical viewfinder. Some digital cameras using an electronic "through the lens" viewfinder may still have this problem.

Digital photography does not suit everyone and this is where film will always have a place. If a person has no experience with computers and no desire to learn, then digital photography isn't really an option. Even though many camera models can now produce prints straight from a printer without a computer, this option is more costly than film processing. Without proper editing via a software program, the full potential of the images can never be realised.

One factor about digital cameras will always be present...battery dependency. Though nearly all film cameras now use batteries, digital cameras are much heavier and require frequent changes or charging. This is one area camera manufacturers have pretty much ignored in producing and promoting film cameras. Rather than making film cameras less battery dependent to compete with the digital market, they are making them more dependent on batteries. There are many photographic practices that demand cameras with a long battery life such as shooting in remote locations. Though there are a few cameras on the market that only require a battery to operate the light meter, they tend to be much more expensive.

The final negative point regarding digital media is still Resolution. Image sensors have grown in size steadily and continue to grow even in budget digital compact cameras. However the resolution found in high quality professional digital cameras still comes no where near the resolution of film. For the consumer market resolution is now adequate for the average sized prints generally produced by consumers. For serious photographic amateurs and many professional markets, the digital SLR cameras now have suitable resolutions. However for some practices where large prints and accurate rendition of detail is necessary, film is still very much the preferred option.

In some ways a lot has changed in the past two years and in others they haven't. Our summation four years ago was that film was still king. Digital would only be another medium for taking and displaying images. It will be interesting to look at this article again in another two years to see what has developed in this rapidly changing world of photography. The latest technology to come about is the digital single use (disposable) camera. Will this be the final straw for film?

School of Photography.com Full Length Courses

If you want to learn more about all kinds of photography, take a look at our complete full length courses. All are tutor assisted with examples, full text and projects.

• Basic Photography Course For the beginner, this tutor assisted level 1 course assumes you have little or no knowledge of photography. Suitable for both digital and film users.
• Digital Photography Course This course shows how to capture digital images, use manipulation programs to add effects and enhancements, and print and display your work. Includes image restoration.
• Glamour Photography Course This level 2 course assumes you know your way around a camera. It takes you further with studio lighting setups, home studio, model portfolios, posing guide, multiple lighting guide, model releases, make up and more.
• Freelance Photography Course This level 2 course is essential if you want to make money with your camera. Imagine being paid to be do something you love doing, well you can now with School of Photography.com.
• Black and White Photography Course Have you ever wanted to learn how to develop film at home? Then go on to make your own prints using an enlarger in a darkroom? Then this level 2 course is the right start for you.
• Landscape Photography Course Find out how to improve your landscapes with this level 2 course. Packed full of illustrations, examples, full text and projects.

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