Digital vs Film - The Great Camera Debate
Posted: Sunday, January 24, 2010
by Autumn Lockwood
YourPictureFrames.com
Ever since the introduction of the digital camera, a war has raged within the photography community. There are those that would claim 35mm film is the one true "professional" media, and digital its casual, amateur counterpart. Conversely, as costs decrease and quality increases, there is an ever-expanding group of working photographers that shoot and produce only in digital. So what's a consumer to think? Is 35 still the way to go, or is it time to trade in that old junker for a newer, flashier model? It's time to break each format down and seal this deal, once and for all.
With both digital and film cameras there is an endless supply of factors that can impact the photos each one can produce. Image quality (in terms of depth of field and color contrast) has always been a major concern for those that choose digital and is still one of the most common excuses heard from the opposition. And considering that finding a digital camera that could match the raw data contained in a film photo was very expensive, it made the film enthusiast have a fairly good argument.
Fortunately the price of an excellent digital camera has dropped steeply in the last few years, while the "quality for the dollar" has increased dramatically. Canon's popular "Digital Rebel" line of SLRs gives photographers an affordable entry level camera for under $1,000 that produces near professional results. And with many other camera companies competing against Canon, consumers will continue to see lower prices as manufacturers work towards being the first choice at the retail counter.
35mm: Antiquated?
In these modern times, why even use film at all? It's certainly no secret that film has an expensive and unforgiving learning curve, so it's no surprise that current trends show photographers leaning heavily towards digital for precisely those reasons. After all, when taking shots at a big sporting event like the Super Bowl, would it be better to have the opportunity for thousands of photos or just the film in the bag? Well the answer to that is simple - the more the better when it comes to sports photography.
However, just as some music lovers claim that everything sounds better on a records, there are lots of photographers who think there is no matching the warm tones of a roll of film. Sure, photos can be endlessly edited and re-edited using fancy tools like Adobe Photoshop, but clicking a mouse pales in comparison to the tactile sensations of the darkroom. And of course, having someone else print up a roll of film doesn't take much more than a quick errand and an hour to kill.
And the Winner is... Neither!
Based on the availability of technology and the huge amount of resources devoted to this topic, there is really no defining point that helps one camera win the battle. As with many debates, the winner here is going to be entirely up to the needs and desires of the individual. Families wanting to take pictures and share their memories will likely choose digital due to its instant gratification and convenience, while others may stick to film so they can have them printed for their family photo frames and albums for lasting keepsakes. Thanks to the powerful yet affordable digital innovations and the classic familiarity of film, the choice is now right where it belongs- in the hands of consumers.
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Autumn Lockwood is a writer for Your Picture Frames.com and loves taking photos. Your Picture Frames offers a wide variety of picture frames in a different sizes, colors and styles. Come check out our selection of wooden frames by visiting us online or calling us at 1-800-780-0699.
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