Until recently, photographers used film for all their camera work. They either learned how to handle and develop film, or took the undeveloped roll to a local processing house for development and printing. Now, you have a choice between film or digital cameras for photography. So which is better? Here I present the pros and cons of each, so the reader can be the judge for themselves.
There are many considerations when deciding between film or digital. Are you a hobbyist and shoot mostly family gatherings and vacations? Or are you a professional who needs to control every aspect of the shot, and you desire the look of film? These are just a few examples that will influence your decision to purchase a traditional film or digital camera for your photography needs.
Pros of Film
Many professional photographers still prefer to use film over digital formats. When using film, you can match film speed, and many other factors to influence the final photo result. If you learn all you can about the films available, and the camera settings to use, your artistic options are greater with a film camera. That is not to say that there are not a plethora of settings on the digital camera that can help you try to mimic the look of film. Just that many purists insist that digital will never replace the look of film.
Another pro of using film is the fact that your photos can be printed and stored physically, and you have a backup negative to create more prints whenever you need them. You don't have to remember to back up your digital data, or run the risk of accidentally deleting your photos with film.
Cons of Film
Film is not as convenient as digital. You must shoot many more photos with film to be sure you get that perfect shot. You must have the entire roll of film developed to see the shots you have, and if they are acceptable. On the other hand, with a digital camera you can simply bring up your photos and scroll through to see them instantly to see if your shot was acceptable. The processing of film also adds additional expense over digital processing.
Pros of Digital
Digital cameras are great for most people, especially hobbyists just starting out. Perhaps the greatest asset for non-professionals is that you have instant access to the photos you have taken. So you can easily see if your shot is blurry, or has other imperfections that you need to correct. You no longer have to return from vacation and have your film developed to find out if those great shots of your vacation turned out.
When shooting digital, you can easily download the photos to your computer or laptop, and work with the images. You can easily post them to a web site, e-mail them to others, or bring them into photo editing software for any use you desire. You can store a digital backup of the files, while at the same time you can create prints on a photo printer that rival film prints.
You can shoot thousands of digital photos and store them on a couple of backup disks. The quality will be just as good if you need to make another print later. Compare that to the boxes of faded old photos you probably have around the house or stored in the attic.
The Cons of Digital
One of the biggest cons to digital photography is the digital format. If you are like most people, you download your photos to your hard drive and forget about them. Most people never take the time to back up all those precious photos until the day they have a hard drive crash, and all those memories are gone in an instant. To prevent this, it is a good idea to get an external hard drive and back up all the important files on your hard disk. Better yet is to burn the photos to a CD and have a physical copy that you can label for ease of finding a specific photo, as well as having the external hard drive backup.
Some people feel that digital photos do not have the same "warm" feel as film. Although for purists this might be the case, for most applications it would be hard to tell a digital photo printed on photo paper, and a film photo printed on the same paper. But this is where pricing can become an issue with digital photography. If you print a large number of photos, especially large 8x10s, the prices for quality photo paper and colored printer ink can add up quickly.
Conclusions
In reality, most people will not be able to tell the difference between digital and film photos in the finished product. And with software applications you can easily add effects that make your digital photos look like film. The choice comes down to your own abilities, preferences, budget, and shooting experience. If you are considering buying a camera, be sure and do your homework, and if possible, look at both before deciding which is best for you. The other consideration would be what kinds of shots you plan to take. If you plan to do long exposure astrophotography, then your best, and maybe only option, would be a 35mm film camera with a shutter lock. So be sure and analyze your intended use and the camera's suitability for your intended use as well before making a final purchase decision.
Pros of Film
Many professional photographers still prefer to use film over digital formats. When using film, you can match film speed, and many other factors to influence the final photo result. If you learn all you can about the films available, and the camera settings to use, your artistic options are greater with a film camera. That is not to say that there are not a plethora of settings on the digital camera that can help you try to mimic the look of film. Just that many purists insist that digital will never replace the look of film.
Another pro of using film is the fact that your photos can be printed and stored physically, and you have a backup negative to create more prints whenever you need them. You don't have to remember to back up your digital data, or run the risk of accidentally deleting your photos with film.
Cons of Film
Film is not as convenient as digital. You must shoot many more photos with film to be sure you get that perfect shot. You must have the entire roll of film developed to see the shots you have, and if they are acceptable. On the other hand, with a digital camera you can simply bring up your photos and scroll through to see them instantly to see if your shot was acceptable. The processing of film also adds additional expense over digital processing.
Pros of Digital
Digital cameras are great for most people, especially hobbyists just starting out. Perhaps the greatest asset for non-professionals is that you have instant access to the photos you have taken. So you can easily see if your shot is blurry, or has other imperfections that you need to correct. You no longer have to return from vacation and have your film developed to find out if those great shots of your vacation turned out.
When shooting digital, you can easily download the photos to your computer or laptop, and work with the images. You can easily post them to a web site, e-mail them to others, or bring them into photo editing software for any use you desire. You can store a digital backup of the files, while at the same time you can create prints on a photo printer that rival film prints.
You can shoot thousands of digital photos and store them on a couple of backup disks. The quality will be just as good if you need to make another print later. Compare that to the boxes of faded old photos you probably have around the house or stored in the attic.
The Cons of Digital
One of the biggest cons to digital photography is the digital format. If you are like most people, you download your photos to your hard drive and forget about them. Most people never take the time to back up all those precious photos until the day they have a hard drive crash, and all those memories are gone in an instant. To prevent this, it is a good idea to get an external hard drive and back up all the important files on your hard disk. Better yet is to burn the photos to a CD and have a physical copy that you can label for ease of finding a specific photo, as well as having the external hard drive backup.
Some people feel that digital photos do not have the same "warm" feel as film. Although for purists this might be the case, for most applications it would be hard to tell a digital photo printed on photo paper, and a film photo printed on the same paper. But this is where pricing can become an issue with digital photography. If you print a large number of photos, especially large 8x10s, the prices for quality photo paper and colored printer ink can add up quickly.
In reality, most people will not be able to tell the difference between digital and film photos in the finished product. And with software applications you can easily add effects that make your digital photos look like film. The choice comes down to your own abilities, preferences, budget, and shooting experience. If you are considering buying a camera, be sure and do your homework, and if possible, look at both before deciding which is best for you. The other consideration would be what kinds of shots you plan to take. If you plan to do long exposure astrophotography, then your best, and maybe only option, would be a 35mm film camera with a shutter lock. So be sure and analyze your intended use and the camera's suitability for your intended use as well before making a final purchase decision.
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