The Film Versus Digital Debate

There could be many reasons for using either film cameras or digital cameras but there has to be one that is better than the other, doesn't there?

Now's your chance to tell me!

Post your views in this online debate: Which is better, film or digital?

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My partner, Chris, is a professional Fine Arts photographer. You can view some of his work at Christopher John Ball BA (Hon's) MA - Fine Arts Photography. Warning! His site does contain some nude images.

He found...

...that many models do not even know that film still exists.
...that many professional photographers do not even know how to use film.
...that many photographers both amateur and professional will give the entire shoot of images away without working on them or sorting out the wheat from the chaff.

He uses both Digital and Film cameras and will often carry both with him out on a shoot. In fact, he will often use both high quality and professional cameras as well as the cheap, crappy ones.

Doris Day American Singer and Film Actress Framed Photographic Print
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Everything I know about cameras and photography, I have either learnt myself through trial and error or sought advice from my professional Fine Arts Photographer, fiancé. My skills as a photographer is amateur at best but I do, apparently, have a good eye for a photograph.

My thoughts on this debate are as follows:

For ease of use, Digital cameras come top. As long as you have the camera, the card to write your images to and batteries, you're ready to go. Just point and click. Okay, so there's slightly more skill to it than that.

My point is, is that digital photography is ideal for those who do not wish to embark on a career as a professional photographer. In order to extract the images from the card you need your own computer and a memory card reader. No need to worry about sending your film off for processing and no one else has to see your images.

Digital cameras now are packed with so many features and they're relatively cheap, so they're easily accessible for the majority of us.

Film cameras are a different thing altogether.

Initial pricing for film cameras are exceptionally high and are usually only within reach for those of us who take our photography seriously. They also cost money to process them either by sending them away or by doing it yourself. With digital cameras now becoming so popular the need for film developers etc. are dwindling so it's even harder to find a shop or retailer than caters for this market. However, they are there if you know where to look and most, if not all, professional photographers would.

In terms of picture quality, they are two different mediums. No image will be exactly alike on whatever camera you take them on. Quality will also depend on any additional processes you may add i.e. scanning, quality of film developers, time and software.

Some photographers will shoot the same image on both types of cameras in order to get the maximum potential for the image.

So, really it all comes down to personal preferences and resources as to which camera you decide to use. There really is no good way of comparing the two types of photography together.

But, don't let that stop you from debating your views :)

As a Squidoo Lensmaster, images are very important to me for improving the look of my lenses. Many of my images are displayed on my lenses using my account on Flickr.

As an amateur photographer, I believe Digital is far easier and cheaper than using a Film camera. For ease of use and speed, Digital wins hands down.

Why?

Digital Cameras are cheaper than Film: The initial cost of the camera is considerably cheaper than a Film camera. I can pick up a very good Digital Camera for under £100, although I would be happy to pay up to £150.

There are also no processing costs. I won't have to send my film away to be processed (though I wouldn't have to do that anyway, as I have a professional photographer on hand! ;)) All I need is a memory card (of which I have loads!), a computer and a memory card reader to transfer to my computer. I would also require editing software but these can be found on the Internet for free.

Digital Cameras are fast: Not just in the actual taking of the photograph but the processing of images to the computer. You take the images today and you can have them ready for editing the very same day maybe less than one hour after you have taken them.

Digital Cameras are Easy: For amateur photographers they are easy to use and process. Most, now, have software included to improve your images as you take them e.g. face recognition. Just point and click. All you need to worry about is composition.

I have an idea already as to the brand of Digital Camera I require. I've already used Nikons before and it appears that the most recent of these cameras are just the thing for me :) See below for the camera that I have my eye on!

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