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Newsletter 0002 - Digital Versus Film-Based Cameras

Digital Versus Film

There’s much debate nowadays about which is better, digital or film cameras. On the one side you have the diehard 35mm camera users who think that digital images will never match the quality of a film camera.

On the other side you have digital camera users who say that high-resolution digital images are every bit as good as their 35mm counterparts. So who’s right?

Before I attempt to answer that loaded question, most of you are familiar with 35mm camera technology but may not be as familiar with their digital counterparts. So, let's begin by taking a quick look at digital camera technology.

In The Beginning…

When digital cameras first immerged, they provided us with fast, convenient images that we could email to friends and family although image quality didn’t lend itself to printing. Printed images looked grainy and fuzzy with stepped or jagged looking diagonal oriented lines.

These first-generation digital cameras were definitely viewed as more of a novelty item and certainly not taken seriously by most photographers.

How Does A Digital Camera Work?

Rather than using film, digital cameras use a charge coupled device sensor (CCD) to capture light and turn it into an electrical charge. The electrical charge is converted to a digital image, which is then stored in the camera on a small, removable card.

Cards come in all kinds of shapes and storage sizes depending on the camera manufacturer and the size of the images the camera produces.

Downloading the images from the card to your computer can be done either by connecting the camera directly to the computer via a cable or using a external card reader.

A card reader allows you to remove the card from the camera and read the images directly from the card. I personally prefer using a card reader because image downloads are usually quicker and doesn’t require the camera to be on so you don’t waste batteries.

Another nice feature with a card reader is that you can upload images to the card so that you can view them with the camera. This is really good for cameras that plug directly into a TV for playback.

Digital Image Resolution

The quality of images produced by a digital camera is dependent on its resolution. This is most often referred to in terms of megapixels. A cameras megapixel rating is a way to describe the expected image quality from that camera: the higher the megapixel rating, the better the expected images.

Digital Camera Resolution and Film Equivalents

The best way I can think of to relate digital camera megapixel ratings is to compare them to their approximate twins in the film world. Realize, this is by no means scientifically based, but is just a point of reference for comparing image quality.

Let's take a look at 3 cameras of varying megapixel ratings. Although the cameras I'm showing here are made by Olympus, the concept is the same regardless of manufacturer.

1 megapixel cameras - can be compared to a 110-film camera. The image quality is acceptable up to 4x6 or 5x7 prints. Anything bigger and the quality becomes unacceptable.

2 megapixel cameras – can be compared to an APS film camera. Image quality from these cameras is much better than from that of a 1 megapixel camera. Image quality is generally good up to 8x10 or 11x14 before quality begins to deteriorate.

5 megapixel cameras - can be compared to the traditional 35mm cameras. Image quality is superior to lower resolution digital cameras and is good up to 13x19 or even 20x30 before quality begins to deteriorate.

Digital or Film?

Okay. Realize this is my personal view and not every photographer will agree with me. But my personal preference is high-resolution digital cameras. I now use them for more than 90% of my work. Why?

I think the image quality of high-resolution digital cameras comes very close to rivaling that of traditional 35mm film cameras. I've performed side-by-side comparisons taking the same shot using both cameras and I've been hard pressed to see any significant difference when I blow them up to 13x19 or larger.

I also like digital cameras because they offer me conveniences I don’t otherwise get with my film cameras; like immediately being able to view my images, easier image management, quicker and easier image editing... and no image degradation over time! And my list of reasons goes on...

Toss The 35mm Film Cameras?

Does that mean I’ve tucked my 35mm cameras away never to be used again? Certainly not. Some customers still prefer negatives or slides - especially if they don't have a home computer and printer to print digital images with.

In all fairness I will also say there are some shots that a 35mm camera is still better suited for. One occasion that immediately comes to mind is long- and open-shutter shots in low light. Digital cameras, in general, cannot capture as good a image as a film camera below about 1/15 of a second. For extreme enlargements film cameras also have the edge, especially when using ISO 50 slide film.

In Conclusion

So, all of that being said, the differences between today’s high megapixel cameras and their 35mm film counterparts has closed considerably. And, as of this writing, Canon and Kodak have just announced 11 and 14 mepapixel SLR's respectively. So now the differences between digital and film will be... well, there won't be any.

Dare I say, these new breeds of 10-15 megapixel cameras may well have the upper hand on 35mm film cameras. They are also about to tread on the haloed ground of medium format cameras.

Bottom line, if you’re in the market for a new camera you really should give digital cameras a good once over. I think you’ll find many compelling reasons to buy one. Certainly the sale of digital cameras is growing at a much larger rate than for film cameras. Some even suggest that the sale of digital cameras will equal or surpass those of film-based cameras by 2005.

As a final thought and suggestion; chose a camera with the right megapixel rating for the type of photography you're doing today and will be doing in the future. Unlike film cameras where you can use lower ISO rated film to get better quality prints, you can't do the same with digital cameras. So plan your purchase accordingly and buy the highest megapixel camera you anticipate needing and can afford

If you want to do a little research on digital cameras for yourself go to www.dpreview.com.

Happy photographing…