Digital Cameras and Common Sense
Digital photography has irrevocably revolutionalized our world today. Photos are now much cheaper, more accessible, and have the potential of doing so much more!
In yesteryear you had to buy film, take a few pictures, then pay through the nose again to have the film (that you already paid for once!) developed. Then you wondered “what was I thinking?” when looking at shots taken a month ago you didn’t even remember taking!
With a digital camera the feedback is instantaneous. You can delete bad shots right on the camera. Download the pictures to your computer and sort and organize seconds and minutes after taking the shots. Never worry about only having 24 exposures! And forget about paying those ridiculous film and development costs.
“Oh, but I want prints!” No problem, print them out! Decent photo printers can be had quite readily, and any competant photo developer today will print out your digital pictures for a very nominal fee. In fact, I’m soon going to try out the “upload” option that WalMart offers. The prints aren’t for me, they’re at the request of someone else.
Often you hear analog nuts talking about prints and quality and longevity and who knows what else. It’s like saying, “But I don’t want to burn this music to a CD, I want it on a record!” Sure, prints are a nostalgic novelty that about anyone can appreciate (just like my old Blackwood Brothers LP’s!), but in this digital day and age what can you DO with them?
Take one and magnet it to the fridge, yes, and even I participate in that particular activity. But with an image encoded in the digital format the possibilities are endless! You can edit it (from enhancements to absurdity), you can email it to family and friends, you can post it on the web (can anyone say “Iced Tea Forever “) for the world to appreciate, you can create slide shows or any other type of memory album on your computer, burn them to CD’s and share with others, the list never ends!
Basically stated, the digital picture’s circle of influence and opportunity is increased a thousand fold from its predecessor! Digital photography is surely one of the greatest of many, many blessings we enjoy living in the digital age.
I was going to talk about my camera specifically, but I got wound up and sidetracked. Next post.
7 Responses
March 6th, 2005 at 11:32 pm
I won’t say you’re right, or that you’re wrong; only that you present a persuasive case. I am looking forward to the next post, for I am still seeking advice on a digicam of my own.
LP’s of the Blackwood Bros? What’s an LP? And who are the Blackwood Bros? (Just kidding!)
March 7th, 2005 at 12:11 am
Yes, digital photography reigns. Since I got my eight-megapixel digital camera last June (when I felt that the quality of digital finally caught up to 35mm when used with a quality SLR lens), I have not used my 35mm SLR cameras once(I have two Canon AE-1 camera bodies). I love all the ways that digital pictures can be used. HOWEVER, I will say that a digital photo presentation when projected onto a wall sorely lacks. A 35mm slide presentation still wins hands-down when it comes to wall projection. But I expect that eventually technology will improve in that area, too.
EG
March 7th, 2005 at 7:18 am
Tom, Tom, have you actually counted the cost? If you sit down and figure it out film comes out cheaper than digital even with developement cost. Especially if you get doubles. Film if you get doubles you pay for developing on the one set and get the second set much cheaper. Not so with digital. Digital you have to pay whole cost on both sets. Yeah, digital will probably slowly become less expensive,but I’m gonna be stubborn and not bite! I like my old, analog, and I’m gonna say better:) Canon T-90 just fine!
Lavern
P.S. Did you ever figure in the cost of the ink and paper when you print them yourself? Pictures suck ink.
March 7th, 2005 at 8:13 am
I’m afraid I have to disagree with you, Lavern. While I get my film at great prices (it all works out to 19 cents or less a shot with development), digital is still cheaper. You can weed out all the bad shots. I generally end up with about half a 36 exposure roll being undesirable.
But you still haven’t convinced me, Tom.
March 7th, 2005 at 4:01 pm
I didn’t expect to convince you Darin, you’re too hard-headed!
Ha ha!
I’m posting this comment from a friend, because he’s a slacker and too lazy to do it himself:
“Walmart prints 4×6 photos for (it varies from store to store) as low as $.16 ea. That’s incredible. And it’s the same exact print that you get from analog cams, therefore there are no “lasting” issues. I’ve used Walmart’s technology several times. Once I uploaded them in Oregon, had them printed at a Walmart in Iowa City for my mother-in-law to pick up as quick as an hour later. Try that with an analog. I can virtually have a pic to my mom-in-law’s comp within a few minutes…..and an actual print in her hand within a couple of hours. Try that with an analog! With just as high of quality if not greater. From 2,004 miles away!”
March 8th, 2005 at 8:26 am
Did somebody say stubborn? I probably should have said to proud.
Yeah, proud. Don’t we do stupid things when we are proud!
Yes, Tom all the things you have talked about are advantages to digital.
Maybe I’m just stupid and proud but I’m the kind of person that sometimes likes doing things the old way.
Lavern
March 9th, 2005 at 10:54 pm
OK Tom et all, the digital age is here, to this I agree. For pictures that most people take to post, print or share with others it cannot be beat. I too have almost stopped using my 3 Nikons mainly due to the fact that I can’t afford the film much less the developing. That said I will still put film up against digital in the larger formats of 6x45cm,6x6cm or larger for real art work, I know, no one does this type of photography except those who do it for a living and they still use the digital for personal pics. This is the difference: pics or photographs, I see a difference in this comparison in how the pic or photograph is used. I love an old Kodachrome slide and the larger the better, yeah the cost is high for film and development, but you get what you pay for. For the art I’ll stick with analog, for family and friends I’ll get a digital when I can afford one. Digital is the way to go for everyday pics and sharing on the computer with family and friends.