Photography has for long been perceived as a robust technological process of representing reality. With the invention of digital technologies, photography has evolved to

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Film vs. Digital Camera

Delvone Scott

Saint Leo University

Academic Writing II ENG-122-Ol03

Richard Courtney

19 June 22

Film and Digital Camera

Photography has for long been perceived as a robust technological process of representing reality. With the invention of digital technologies, photography has evolved to include new actors, elements, and nodes, while others have been excluded entirely. Photography initially relied on dominant players such as Kodak and Fuji, but digital cameras have completely replaced film cameras with the shift towards digital transformation. New film versions include software programs and tools for accessing, storing, manipulating, and sharing images. With technology advancing daily and people wanting the best and latest technology in the digital world, there are many choices with confusing specifications.

Film Camera vs. Digital World Cameras

A. What separates digital from film cameras

Various factors differentiate film cameras from digital world cameras. Film cameras use thin strips of plastic that are light-sensitive and coated with a chemical component that determines the quality of the photographs taken. On the contrary, digital cameras use a digital sensor to capture images and store them in a memory card as data. Digital cameras have edged out film cameras to become the commonly used type of cameras. Digital cameras are easy to use and convenient for most people due to their user-friendly features and ease of access. Digital photography is also way cheaper than film photography. The digital camera is different from a film camera in that a digital camera has a fixed electronic sensor behind the lens, which is hit by the light to produce a photo (Lukac, 2018). Conversely, in film cameras, a light-sensitive film is placed behind the lens, and the shutter opens, exposing the film to light for a set time. When light hits, a photo is taken and printed on the film. For another shot to be taken, the film must be rolled, whereas, in digital cameras, the electronic sensor empties itself electronically. Due to the smaller size of the digital sensor than the film, the depth of the field is much higher, eliminating the creation of blurs backgrounds in digital photographs.

Another factor that separates digital and film cameras is a sense of immediacy. Digital cameras have a provision where the photographer views the image's appearance, resulting in quality photographs. The photographer has an opportunity to improve, having noted the flaws in the first photographs, unlike in film cameras where there is no provision for instant feedback. Another differentiating factor is the cost of a digital camera over a film camera. Digital cameras are cheaper and less costly than film cameras. Digital shots can be transferred to storage hardware or deleted since they are in an erasable memory, unlike in film cameras, where a photographer has to buy a roll of film and pay for the photographs to be printed. Another considerable difference is the capacity capabilities of digital and film cameras. A single electronic memory card can store thousands of pictures depending on the size of digital cameras. Additional memory cards may be installed easily in case one is filled up. In film cameras, a roll consists of a small film roll limiting the users' number of photographs to a small number (Schlemowitz, 2019). Changing to a new roll is a tedious and time-consuming activity that might not be very hard to carry out in some environments.

A digital camera can take photos in varying conditions since its sensor settings can be adjusted instantly. On the contrary, in film cameras, the film has to be fitted for specific conditions. A variation in conditions affects the quality of the photos produced. Digital photographs' quality remains the same as long as they are well stored, unlike the printed film photographs, whose quality deteriorates over time and may suffer scratches or burnout.

B. Which one Better Fits Your Needs

I prefer to use a digital camera over a film camera. Digital cameras are more accessible and convenient than film cameras, which I find more complicated and tiresome. The digital camera offers more space, a wide range of variations, and flexibility and is more user-friendly than film cameras.

C. History of the Debate Regarding Digital and Film Cameras

The history of the debate regarding film and digital cameras dates back to the transition from “Kodak” cameras to “Nikon” and “canon” cameras. The first film camera was invented in the late 1880s and appealed to the average consumer due to its low initial costs and ease of use (Forrester, 2020). Camera designs continued to improve over time and eventually gave rise to the 35mm film camera, the first camera available for public use. Severson (2018) highlights technological advancements later to the development of the Polaroid, the first instant camera with automatic exposure. New and improved digital cameras became publicly available in the late 1980s, which allowed images to be stored in digital memory cards in JPEG formats. The transition from film to digital cameras ignited debate on which is superior between traditional film and digital cameras.

While photographic film sees the world fluidity and captures it as a range of colors scattered over a chemical substrate, digital cameras see the world in précises, accurate, and beautifully sharp digits. In the first decade of the debate, film camera proponents argued that digital cameras could never outperform film. However, the alarming development of digital sensors has seemingly surpassed film as digital cameras are increasingly being adopted for commercial and individual purposes. The digital cameras have low light performance, color accuracy, sharpness, and fine grain that outperform anything that a 35mm film camera could capture. Proponents of the film cameras continued arguing that the medium formats DSLRs could not match the 4X5 view camera. Although the film proponents continued to cling to the Polaroid cameras, the digital cameras’ ability to take quick shots outweighed the film cameras. However, the debate continues with some photographers choosing film over digital cameras and vice versa.

Breakdown of Film and Digital Cameras

A. How do you separate the two cameras?

Film and digital cameras are separated into lens choice, sensor size, and postproduction features. Regarding lens choice, film cameras have vintage lenses which produce soft images. These lenses include macro, zoom, and wide-angle. Film camera lenses are based on two parameters: maximum aperture and focal length (Adams, 2018). The maximum aperture opens and closes to control the amount of light through the lens to expose the film and the depth of field. Focal length is measured in millimeters and determines the image size relative to the distance and size of the photographed image. A standard film camera lens for 35mm photography is measured at 50mm to give the same viewing distance as the human eye. A macro lens for 35mm film photography ranges from 60 mm to 200mm and produces realistic subject sizes. A wide-angle lens includes any lens with a focal length of 24mm or less (Zhang, 2020). The lens produces more or less images than the standard lens. Some lens has varying degrees of focal length and can include wide-angle, macro, and normal lenses. Film camera lenses also have a focusing distance for close-up photography. Digital cameras use lens amounts initially designed for film cameras which in most cases is 35mm. According to Parulski and Spaulding (2017), digital cameras have an adjustable focal length lens to capture details in distant subjects. The lens determines how much of the subject will be captured and the size of individual elements.

Regarding sensor size, film cameras have large sensors, equating to the final image's high resolutions. Marquardt and Andrae (2019) note that Large sensors double the size of a 35mm sensor, providing the photographer with the exceptional ability to capture major details of the subject image. The large sensor size in film cameras reduces the depth of field, enabling the photographer to create special effects such as isolating a subject from the background. Digital cameras have a sensor that is smaller than a film camera. Small size sensors increase the depth of field, reduce light sensitivity, increase the degree of enlargement, and require smaller lenses. The field depth increases as the sensor's size decreases, increasing the focus on the scene.

Images in digital cameras retain their quality in post-processing. Images are stored in electronic memory, which would suffer less compromise post-processing. Research by Lavedrine (2019) indicates that films and prints processed and stored in proper conditions can remain substantially unaltered for decades. Digital photography has archival potential related to storing data for long periods. Digital cameras archive photographs by copying photographs into new mediums without losing quality. These images can also be processed and saved like film photographs. Editing software can read the information in its original form and produce it without tampering with its quality, even with good compression during the exportation of the data. Film cameras have varying results depending on the quality of the images shot. The images are stored by digitalizing the negatives into jpg using a camera paired with a macro lens. These processes compromise the quality of the picture.

B. Who is the consumer?

Consumers of film cameras include professionals and amateurs. Film cameras are mainly used by individuals exercising their hobby in photography. Commercial uses of film photography include portraits and wedding events. Film photographers take portrait photos of individuals, such as lifestyle portraits, wedding photos, and fashion designs. Individuals and commercial industries consume digital cameras. Individuals use digital cameras to capture memories and meaningful events in their life. Digital cameras are also used by professionals who use digital photography to earn a living or as a career. Numerous photographers take digital photos for families and businesses at a pay. Services such as digital editing have made it easy for professionals to use digital cameras. Digital images of vacations, fun, or memorable life events are stored to serve as a memory. Insurance industries use digital cameras to verify insurance and accident claims. Digital photographs of the vehicle involved in an accident or stained carpets are often submitted as visual proofs of insurance claims (Zhao et al., 2019). Entrepreneurs also use digital cameras Digital photographs of a product, thing, or service on sale are used to make sales, especially on digital platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. Other consumers of digital cameras include healthcare systems. Digital cameras document, compare and suggest improvements in the medical and clinical fields. Digital cameras are also consumed in the education sector by educators. Teachers use digital photos to ensure the active involvement of learners and technology incorporation in learning. For instance, learners take pictures of themselves, create personal trading cards, and share them with their classmates.

C. These cameras affect who?

Film and digital cameras affect everyone living in this era, where reality is represented through photographs. However, the most affected populations are cinematographers and professional photographers. Movies are no longer shot on film cameras but with digital cameras in the form of bytes and pixels. The commercial mainstream cinema has shifted to digital photography from the set to postproduction. Filmmakers and cinematographers have adopted digital media's immediacy, crispness, and ease to produce quality movies. Photographers need to make a rational choice between film or digital cameras depending on the impression they want to have on their target market.

The Benefits of Using Film and Disadvantages

A. Benefits of Film Camera

Film photography is advantageous due to its lower initial cost than digital photography. Research indicates that devices ranging from entry-level 35mm film to a large film camera with an extra-large sensor are cheaper than digital cameras. The cost for a new film camera with a standard lens ranges from $75 to $500, more affordable than a digital single-lens camera that costs $1,000. Good quality film cameras are less complicated and less expensive. Film cameras also have a high resolution which produces high-quality photographs.

A film camera resolution is, in most cases, higher than that of some digital. The film is produced in varying forms to suit various cameras. More extensive film stock correlates to larger photos on the film's stock surface, enabling the film to capture and store pictures at greater quality than most digital cameras. Photographs are of better quality. Film photography is also way better in color consistency and dynamic ranges than digital photography. Even with technological advancements, digital photography does not match the color consistency produced in film photography. One can capture a wider dynamic range in film photography than most digital cameras. A wider dynamic range eradicates the need to edit highlights, increases saturation, and improves image quality. It is also paramount to note that film photography is more enjoyable as it involves the creative part of an individual when taking the photos, editing, and processing. Rather than just editing in bulk as in digital photography, Film photography involves various processes which engage the photographer. In film editing, one can manage light levels in a dark environment, avoid loss of details in shadow areas due to the dynamic range film offers, and avoid highlights being blown out. When well-processed film negatives can be printed or scanned many times, they will maintain their quality for a lifetime. For digital photography, there is a constant threat of memory card corruption, hard disk, or computer crashes, resulting in the images being lost.

Disadvantages of film photography

Film photography has limitations that affect an individual’s choice depending on the intended photograph shoot. Film cameras are heavier than digital cameras of the same size. Film cameras are bulkier than digital ones since they have to accommodate the storage of the film in their compartment. The storage aspect results in them being heavier, unlike in digital cameras, where the memory card is a light component that does not require a lot of space due to the bulkiness of the film also requires space for its storage. Film photography involves a lengthy and time-consuming process to develop, which must be carried out in a dark room since if an undeveloped film is exposed to sunlight will destroy the images shot on the film. Purchasing and developing rolls of films over the years will make film photography more expensive than digital ones; hence it will be more economical to shoot on memory cards than in film cameras. For a photographer to view the shot images, they have to be developed first, which may lead to poor quality images being produced that were taken unintentionally.

Benefits of Digital Cameras.

A. Benefits of Digital Cameras

Digital cameras are advantageous since they generally are lighter in weight than film cameras. Maitre (2017) notes that most digital compacts are small and simple to operate. Digital cameras can be conveniently carried and allowed without getting bulky. Technological advancements have led to the development of tiny digital cameras built-in smart devices, enhancing access to digital cameras. Digital cameras are also advantageous because they can be edited easily using digital software. Images can be edited using software such as Photoshop and lightroom. Digital photographs can be edited for lighting and contrast using cameras or smartphones. Digital cameras guarantee massive storage space for photos. Images are stored in digital memory cards with the capacity to hold thousands of images. Images are also transferrable to another storage space, such as a hard drive to create more space for more photos. Unwanted photos can also be deleted and memory cards swapped anytime to generate more storage space. With a digital camera, a photographer can execute multiple functions such as turning to night mode and face and motion detection. Digital cameras have numerous features to improve visibility and ease photo framing. Another advantage is that digital cameras provide instant satisfaction and feedback. A person can review photos through the viewfinder screen and retake pictures.

B. Disadvantages of Digital Cameras

Digital cameras are disadvantageous because they lose details in white and black images. In digital cameras, black and white shots are taken by turning on monochrome shooting mode, which re-filters the color, and some details may be lost during re-filtering (Lukac, 2018). The camera sensors encode light and color, which reduce the image’s crispness and depth. Digital cameras have a high initial cost. The cost of owning a digital camera is higher than that of a film camera. In addition to the cost, one must purchase a memory card to use a digital camera. Digital cameras create photo file management difficulties due to the many photos taken. Organizing and labeling photos become challenging, increasing the likelihood of losing them. Digital cameras require technical-knowhow to operate. Whether downloading, uploading, or editing digital photographs, a person must possess technical skills that most people lack. Digital cameras require extreme caution and care because they are sensitive to high temperatures and cold.

In conclusion, the digital world necessitates the importance of cameras to capture, document, and share experiences. With instant visual gratifications in every sphere of human life, digital cameras have made it easy to create photographs, entirely replacing film photography. However, the technology change has led to controversy because some people still prefer to use film cameras while others opt to use digital cameras. Each type of camera is preferred due to its unique features of image production, image processing technologies, and distribution of images.

References

Adams, A. (2018). The camera. Ansel Adams.

Forrester, R. (2020). History of Photography-from Camera Obscura to the Kodak Camera.

Lavédrine, B. (2019). Photography and Its Conservation: Continuity and Changes in the Digital Era. Senri Ethnological Studies, 102, 115-122.

Lukac, R. (Ed.). (2018). Single-sensor imaging: methods and applications for digital cameras. CRC Press.

Maître, H. (2017). From photon to pixel: the digital camera handbook. John Wiley & Sons.

Marquardt, C., & Andrae, M. (2019). The Film Photography Handbook: Rediscovering Photography in 35mm, Medium, and Large Format. Rocky Nook, Inc..

Parulski, K., & Spaulding, K. (2017). Color image processing for digital cameras. In Digital color imaging handbook (pp. 727-757). CRC Press.

Schlemowitz, J. (2019). Experimental Filmmaking and the Motion Picture Camera: An Introductory Guide for Artists and Filmmakers. Routledge.

Severson, S. (2018). Archiving digital photographs. The Complete Guide to Personal Digital Archiving, 3-18.

Zhang, X. (2020). How to Find “Point” Focus in Landscape Photography. Frontiers in Art Research, 2(2).

Zhao, X., Yuan, Y., Song, M., Ding, Y., Lin, F., Liang, D., & Zhang, D. (2019). Use of unmanned aerial vehicle imagery and deep learning unet to extract rice lodging. Sensors, 19(18), 3859.

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