By Carmelo diaz

The past years have seen major technological breakthroughs especially in the digital field. Mostly, if not all, electronic devices from CDs to MP3s are built on the same basic premise of converting conventional analog information into digital information.

The digital camera is one of these devices that exemplify the big difference between the world of analog and the digital. It is totally different from its predecessor, the conventional cameras. Obviously, conventional cameras depend entirely on mechanical and chemical processes. You don't need electricity to operate on one. In addition, with conventional cameras, film is needed to take photos, which leads to a lot of problems such as film flatness, inconsistent development, or scanners. All digital cameras have a built-in computer, and all of them record images in an entirely electronic form. As such, images can be previewed immediately- no more trips to camera shops to drop off film then picking it up again. Not to mention, no more worries on airport x-rays.

Aside from the basic disparity of the process of operation, photo quality also makes a world of distinction between the two.

Conventional >

Film is an analog medium, so it doesn't have "pixels". The finest films (which are slow and need a lot of light) have very fine grains. Finer grains mean more grains per inch. This means more detail in your image which will allow you to enlarge your photos to a much bigger size without the visibility of deterioration. If your objective is to take advantage of these pixels, you need to work on your lighting conditions and the quality of the optics used. The latest generation of Pro Digital Cameras is reaching these resolutions but at prices that are 5 to 10 times higher than that of a conventional camera that could equal the kind of resolution you want.

If you want to get the maximum advantage from your film, you need to use the best optics you can get from your camera system. Cheap optics can have a low resolving power due to imperfections in the glass quality and the coatings used. In addition, sharpness, brightness and contrast depend strongly on the quality of your lenses.

Next to pixel count, each grain can be set to display any color, color intensity and brightness. On a digital camera, this is limited by the "color depth" as each pixel can be set to a limited number of levels.

One important factor to be considered with conventional cameras is that the images are only previewed by you after they are processed at the lab, not during the time you took the shot as in the case of a digital camera. You are completely in the dark whether it's good or bad images. Furthermore, you have to pay for all your prints. There is also little you can do to post process your shot unless you have access to a well equipped darkroom.

Digital >

The highest resolution available is 14 mega pixels with a very expensive professional camera. But 6 Mega-pixel pro-summer digital cameras can be bought at a much cheaper price. These digital cameras are already capable of producing a 3000 x 2000 pixels image. This means that it is capable of producing an A4 size image.

Digital cameras have larger image sensors than the average pocket digicams. They produce better images than that of a pocket camera with the same resolution. This is possible because the larger image sensor of the digital camera is less sensitive to stray electrical signals. A smaller sized sensor produces more 'noise'. Noise in digital cameras is much lower than grain in film. This can be seen as small variations in color and tone in image. As the 'amplifiers' in the sensor make the electrical signals stronger with each higher ISO setting, the amount of noise will also increase. This is comparable to bigger grains on high speed conventional film.

The advantages of digital cameras are many and very popular. Direct preview of results make it possible for you to re-shoot and adjust the composition or exposure as needed. And unlike its conventional counterpart, once you bought your equipment, there is no additional cost in the pictures you take even when it's more than a hundred times. Just simply store your shots, and when you want some prints, you can simply send them to your local photo lab and print only what you need and want. These help you to become more unconventional and try out different experiments that you would normally avoid with conventional film. More shots increases the chances of good images, thereby making you a better photographer.

But don't get me wrong. I love the conformity and traditionalism of having a conventional camera. In fact, it may even be decades before digital cameras completely replace film cameras. Your choice between the two cameras depends entirely on what you want to do with your images. When you need A3 size (or even larger) print with superb professional quality, you still need to go for the more conventional camera, especially those that are top of the line. They're just a bit expensive though. Digital is going through a fast stage of development and sometimes doesn't have the same resolution capability as that of its counterpart.

Also, if you're not too keen with the use of computers, you should probably stay with conventional cameras.

Nevertheless, if you are primarily concerned with taking relatively small images for email or to use on a web page, then an inexpensive digital camera will do. Combined with appropriate post-processing, you are now able to create artistic and creative results with the range of digital cameras in the market today.

For comments and questions about the article please contact Carmelo Diaz at 310 575 4440 or visit http://www.digitalprintingcompany.com