What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a digital camera COMPARED to an average camera?

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Answer 1

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Film camera.

Advantages:

35mm SLR cameras are very cheap.

A 35mm camera can be easily mastered in a day or less.

Film cameras encourage you to slow down and actually think before pressing the shutter release. Using film causes you to develop what I call the "sniper mentality" - 1 exposure, 1 good picture.

Using a 100% manual film camera will quickly teach you about f-stops and shutter speeds and ISO. Even using a 35mm camera with either Aperture Preferred or Shutter Preferred Modes will do this.

A quality 35mm film camera with proper care can last for decades. Last Nov. I used a 30 year old camera and 32 year old flash unit to take pictures at my daughter's 30th. birthday party. (I had ordered the camera form a store in NYC and it arrived the same day she did.)

No "crop factor" since every lens I own is designed for the 24mm x 36mm film frame.

With a film camera you'll better understand "Pictures are not taken, they are made." Ansel Adams

Disadvantages:

Film costs. I buy all my film on-line and usually pay $3 a roll or less.

Processing and printing costs. I use a 1 Hour Lab and pay about $10 to have a 36 exposure roll processed and printed. To see my results means waiting a whole hour.

Can't change ISO to suit changing conditions.

Digital camera.

Advantages:

Instant gratification. You see your results immediately.

You can change ISO if conditions change.

Disadvantages:

Initial cost of the camera and lens. You can pay from $500 up to several thousand dollars for a camera and lens.

Possible need to upgrade/replace your computer to fully utilize the necessary editing software.

Cost of the editing software.

Time you spend editing pictures when you could be out enjoying your camera.

Yielding to the temptation to use Program or Auto Mode and let the camera select f-stop and shutter speed. IMO not the best way to shoot if you want to really use your camera to its potential.

Development of what I call the "machine gunner mentality" - take 300 exposures and hope a few are worth keeping. A person recently said that if they got 1 good picture out of 100 they were happy. IMO you'd likely get as good (if not better) results if you gave the camera to a chimpanzee.

The "crop factor" of non-full-frame (24mm x 36mm) DSLR cameras. A 50mm lens behaves as either a 75mm or 80mm lens.

The need to upgrade your DSLR body every couple of years to keep up with any improvements in technology.

Source(s):

37 years of using Minolta 35mm film cameras.

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

Thanks a lot!!

Answer 2

for the beginner, digital is way better:
easy store and erase-learn a photoshop type prog and modify your pix on your pc-invest in a modest memory card and never pay for film again
-let's not even mention the porn possibilities...

Answer 3

A digital camera is way more convenient than a regular camera or the ones that take film.. Since almost everyone has a computer they could jsut copy the pictures and put them on the computer and then later burning select or all pictures onto a CD and bring it to the store to develop instead of bringing the whole roll and paying for pictures that came out bad and such. emailing and posting them online is easier too. and faster. than going to the store.. developing them and have them create a digital copy for you and such..

one disadvantage is that a regular camera might have better picture quality compared to a digital camera.. but nowadays. its almost the same..

and plus. think of the money youll save on film.. $80-$100 ($50 if your lucky) for a 4GB SD card takes about 900+ pictures at 10MPs.. a roll of film is about $5 for a roll of 36 + developing..