Film Vs Digital Photography

Digital photography has made the use of film almost entirely obsolete.  There are however some advantages to using film, which digital photography so far does not offer.

Higher Resolution

For one, film offers images that can be viewed at higher resolutions.  This is because film offers images that have true curves, since the image was created exactly as the lens captured it.

Digital images on the other hand are pixelated, and pixels are actually square.  So, curves are merely approximation of curves, made with a multitude of tiny square pixels.  Eventually, when the image is viewed at a large enough size, those pixels will be visible.

Shutter Lag

Another way in which film is superior, has to do more with the camera.  Digital cameras, specifically the cheaper point and shoot varieties, have a certain amount of shutter lag.  This is true to a lesser extent with DSLRs, but it is still a factor.  While this shutter lag is often only a split second, even this tiny delay can mean that a fleeting facial expression is lost, which can lead to frustration.  This tiny shutter lag won’t make any difference when shooting stationary subjects, such as a landscape however.

Battery Life

DSLRs suck up batteries much faster than film cameras do.  Luckily most come with a rechargeable battery pack.

Digital Camera Obsolesecence

Most film SLRs from the 1970s until today, have the same potential to produce a professional quality photograph.  Digital camera technology on the other hand is always in the process of rapid development.  The first digital cameras, while convenient and instantly gratifying, had terrible image quality.  Nowadays, digital image quality has improved tremendously, but still can’t match film.

Grain Vs Noise

Film grain could often be very beautiful and even desired.  While digital noise is often compared to film grain, and indeed is caused by the same reasons (high ISO, low light, etc.), it is anything but pretty.  Noise reduction software can do a pretty good job of removing digital noise, but there will always be some loss of image quality in the process, albeit very subtle loss.