Film and Digital Cameras compared
Think of a traditional chemical film camera. All the components are essentially the same. Why? The world of photography is transitioning from chemical to traditional. As this new technology is developed, it is actually making modifications to the old technology. In this discussion traditional film cameras are compared with digital cameras .
A digital camera is a device to capture digital bitmapped images as files ready for modification or inclusion in your desktop publishing, multimedia or web projects. A conventional film camera is a device that captures photographic images that are stored as transparencies on the film base they are exposed on. They may also be contact printed onto photographic paper. It is the image on the transparency or print that is scanned and included in your computer or print work.
Photographic prints are collected in books and looked at from time to time. Digital photographs are stored on computer disks and may be looked at on your monitor from time to time.
In digital cameras, the film is replaced with a CCD sensor that will "read" the picture digitally in somewhat the same way as your scanner "scans" images. The camera is similar to a film camera with lenses that focus the image on the CCD as sharply as possible so that each individual sensor can take an accurate reading. In both systems the objective is the same, to focus the best possible image on the film or CCD.
Film cameras need to be lightproof to protect the light sensitive film from fogging or flares. In digital cameras the insides are kept dark to eliminate any stray light that would otherwise contaminate the CCD readings resulting in about the same kind of problems.
Film must first be processed before you can even look at the picture and evaluate it. Digital images can be viewed as soon as you transfer them to a computer. Many digital cameras allow you to view your exposures allowing you avoid those disasters common with film cameras such as going home, waiting a few days for processing and then realizing something went wrong.
Digital camera film uses no chemicals, requires no photofinishing expertise and are very environmentally friendly. Digital film is also free and is essentially the cost of storage of your exposures. Compare the cost of shoe boxes for prints and negatives vs. hard drives and zips for digital film.
Both systems must have a method of controlling the exposures. In traditional film we have the combination of the intensity of the light and the duration of exposure. The product is the exposure. The same concepts are present in digital cameras but the intensity and duration are controlled differently. Digital cameras are programmed to simulate f-stop and exposure time settings and adjustments we are all familiar with. An additional advantage for digital is that the camera can automatically evaluate the exposure settings and make corrections and adjustments, especially if you don't even know it is doing it.
Film cameras capture their image causing a light reaction on the surface of the film. Digital cameras capture their exposure by measuring the light striking the digital CCD sensors and send the image to memory buffer while the camera processes the data and assembles the file. Once captured, the film camera will advance the film (or you wind the film to the next unexposed frame). The digital camera stores the file on memory devices such as flash cards or disks and then discards the data in the camera memory making it ready for the next exposure. Some digital cameras even transfer the file directly to a connected computer.
With both camera systems you are eventually out of film. With traditional film you rewind the exposed frames back into the light tight container and then replace it with a fresh canister. With digital cameras you replace the flash card or disk and you are ready for more exposures.
Not enough light? With film cameras you burst a flash giving that little bit of additional light necessary to produce a good exposure. With digital cameras and depending on the brand, they have sensitivity to light that may be lower than film allowing you to capture images in lower light situations. Other brands may need additional light to produce an image. With both systems, the flash can be used to control the light and how it plays on your subject. After all, photography, digital or chemical, is the control of light in capturing the perfect image.
Digital cameras are actually special purpose computers and, like laptops, they need power. Batteries can be a serious problem because without power, the camera simply will not function. Well, newer film cameras also have computers to help with exposure and winding the film. But the digital camera will need more power and this is a serious consideration.
Conclusion
There are some incredibly huge difference between film and digital cameras. For many of us, there is the need to compare the two together using the traditional film and chemical system as the benchmark for comparison. As you see above, there are a number of differences and similarities. In the end, there is one final similarity. They both capture photographic images.
