Digital Photography Articles | Digital vs Film
Friday, 18 August 2006

Digital vs Film | Which Medium is Better?

One cannot simply say that one is is better than the other. Digital photography and film photography both have their own particular advantages and shortcomings. The following comparison between the media of Film Photography and Digital photography considers some salient points.

Film Image Resolution vs Digital Image Resolution

The ability to produce high quality images in sharp fine detail is the criterion that comes to mind first for most photographers. A direct comparison between the resolution of film and digital format is complex due to a number of significant differences.
Film resolution measurement must take into account the size of the film used, 35mm, medium format or large format, film speed, lens quality and light level. Film images are composed of very fine grains or particles. The most common estimates for a 35mm film image place it around 12 megapixels which is comparable to an image from a top of the line digital SLR camera.
Digital format resolution measurement is measured in pixels which are formed into a distinct geometrically arranged mosaic. Factors which impinge on the figure are the actual number of memory cells used to store the image, the effect of the Bayer pattern of sensor filters which overlays the digital image sensor and the data processing algorithm employed to interpolate the sensor pixels into image pixels.
The majority of photography enthusiasts would most likely not be using medium or large format film cameras. However, as a matter of interest, estimates for resolution for a medium format film image are around 50 megapixels. For large format 4 x 5 inch film an equivalent figure around 200 megapixels can be achieved and for 8 x 10 inch around 800 megapixels.

Film Image Quality vs Digital Image Quality

The quality of a film photo will be reduced when pictures are shot on high speed film which is used for instance to catch fast moving subjects such as in sporting situations. The effect will be evident as a visible fine grain on the image which is random in orientation.
One advantage of film is that it has greater latitude in exposure than digital technology. Data can be lost in digital images if picture information is burnt out in over exposed areas of a picture. Similarly, detail crushed in shadow can be lost in noise if a digital image is under exposed. Images which are considerably under exposed or over exposed with film can still produce normal pictures.
The quality of digital images can be reduced by noise which is caused by random electronic movement generated in the electronic devices in the camera. This will be visible as a salt and pepper effect on the image and will be worse at high ISO values - the electronic equivalent to film speed. Electronically produced noise also becomes greater as temperature increases.
Artifacts such as moire pattern are also an issue with digital images which film is not subject to and is an effect related to the geometric pixel pattern.

Popularity and Versatility of Film vs Digital

Needless to say, among general users, there has been a massive swing from film to digital. Of course, professional users with specific needs still opt for film.
The reasons for this large migration are associated with such advantages as:
The convenience of being able to view photos immediately on the built in LCD. This enables instant evaluation and the opportunity to delete or re-take the shot.
There is no anxiety about the cost of wasting film on spoilt shots. Memory cards, or 'digital film' on which the images are stored can be re-used over and over again. Memory cards can hold hundreds of pictures which relieves the photographer of the task of threading new rolls of film.
Images can also be downloaded to a PC and displayed full screen. Software editing and printing can be executed without the need to take film to a processing lab. The choice is available to print only the desired pictures.
It should be noted that film can be scanned either in a dedicated slide scanner or a flatbed type scanner and saved as digital images for photo manipulation and printing.
There is an inconvenience encountered - not with point and shoot or prosumer types - but with digital SLR cameras. The problem of dust or contamination of the low pass filter surface which covers the image sensor has to be dealt with. This inevitably occurs due to the body of the camera being open to the environment during the swapping of lenses. The result is the appearance of spots and blobs on the image which are particularly easily seen in clear untextured areas of the picture such as clear sky. It doesn't matter how much care is taken, there are always going to be windy, dusty days or locations where foreign matter will find its way inside.
See the Sensor Cleaning article in this section.

Film Photography Costs vs Digital Photography Costs

Digital cameras are presently more expensive than comparable film cameras but this is offset by the lesser ongoing expenses that are incurred with film cameras due to the elimination of film processing costs. It needs to be said though, that some digital camera users might elect not to do their own printing but take their memory card or CD to a photo lab for printing.

Storage and Longevity Of Film and Digital Media

The lifetime of film and prints can be in excess of a century provided it is stored in ideal conditions where temperature, humidity and light are controlled properly.
However, if film is stored poorly, for instance in a humid hot location which might be found in a warm seaside neighborhood, then terrible problems can be experienced with the growth of mold on transparencies. This problem can be so bad in worst case conditions as to render the images completely unrecognizable.

Photographic Prints Exposed To Daylight Will Soon Fade.

Digital media are recent innovations and insufficient time has yet elapsed to prove their durability. Furthermore, the rate of change of technology is becoming exponential resulting in media types becoming obsolete and superseded by newer types and generations. This means that preserving valuable data necessitates the making of multiple copies in various formats and media.
An example of technological obsolescence is the Beta VCR. Many Beta owners built up large libraries of Beta video cassette tapes only to find that manufacturers ceased manufacturing and even supporting the products. No spare parts are available so that servicing the hardware is now impossible. When the equipment breaks down, the treasured library can no longer be accessed.

Authorship
This Digital Photography Article © Gavin Hart 2006. It is free for personal use but you may not republish or sell it.