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Tedric Garrison
22 July 2005
Word Count: 500
Digital May Be King . . .
But the Queen is Not Dead.
It seems like every few days someone sees photos on my website (or some
other place); and asks, is that digital? When I turn in my 35mm film at the
photo lab, someone always asks me, "Haven't you gone digital yet?" Most
people seem shocked when I state: “I am not 100% digital, nor do I plan to
be.”
Don't get me wrong, I do have a digital camera, and there are things I
absolutely love about it. But in the real world, there are some good reasons
for sticking with 35mm. Let me repeat, this is NOT a "bash digital cameras"
story. But here are a few points to consider:
A) My digital camera has a flash that covers about 15 feet. My handle mount
flash that I use with my regular 35mm camera is rated with a guide number of
120. That means I could shoot a portrait from across a basketball gym if so
I desired. It also means I can shoot family reunions with 50 plus people in
them, and not worry about my flash not covering everyone in the shot.
b) My digital camera has a 10x zoom, (which is nice); but it does not except
any of the dozen or more filters I have used through out the years. A
polarizer filter does great things for clouds and reflections. If I want to
get really close, my close-up filter set can make a world of difference. A
cross star filter can add that little touch of class that makes the
difference between a nice shot and a great shot!
c) Everyone says that digital cameras are so much cheaper than developing
regular 35mm film. That depends on your perspective. When I shoot a
weddings; for example, I usually shoot 4 or 5 rolls of 24 exposure film. I
can get these processed (as jumbo "5x7" size) for about $7.00 per roll. That
works out to about .29 cents per print. If I bring in my digital card
and want a jumbo "5x7" size print, it cost me (at the same lab):
$1.47 each. Let's say I shoot five rolls . . . which would you rather pay
$35.00 raw cost, or $176.00 raw cost?
I realize that if I could afford a good 35mm digital camera (about
$1,000.00) then many of my complaints would be null and void. But as a
working man trying to get by; I can't ignore 5x7 prints for only .29 cents.
I could probably get them for even less if I went on-line or sent them out
to a different lab.
Do I own a digital camera? Yes. Do I enjoy it? Yes. But will I ever go
totally 100% digital? Probably not. What if you got a color laser printer,
someone once asked? Maybe . . . but that's still another $1,000.00 I just
don't have laying around. Until I get to that point, I will continue to use
both and enjoy both for what each can do.
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