The Digital Decision Essay, Research Paper

With today’s advancing technology, it is possible to do just about anything you want quickly and efficiently. You can order flowers to someone’s house over the Internet, have a computer plot a map in your car, and send pictures to relatives via email. Digital cameras are the new way to record photos. There are many advantages of having your pictures on a disk or memory card as opposed to having a roll of film. New cameras have made it easier to load film, take pictures, and get superb quality; but digital cameras have taken it a step further. So which is better? Well, it all depends on your purposes and needs.

One of the most convenient things about a digital camera is not having to buy film. You can just take the picture, and hook it up to your computer for easy downloading. With one click of your mouse, you can send a single photo to an endless number of people like relatives and friends, and it will cost you nothing! You can cut and paste items or doctor up the photo with the aid of software. With a film type camera, you would have to get the film developed and have several doubles made which is quite expensive. You can easily put a photo on Ebay when selling an item or send a picture to friends using AOL Instant Messenger in seconds for free!

The downside of looking for a digital camera is they’re quite expensive. If you want the quality (or close to it) of a traditional film type camera you can spend around $1000 on one. The memory sticks or cards are expensive as well. Newer models of some cameras have the feature of buying an optional memory card to hold up to 500 pictures. These cards are very expensive,

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but are quite small and easier to carry than a bunch of rolls of film. Digital cameras also use a lot of power and buying batteries will set you back some cash also.

The more traditional film type camera is a thing of the past. So why is it still popular with many people? If you want to bring a camera along on a boat trip, a concert, or something like mountain climbing, there’s no way you’re going to bring your digital camera you just spent $1000 on just to get ruined by water or a 1,000 foot drop. Disposable cameras or a cheap $20 camera is just the thing you would need. They still take excellent quality photos and won’t dent your pocket as much as a digital one would if you were to lose it.

Most of the older cameras don’t need a power source. With digital cameras, you are constantly replacing the battery. When you catch the 300 pound fish you have dedicated your life to looking for, you reach for your digital camera and realize the batteries are dead! You also remember you left the batteries in the car. Since the fish is too heavy to pull into the boat, you have to wipe the tears off of your face and let him go.

Picture quality is most important to a photography artist. Some of the photos I have seen are breathtaking. The way the photographer captures depth and shadows is amazing. This isn’t possible with a digital camera. Though the quality is top notch, nothing can compare to the immaculate glossy photo a film camera can produce.

With so many options out there with new technology surfacing, it is sometimes hard to choose between products. It might not be worth spending two weeks of salary on a digital camera if it doesn’t suit your needs. On the other hand, if you had one and you are constantly using the Internet, it would make life a whole lot easier. Though both are similar in sizes, usually need batteries for the flash, and are superb in quality; It is hard to decide whether to break your

piggy bank open or just stick with the standard that people have been using for decades.