Digital or Film?

(From Confessions of a Model Mom)

I've been doing a lot of thinking when it comes to which is better, digital or film. And I've come to the conclusion that it depends on what you are using them for.

When I was traveling for work and while studying abroad I loved having film (Lord knows digi wasn't readily availabe back then! LOL!). I never had problems with my film being exposed in the airport x-ray machines, and there was something so exciting about turning in those rolls of film at a random little photo/camera shop, trying to explain with signs , some English and some Chinese or Italian (or whatever language of the particular country I was in at the time), how many copies of each I wanted, etc. And then coming back the next day to rip thorugh the envelope and see what pictures had been taken while in a drunken stupor, or with the wide -eyed excitement of being a kid abroad. Then there were always the pictures that were taken by an overly creative friend or two when I would leave my camara unattended. This element of surprise is completely non-existant with digital cameras. Just sitting around with your friends laughing at your photgraphic antics, or staring in awe at the sunset that you didn't think would turn out on film.....there's something so special about that, and it's irreplaceable by the latest technology.

On the other hand, I have a 19 month old son now, and I bought a digital camera right before he was born. I cannot imagine using anything other than digi with him. It has been so wonderful to be able to upload the dizzying amounts of pictures I take of him every day and email them to my family and friends in a matter of minutes. And I love being able to see whether or not I caught him in all his glory or if he turned his head at the last minute while I was shooting. Having a digi has made it possible for me to take and keep a ton of beautiful, quirky, and fun pictures of my son and our family. I know that with film I'd end up with maybe one or two good shots per roll and what a waste that would be! Kids move so fast.....being able to look back at what you just shot lets you know if you need to continue running after the little one like the paparazzi behind Britney or if you caught that mischievous smile perfectly the first time around.

So why not have both? Professional photographers have cameras that are compatible with both digital and film backs. It would be nice to find a camera for us regular photo taking joes that has a similar set up and that is compact enough to carry around in a purse or pocket. Maybe something like that already exists and I'm just a little behind the times (read my blog on MP3 players to see what I'm talking about! LOL!) I just know I would be the first in line to buy one of these combo cameras (given they are affordable!). Otherwise I'll be hanging on to my film as well as my digi for as long as necessary.