2. Different Kinds of Cameras

The Film vs Digital Debate

Over the past 20 years, the major transition has been from traditional film cameras to digital, with digital cameras advancing and becoming more accepted. Here are some basic facts, to help you choose which is best for you.

1. 35mm film cameras don't provide all that much detail - the largest most photographers would print with such film is around 16" x 20". 35mm film has traditionally been used by professionals for photojournalism, certain commercial work, like brochures, and for documentation - not for larger printing needs.

2. With medium and large format film cameras, you can print much larger, as the film has more space to save information. This is why traditional film is still standard in large format photography (but for how long?).

3. With traditional film cameras, the age of the camera isn't so important. Newer ones will be more expensive, but it's the film that determines/limits the ability to enlarge (along with the quality of the lens and how well you manage to focus the image). Older cameras use the same film as the newer ones, and some of those old lenses are incredibly sharp, so newer doesn't mean better.

4. With digital cameras, the age of the camera is very important. The first generation digital cameras have a lower resolution, with 3072 x 2048 pixels, which can only print up to 8" x 12". They also have slower sensors and lower quality functions. New digital cameras are far superior, and with a higher resolution, say 5184 x 3456, you can print up to 36" x 48".

5. Camera manufacturers also sell digital medium and large format cameras. The quality is debatable, but one reason digital cameras have become so popular is that it's far cheaper and more convenient to take and store photos. Medium and Large format film rolls and cartridges typically only allow for a few shots at a time, and are prohibitively expensive. With digital technology, you can fill up one card after another, reuse them, save your work to a hard drive, back it up over the internet - access it anywhere there's wifi. Once you purchase a few cards and choose your storage options, you can basically take unlimited photos for free, easily deleting the bad ones. It's much cheaper, more efficient, and more practical. And, editing photos digitally is far easier and more forgiving than working in a dark room.

6. Another advantage with digital is it's better for travelling by air. When traditional film rolls go through security, they can be ruined by the scanners. Some security officers will understand and let you hand them the film so it doesn't get scanned, but some of them won't. And, do you really want the fate of your expensive film being set by someone who knows nothing about you, your art, or the cost?

Having said all this, here are some different kinds of cameras:

Pinhole Camera: this is the most basic form of camera, you can make it yourself, cheaply at home (see instructions here). It doesn’t even have a lens, it’s just a box with a hole in one side. Thick cardboard works well – you can use a shoebox, a cereal box, any kind of box. You can also try making a cylindrical one from a Quaker Oats container. Be sure to paint the inside matte black. You don’t want it glossy. Poke a very small hole, and have a piece of black tape to go over it. Perhaps add a solid stand for it so it doesn’t rock when you expose the hole. This works by placing a single piece of photo paper inside the box (in a dark room) and then exposing it to light (pointing in the direction of your subject) for a short time, say a few seconds (up to 20 minutes indoors). This process creates just one copy of the image, and you can only take one picture at a time. The quality is typically low, at least in terms of focus - it depends on camera shake. But, it's an artistic medium, and you can still make great work with it. Some professional photographers use pinhole cameras.

Compact Camera: These are “point-and-shoot” cameras, also called "viewfinder cameras", often with a built-in zoom lens. They come in 35mm and digital versions. Everyone assumes these are for amateurs, but you can take great photos with them, and their small size makes them very practical for quick shots, especially in bad weather - where you wouldn't want to expose your most expensive camera to rain. Look for one that’s waterproof and shock-proof. You can find 20 mega pixel cameras (comparable to 35mm film) for around $500.

TLR Camera: This stands for "twin lens reflex" camera. It uses two lenses of the same focal length, one to take the photo, and the other to act as the viewfinder. All of these cameras take film, you'll hardly ever find a digital one. Most use a size 120 film, although some shoot 35mm. First available around 1885, these were popular from the 1920's -60's. They are still made to day, but few people buy them, and they're hard to find. With most of them, you can't change lenses, and none of them have a zoom function. One advantage over SLR cameras is that TLR's don't block your view while you take the shot, you see the subject the whole time - making it a popular camera for photographing dancers in a studio. They are also quieter, and it's easier to take photos unnoticed, for candid photography.

SLR/DSLR Cameras: This stands for “single-lens reflex” camera. Digital versions are called DSLR. The single lens can be removed and other lenses attached (make sure they're compatible!). The "R" or reflex indicates that there is a mirror inside the camera, that reflects the image up into a viewfinder - so that what you see through the viewfinder is exactly what the lens sees. Some compact cameras have a viewfinder that’s close to the lens, but you don’t actually see through the lens, and you won’t see if the lens cap is still on or some other obstruction. But with SLR’s you’ll know – all you’ll see is black. SLR's typically use 35mm film. DSLR cameras range in price from $600 to $2,500 for one of the best on the market. 35mm SLR's aren't made anymore. Used ones range in price from about $50-$500.

 

In Between/Bridge Cameras: These look like SLR cameras, but they’re not. They have one built-in lens that can’t be changed. Lame, right? But at least it acts like an SLR camera, with a variety of creative modes. Again, these were originally for 35mm film, but most are now digital. Prices range from $300 to $1,700.

Mirrorless Cameras: These mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras (MILCs) are professional quality cameras that are beginning to replace DSLRs. Like with DSLRs, you can use these with a range of lenses. While both can create professional quality images, MILCs have a few advantages, in that they are a simpler design with fewer parts, by eliminating the moving mirror and the optical viewfinder of an SLR. This makes them smaller, lighter, and quieter. While both can take photos in fast bursts, MILCs have an optional "electronic shutter" making even faster bursts of shots easier. MILCs have an electronic view finder (EVF) which shows you in real time, exactly what the photo will look like when you press the shutter release button - as you change your settings, the EVF changes the picture. Newer MILCs also have features like focus peaking, which helps show you exactly which parts of the image are in sharpest focus - in real time, while you're taking photos. Some MILCs even use face-and-eye tracking technology, so that the face or eyes are always in focus. Prices range from $500-$13,000.

Medium & Large Format Cameras: Also called View Cameras, these are traditionally film cameras that use a film larger than 35mm:

an assortment of film sizes, photo by Nicholas Middleton

The higher resolution makes them an industry standard for magazine illustration, portrait photography, and advertising - pretty much any work done in a studio. Over the last decade however, large format cameras have gone digital, some going up to 61 megapixels – a range rivaling 4x5 film cameras. 

image still from tutorial by Chris Parker

It's still debated which is better, digital or film, but like with all cameras, the future is digital. These cameras can range in price from $3,200 to $26,500. You can find medium and large format DSLRs and MILCs.

The Low vs. High Megapixel Debate

Photographers also argue over which digital cameras give the best image quality - which is not simply about the best resolution. Image quality includes high dynamic range, a high color range, and filtering out noise. Here's a good video that discusses the pros and cons of high vs. low Megapixel digital cameras:

Smart Phones: The cameras that come with smart phones are becoming more and more sophisticated, to the point where photographers have started using them professionally. While comparable to compact cameras in quality, smart phones have the advantage in that it's an all-purpose digital tool, eliminating the need for a large, bulky camera, especially when traveling. They also have photo editing apps, so you can edit your images and send them quickly, while on location - necessary for certain careers like photojournalism, where large media companies want images ASAP. Ideal for working quickly, for more serious studio photography, you'll want to upload your images to a larger screen for greater care in editing.