Digital Versus Film

If there is a single question that we are asked more than any other, it is whether our work is digital or if we still use film. There are several possible explanations for why we are asked this question so often. We believe this may be what some people are thinking when they voice this question.

This is a great question to break the ice and get a conversation started
Hopefully I can gain a little insight into whether to buy a digital or film camera and perhaps discover the best model to purchase
It would be interesting to know how much digital has spread throughout the professional photography ranks
It will be interesting to see if these photographers are on top of current trends or if they are stuck in the old film world
It will be interesting to see if these photographers can get this image quality from digital
I suspect that the only way these images can have this clarity and color is through digital processing

There are probably dozens of other reasons why we are asked about digital vs. film - but regardless of the reason, there is only one answer to the question. Yes.

Playing to Strength

Both digital and film technologies have their strengths and weaknesses. It would be folly to not acknowledge the relative differences between these technologies and to then use each technology where it exhibits a definitive advantage. That is our approach and it works quite well.

Digital technologies are rapidly changing and so the relative difference between film and digital is a moving target. It is therefore essential that one periodically review current practices to see if there is not a better approach to be utilized. When appropriate, it is time to abandon one practice in favor of another. Such is the nature of virtually everything in the modern world.

So where do we find the relative strengths and weaknesses of these two technologies?

The Advantages of Film

Digital technologies cannot currently compete with film when it comes to large images and therefore large prints. This is slowly changing, but we are still a way from the time when a 30x40 inch print can be produced in sharp detail from a comparably priced digital camera.

With a 4x5 inch camera it is possible to generate a 4x5 inch color slide that has many times more detail than can be obtained from 35 mm film. If you want to make a big print, then you need lots of detail so that the image does not become vague and ill-defined in a larger size. Right now that means using 4x5 or 8x10 cameras to produce film images of outstanding quality.

If a 4x5 film transparency is scanned on a film scanner, we are able to obtain files that are over 500 MB in size with amazing clarity and detail. Digital camera backs for 4x5 cameras (the digital back takes the place of the film holder in these cameras) are only now beginning to produce files of these sizes. There are two problems, however. Firstly, these backs will set you back roughly $35,000 (Oh, and would you like some accessories with that?). The second problem is that these backs are large, require significant power, and often must be tethered to a computer - making them less than ideal for remote field work.

So, right now, for high quality large images from a relatively light weight, portable, and inexpensive camera system the advantage goes to film.

The Advantages of Digital

Professional 35 mm digital cameras definitely have their place and can be used very productively when the final media size is up to about 16x20 inches (or higher in some cases). The feedback possible from a digital camera is most beneficial when trying to ensure the desired characteristics of an image have been achieved. This includes the ability to check composition, exposure levels, and overall image content while still in the field. The added ability to rapidly review and discard unacceptable images is also a significant benefit when operating at some remote location. It has reached the point where there may be little benefit to using a 35 mm film camera. The quality and benefits of a digital camera have essentially made 35 mm film cameras more costly and less flexible to utilize for most field purposes.

There is another area where digital absolutely shines and where it can not and will never been outdone by traditional film technologies. When it comes to making prints, digital technology is king.

Digital prints are in every way superior to their traditional counterparts. Quality digital prints have better clarity, detail, and life expectancy (how long a print will last before it shows any signs of deterioration) than traditional photographic prints. Digital prints are not somewhat superior to traditional prints, they are vastly superior to traditional prints, and the gap is continually widening.

Continual Change

If you come back to this page in five years it will likely be very different than it is today. Technology changes at an incredible rate and the changes are often non-linear. There are periods of slow predictable change, and then periods of rapid. dramatic. and unanticipated change. But the one theme you will see repeated in five years is that we still select the best of competing technologies and apply them where they offer the greatest strength.

Today we produce many of our images using digital cameras, but we produce our largest fine art prints from images taken on film. We subsequently convert these images to digital format using high quality film scanners and then processes and print them digitally from that point forward. In this way we are, as always, using each technology where it is strongest to produce the highest quality fine art for our customers.