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Re: Cameras

David,

Unless you are ready to spend thousands of dollars for a "professional" 
digital camera, you will not get an image equal to what you can obtain from a 
decent 35mm camera and good film.  A couple of technical matters:

Film has an ASA/ISO rating.  I will use ASA for this comparison

The higher the ASA, the faster (more sensitive) the film.
The lower the ASA, the higher the resolution (measured in lines/mm) of the 
image

So it's always a trade-off.  In work for publication you want to use the 
slowest film that you can in order to get the best image.  I generally use 
ASA 100, but have, back when I was a professional photographer, used films 
with ASA ratings of 25 or even less.  Most of those films are no longer made.

Your $1,000 or less digital camera has an ASA rating of about 100, but the 
resolution of about ASA 400-800.  While this might be fine for 75 dots/inch 
computer monitor display, it will not be nearly as good as a film photo for 
hardcopy publication.

Digital cameras just are fine for web display and journalism.  They just 
aren't up to the quality you get from good film.

<<** Larry **>>


<< Date: Thu, 23 Nov 2000 16:06:57 -0500
 From: "David J. Ramsey" <djramsey at mindspring_com>
 Subject: Cameras
 
 I know at lot of people got new digital cameras a few months ago when this
 topic was running. Now that it has been a few months, what cameras are you
 happy with, and what do you find lacking. What do you wish you had gotten?
 It is getting to be Christmas time and the 'present for myself camera' itch
 is very strong. Especially since I just had 2 rolls of 24 developed with
 single prints and a cd for $35. Plus, of course, the pictures were 3 out of
 focus, 4 too dark, 2 ok, 1 good enough type that fish pictures always seem
 to be. Several on the cd could be lightened up and cropped to be used,
 making me wonder why I paid for film at all! >>
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