Digital Photography vs Classic Photography

Even though digital photography is a revolutionary new way to take pictures, it is very much based on traditional photography and uses many of the same principals. Both types of photography require a lens to focus the light and a shutter to allow the light to enter the camera. The main difference between digital and traditional photography is how the image is captured.

Traditional photography uses film which must be developed in a darkroom using various chemicals. The developing process produces 'negatives' which must be printed before you can see the picture. Digital photography uses an electronic sensor to capture the image. The sensor is made up of millions of individual 'pixels' (picture elements) which convert light into a number. Rather than waiting for the picture to be developed, digital pictures can be seen almost instantaneously on the viewfinder of the digital camera.

The quality of a digital photograph depends a lot on how many pixels it has. The number of pixels is sometimes referred to as the 'resolution' of an image, and can be expressed as a dimension (800 x 600), or the number of pixels per inch. A common resolution for computer screens is 800 x 600 and this means the monitor can display 800 pixels from side to side and 600 pixels from top to bottom for a total of 480,000. Digital photography commonly uses much higher resolutions than computer screens with resolutions in the millions of pixels (mega pixels). A camera with a resolution of 2048 x 1536 has a total resolution of 3.1 mega pixels.

As mentioned above, each pixel is represented by a number. The size of that number determines the colors scale that can be represented. For example, black-and-white pictures can be represented with pixels which are just eight bits in length. If you are familiar with binary arithmetic, you know that an 8-bit number can represent decimal numbers from 0 to 256. Black-and-white photographs, therefore, can have a total of 255 shades of gray as well as black (0) and white (256).

Color must be represented with larger numbers. 16 bits per pixel, for example, is necessary to have a color scale of 65,536 different shades. 24 bits per pixel can represent more than 16 million different colors. Most digital cameras use 24 bits per pixel, but some professional equipment has a color resolution of up to 48 bits per pixel for more than 280 billion different shades.

There are several factors that affect the quality of a digital camera, but pixel resolution is usually seen as the most important. Choosing an adequate pixel resolution depends a lot on the size of the photographs you want to print. Keep in mind that the number of pixels in an image does not change, so pictures with larger dimensions will have fewer pixels per inch which results in a loss of detail if the picture size becomes too big.

Photo labs usually print pictures at 300 pixels per inch, so using this as a standard measurement you can calculate how many mega pixels your camera should have. The maximum print from a two mega pixel camera at 300 pixels per inch is 5.8" x 3.8" -- less than the standard 4" x 6". A camera with four mega pixels can print pictures to a maximum size of 8.2" x 5.4" at 300 pixels per inch.

Of course, there is nothing to stop you from printing larger pictures. Pictures printed at 200 pixels per inch are slightly less sharp but still quite acceptable for many purposes. At this resolution, you can get pictures up to 8.7" x 5.8" from a two mega pixel camera, and 12.2" x 8.2" from a four mega pixel camera.

Advantages of Digital Photography

There are lots of reasons for that popularity. Digital photographs are incredibly versatile. You can send them to friends and family by email, post them on a web site, transfer them to CD, store them on your computer, and use them for slide shows which can be viewed on your TV or computer monitor. They can of course be printed, and not just as traditional 4x6 pictures. They can be used to make personalized calendars, greeting cards, and even be printed on objects like coffee mugs and t-shirts.

For many people, the biggest advantage of digital photography is that it eliminates the need for picture processing. No more trips to the photo store – pictures can be viewed almost instantly on the display screen of the camera. Since there is no developing, digital photography doesn't need dangerous chemicals that could end up in our water supplies.

Another big advantage of digital photos is the ease with which they can be edited. Computer software allows digital images to be altered in any way imaginable. They can be cropped, the colors can be changed or enhanced, the contrast can be adjusted, imperfections can be removed, and images can be combined to create startling new designs. All this can be accomplished in a few seconds with just a few key strokes or mouse clicks.

Using a digital camera is the best way to take advantage of all the features of digital photography, but you can also use a traditional film camera and convert your negatives to the digital domain. If you are uncertain about whether or not to take the digital plunge, converting negatives allows you to get a taste of the wonders of digital photography without investing in new equipment. Most photo developing stores offer this service.

Digital cameras, however, offer so much more than film cameras. They have a viewing screen which functions as both a view finder and a picture viewer. This means you can preview pictures you've taken just seconds before. If you don't like it just delete it, or if there is a section that is good, crop it before saving it back to the camera's memory. Many digital cameras also function as simple video recorders that can capture video along with sound - anywhere, anytime.

All this must come at a hefty price tag, though - right? Wrong! Digital photography is becoming more affordable every year, and the technology to make fabulous photos is well within the reach of the average consumer. Add in the money you'll save in development costs and you have an affordable, practical, solution for all your photography needs.

Like it or not, digital photography is here to stay. And, it is significantly changing the way life is documented. Enjoy the ride.

Do you need help choosing a digital camera? Why not take a look at the digital camera reviews?