I had an experience this past weekend that only served to illustrate why film is better than digital. It has nothing to do with look, mood, etc., that are qualities often used to describe film's superiority over digital.
Instead, it comes down to something much more practical: batteries.
Now, while I'm a dyed-in-the-wool film shooter, using my Hasselblad of late, I do have a Nikon Coolpix I bought a couple of years ago for two chief purposes: to photograph items for eBay, and for what I like to call "happysnaps."
The occasion on Saturday, June 4, was an open house at Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange, NJ. The zoo is part of Essex County's South Mountain recreation area, and it featured tables staffed by various Essex County agencies, who gave out all manner of goodies. At one table, my girlfriend and I each got small personal, battery-powered fans that came with AA batteries (my camera takes the AA size).
At one point, wanting to photograph one of the big cats, my camera's batteries, low in the first place, died entirely. In a burst of inspiration, I dug out the batteries from one of the fans and put them in. Nothing. Given they were some brand about which I'd never heard, I tossed them, and the dead batteries originally from the camera, into the trash.
I couldn't help but note the irony: Had I brought my Hassy along, despite my bag's bulk and weight, I still would have been able to take the pictures I wanted! This despite my light meter's battery being dead. (Hey, at least I could've estimated the exposure.)
Generally speaking, I'm not a big fan of digital, chiefly because of the need for power at every step of the process, from taking the image to viewing it (most consumer-level digital pictures aren't printed). However, I'm no Luddite, either; I realize digital has its place, strengths - and weaknesses.
It's also important to note that spare batteries are currently not in the budget, so I had no spares on hand, other than the personal-fan ones, which proved to be adequately juiced for the fan, but not for the power requirements of a compact digital camera.
"Digital is superior to film," say the digital proponents. Pshaw.
Dieter Zakas
Photoless, NJ
Instead, it comes down to something much more practical: batteries.
Now, while I'm a dyed-in-the-wool film shooter, using my Hasselblad of late, I do have a Nikon Coolpix I bought a couple of years ago for two chief purposes: to photograph items for eBay, and for what I like to call "happysnaps."
The occasion on Saturday, June 4, was an open house at Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange, NJ. The zoo is part of Essex County's South Mountain recreation area, and it featured tables staffed by various Essex County agencies, who gave out all manner of goodies. At one table, my girlfriend and I each got small personal, battery-powered fans that came with AA batteries (my camera takes the AA size).
At one point, wanting to photograph one of the big cats, my camera's batteries, low in the first place, died entirely. In a burst of inspiration, I dug out the batteries from one of the fans and put them in. Nothing. Given they were some brand about which I'd never heard, I tossed them, and the dead batteries originally from the camera, into the trash.
I couldn't help but note the irony: Had I brought my Hassy along, despite my bag's bulk and weight, I still would have been able to take the pictures I wanted! This despite my light meter's battery being dead. (Hey, at least I could've estimated the exposure.)
Generally speaking, I'm not a big fan of digital, chiefly because of the need for power at every step of the process, from taking the image to viewing it (most consumer-level digital pictures aren't printed). However, I'm no Luddite, either; I realize digital has its place, strengths - and weaknesses.
It's also important to note that spare batteries are currently not in the budget, so I had no spares on hand, other than the personal-fan ones, which proved to be adequately juiced for the fan, but not for the power requirements of a compact digital camera.
"Digital is superior to film," say the digital proponents. Pshaw.
Dieter Zakas
Photoless, NJ