russelljtdyer
Writer
It's all about the sensor and how you look at it.
It's all about the sensor and how you look at it.
If their question is about why I use a film camera instead of a digital camera, I explain to them that each camera has a sensor for recording an image. A digital camera uses an electronic image sensor, which is reusable. A film camera uses generally a rectangle piece of a strip of film, which may be used only once. There are obvious advantages and disadvantages to each. But at the basic level, different types of cameras have different types of sensors--electronic or film. The type of sensor it uses will effect the results of the initial image.
Although you can manipulate an image by various methods, especially with a computer program--I point out that film negatives can be converted to digital image files--the quality and condition of the initial image before it's manipulated on a computer can be different depending on the image sensor. There are other factors that can effect the initial image (e.g., lighting, lenses, exposure settings, positioning of the camera, etc.), but all other conditions being equal except for the image sensor, the initial image created will be generally different. Even if you intend to manipulate the image with a computer program, having a good starting point for an image, or at least a starting point that you prefer and one which is near the end result you prefer, is better. The more the image is the way you want it to start, the easier it will be to achieve the results you want in post-production. Given these factors, I prefer generally the initial images created from film over electronic sensors.
If their question is about using a rangefinder instead of an SLR camera, I explain to them about how the focusing works on both and how the rangefinder focusing method can be more accurate. I explain to them how the shutter works and how there's no mirror mechanism on a rangefinder camera, and how this all means it's quieter, making it easier to take photos unnoticed. I also explain to them how an SLR camera with an equivalent focal length and quality lens is heavier than that of a rangefinder camera and lens combination. This might require explaining that since on a rangefinder one doesn't look through the lens, there is no prism or mirror mechanism and therefore the lens is located closer to the sensor, allowing for much smaller lenses. If they question whether bigger lens might be necessarily better, I remind them that their eyes have very small lenses because they are located close to their image sensors (i.e., their retinas) and they work typically quite well. If they want to compare their telephone camera or a small mirror-less compact camera to a rangefinder camera, I use my fingers to indicate the size of the sensor for the phone or small camera and compare that to the dimensions of a 35mm film negative. I then put into question the quality of the simple lens used by their device and how it will effect the quality of the image passing through it to the image sensor. I reiterate that it's all about the image sensor and how you look at it.
It's all about the sensor and how you look at it.
If their question is about why I use a film camera instead of a digital camera, I explain to them that each camera has a sensor for recording an image. A digital camera uses an electronic image sensor, which is reusable. A film camera uses generally a rectangle piece of a strip of film, which may be used only once. There are obvious advantages and disadvantages to each. But at the basic level, different types of cameras have different types of sensors--electronic or film. The type of sensor it uses will effect the results of the initial image.
Although you can manipulate an image by various methods, especially with a computer program--I point out that film negatives can be converted to digital image files--the quality and condition of the initial image before it's manipulated on a computer can be different depending on the image sensor. There are other factors that can effect the initial image (e.g., lighting, lenses, exposure settings, positioning of the camera, etc.), but all other conditions being equal except for the image sensor, the initial image created will be generally different. Even if you intend to manipulate the image with a computer program, having a good starting point for an image, or at least a starting point that you prefer and one which is near the end result you prefer, is better. The more the image is the way you want it to start, the easier it will be to achieve the results you want in post-production. Given these factors, I prefer generally the initial images created from film over electronic sensors.
If their question is about using a rangefinder instead of an SLR camera, I explain to them about how the focusing works on both and how the rangefinder focusing method can be more accurate. I explain to them how the shutter works and how there's no mirror mechanism on a rangefinder camera, and how this all means it's quieter, making it easier to take photos unnoticed. I also explain to them how an SLR camera with an equivalent focal length and quality lens is heavier than that of a rangefinder camera and lens combination. This might require explaining that since on a rangefinder one doesn't look through the lens, there is no prism or mirror mechanism and therefore the lens is located closer to the sensor, allowing for much smaller lenses. If they question whether bigger lens might be necessarily better, I remind them that their eyes have very small lenses because they are located close to their image sensors (i.e., their retinas) and they work typically quite well. If they want to compare their telephone camera or a small mirror-less compact camera to a rangefinder camera, I use my fingers to indicate the size of the sensor for the phone or small camera and compare that to the dimensions of a 35mm film negative. I then put into question the quality of the simple lens used by their device and how it will effect the quality of the image passing through it to the image sensor. I reiterate that it's all about the image sensor and how you look at it.
