I don't think it is about using new technology to create better images than peviously. We all know its a lot down to who is holding the camera and their understanding of simple science, we also know that film should 'technically' be able to create the best photos. Nowadays, with the advent of newer sensors this is probably becoming less and less the case.

The simple reason for digital cameras is because everythin has to move with the times. everyone has a computer, people don't want to have to develop negs and prints. It is time consuming and costly. the obvious progression was to a digital image which would make photography, easier, cheaper and has more than likely opened it up to people who wouldn't have bothered with a proper film camera.

The fact that we can now take loads of pictures to get it right doesn't mean we can't take as good photos. It only means you don't have to spend the same time and effort learning and making sure your one exposure is perfect. The quality of potential photographs is not diminished. These are two separate things entirely.

Edited 31 July, 201213 yr by Loz

I'd actually goes as far as to say that it has reduced our abilities to create better pictures.

For the simple reason that with any form of digital camera the photgrapher (amateur, not professional) can take any amount of pictures of the choosen subjet in the hope that 1 or 2 come out ok, the rest are consigned to the electronic trash can. Therefore the thought, effort and consideration that a film photographer would put into composing a photo, knowing that every poor image was still costing him/her money, is gone.

Combine this with the digital image manipulation software which can be bought for low cost or is even free then there is even less reason to put in the effort up front.

Don't get me wrong, I think digital is a great format and the ease with which it can help poor/inexperienced photographers take technically compentent shots is impressive, but that doesn't guarantee your friends and family won't get equally bored with looking at your holiday snaps. Actually they'll get even more bored as now there will be 100 or more whereas before there might be 36 at a push

Tongue firmly in cheek:

Aahh, nostalgia isn't what it used to be!

I said the same thing when that Kodak feller brought out his roll film. "They have it too easy nowadays - all you have to do is put the film roll in, take EIGHT (yes EIGHT!) pictures then send it back to Kodak to get it processed. Not real photography when you don't have to work for every shot - coat your own glass plates and then spend hours in the dark room...and those tiny little cameras - never get a decent picture on anything less that a 10" x 8" plate"

Tongue removed from cheek

Re the holiday pics - going waaayyyy of topic now!

Friend went on trip of a lifetime around the World - 4 month trip. Saw him before he left and he proudly showed me his new Olympus digital camera. 4 months later, after visiting (to name just a few) Paris, Rome, Singapore, Hong Kong, various bits of Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, San Francisco, Grand Canyon, New York. "How was the trip?" "Fantastic! I took nearly 100 photos!" - Him next to Eiffel Tower, wife next to Eiffel tower etc etc etc. Bless him! Lovely fellah!!

I am actually striggling to get through my 12 exposures on my Yashica! Mainly beacuse I don't want to waste them lol! It is nice to have digital and just be able to take everything so you miss nothing out. I often get a good shot out of something I took as a quick snap.

It was definitely a progression for ease and to go with the times. I mean look at TVs - CRT is greater than LCD, but we'll never go back. Simply because CRT is too bulky, heavy, awkward, ugly, and you couldn't make a big screens in that because they would fill the room!

But have the technological improvements actually improved our abilities to create better pictures?

Nikon/Canon?

Film/digital?

Prime/zoom?

P&S/medium format?

Surely photography is not about the camera but the photographer?

Statistically it can only have improved our ability to create better pictures. As there's more ways/tools to create them, and more accessible routes for people to try and create them. It can't, in any way, have reduced our ability to create better pictures - It has, however, just made it exponentially more common to create bad pictures.

It has, however, just made it exponentially more common to create bad pictures.

Thank you. That sums up my point.

I have been at this game for over 40 years now! And we have never had it so good. I am not going to try and persuade anyone here that film or digital is better or Canon or Nikon is better.

Whatever the photographers abilities, and whatever they chose to photograph may not be of interest to anyone else, but that doesn't make it any less valid or important.

I shoot commercially with full frame SLR's now. I have been through the film years, shooting trannies and neg film from 110 to 5x4. And boy am I glad I don't have to sit in a darkroom anymore, horrible smelly dark places :-) But it is valid that many new photographers have a go with film in an effort to be more disciplined with their photography. I just like to be disciplined with digital as well.

I am the same photographer as I was years ago, I use the same discipline now with expensive cameras and lenses. They don't make me any better, but if I take the time and effort to carefully compose and expose a shot, I want the camera and lenses to produce the best possible quality of file to process and print.

I love photography, I love trying to improve, I love looking at people's images.

Thanks for reading :-)

Exactly scuff making it more available doesn't make photographers worse, it just means people who don't know and aren't willing to learn will buy SLRs and dilute the pool of decent photos out there. I can't talk, I haven't spent hours reading books, but equally I was not satisfied to shoot on auto all the time and to make do with mediocre pictures so I learnt more about how it works and how to get the effects I want. There is still plenty I don't know, but I feel my photos have improved continuously throughout my use of the equipment I have. there are plenty of photographers out there (scuff included) who will wow me with an amazing image and I will wonder how they did it. I may even take inspiration from it and try out techniques to produce something similar and I enjoy doing so

It isn't necessary to shoot film, or learnt 35mm equivalents. Just use what works!

Jesus H Christ - you lot have run with this one

But did you learn something or did we waste our time? Lol

Yeah, I learnt after the first reply

But the rest has been informative!