| In my experience as a photographer I came across | | | | When switching the camera in playback mode, this |
| countless of cameras, both digital and analog. This | | | | sequence is decompressed, and every single digital |
| article is meant to explain the differences between the | | | | value is translated into a pixel on the LCD screen. So, |
| two technologies and serve as a camera buying guide | | | | in fractions of a second a lot of calculations are made, |
| for the undecided shopper. | | | | and this happens with every photo we take or replay. |
| Digital and old 35mm film cameras look and are | | | | There are two separate devices / media involved in |
| operated almost the same: you look through the | | | | the process: the image sensor, that captures and |
| viewfinder, frame your shot and push the shutter | | | | digitizes the image, and the storage device, similar in |
| button. However, the great difference between them | | | | functionalities with the hard disk drive on your |
| lies in the way they capture and process the image. | | | | computer. With traditional 35mm cameras, the film is |
| While the 35mm predecessors used the film to | | | | used both to record and store the image. |
| capture the image, their digital successors use a | | | | The technology behind digital cameras allows users to |
| charge-couple device (CCD) known as the image | | | | view the images on the built-in LCD screen (or TV set, |
| sensor. This silicon chip, not larger than a letter key on | | | | if the camera has such an extension). Also, once |
| the keyboard you have in front of your now, contains | | | | captured, digital photos are already in a format we are |
| several grids of photosensitive diodes called pixels and | | | | all familiar with: you can insert them in Word |
| each one of these will store exactly the information | | | | documents, send them to your friends over your |
| contained in one pixel from the picture that will be | | | | favorite instant messaging client, upload on Facebook, |
| rendered so nicely on your desktop. | | | | burn on DVD's or simply store them on your hard drive |
| So, when the shutter opens to take the shot, each | | | | for later usage. This is not the case with the old |
| pixel will memorize the intensity of the light that fell on it. | | | | 35mm-ers, where you had to drive downtown to have |
| Milliseconds later, after the shutter closes, this value is | | | | the pictures developed, then use a scanner to get a |
| converted to a digital number, and the sequence of the | | | | digital version. |
| several millions of numbers representing the pixels in | | | | To wrap it up, if you are to choose between buying a |
| the picture is compressed, then stored in the memory | | | | digital camera and an old film one, there are lots of |
| of the camera (be that internal or the memory card). | | | | reasons why you should go for the latest technology. |