Why I've gone Digital - And Still Keep My Old Camera

There has always been a debate about what is better. Traditional cameras using film, or the so called new technology, storing pictures in digital form on memory cards, in computers or on CD-Rom.

As being a photographer for more than half of my life, I stuck with traditional film for very long. About 7 years ago I started to supplement my work with photos taken the digital way. A point and shoot camera with just 640x480 pixel resolution was the most attractive gadget I had these days. Its lens was even capable of doing close-up work, using a macro switch.

That Fujifilm DX-7 was upgraded with a bigger Memory-Card and the camera served me well for several years.

Anyway, over time, I was still more satisfied with the possibilities my collection of Pentax SLR cameras gave me. It started with using the best lenses for each picture or just using a Zoom (which offers a range from wide angle to telephoto), changing the shutter speed to either stop or blur the motion of objects in the picture, use external flashlights, change the aperture openings to adjust the range of sharpness and lots more. Not forgetting the better picture quality I could get from a 35mm negative or slide. I was happy to use my heavy, solid metal camera.

The world changed for me when camera makers like Nikon and Canon introduced their Digital SLR Cameras. I went to my local camera shop every week and debated with the salesman about advantages and disadvantages of the models they had on sale. Also I checked with lots of users in online services to get first hand feedback on how these cameras performed. Finally, when Pentax introduced their Digital SLRs, I couldn