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Shot for Shot: Digital vs. Film

Which Camera Is Right for You?

By Shel Franco

Feldman owns both a digital camera and a film camera. "I keep a regular camera on hand for quick action shots," he says. "The digital takes too long to reset between frames."

That might count for something if it's important that you capture a baby's first steps or a junior high soccer game on camera.

There is ease to film: You pop it in, take your shots and drop it off. Most photo experts will tell you that it is pretty hard to buy a lousy 35mm camera. The average 35mm Point and Shoot camera can produce good to excellent shots. Add a few luxuries to the model you're interested in, and you're bound to shoot excellent most of the time. What are those luxuries? A zoom lens, motorized film loading/unloading and red-eye reduction simplify the process even more.

Besides, film cameras can be inexpensive and you don't have to run all over town in search of the right one. "I picked up the film camera on sale at Wal-Mart," Feldman says. "I haven't been disappointed once."

Why should he be? Mega pixels aside, Spadaro says film is still going to give you the best overall picture.

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