Re: Digital camera blues

Dear List,

Wow -- I have to download & print everything out (except the part about
the altoids, I'll remember that) so I can study properly. Nothing I've
read so far got into the operational details this way. Thank you 100
megapixels. So glad I asked.

Someone mentioned cost, leading to the thought that in a year or so the
digital camera is free... In my weight bracket (under 8 oz) it costs
about $450 (many now with rebate) and the peripherals (memory card, etc.)
maybe another $100? Total about $550 (??)

If I shoot two film rolls a month, that's about $12 for the color film,
and another $30 or so for processing, and I still have no real prints, but
spend about $504 plus tax in 12 months. Which would "pay for" the camera,
to assuage my guilt if I dump it.

Question: everyone talks about "noise," which I take it is an artifact of
digital photography more than analog. B&H catalog gave a serious
description of how camera X CANCELS noise, which did, I admit, ring alarm
bells -- I figured I'd HATE it just like I hate the auto correction of
word programs -- but why do some folks get noise & Peter Marshall doesn't?
Will I really mind noise? I tend to like blur, consider myself an f2.8
photographer. Will it be more noise than gum prints have anyway? Does it
get noisier in large prints? For instance, a project of the moment
wouldn't be reproduced larger than, say, 5 by 7 inches. But later I want
to make 13 by 19 negs. Would they have more noise ?

Are folks who prefer analog developing their own film? I don't have
time/heart for that in my old age. Too persnickety... And certainly I'm
not about to develop color. Heaven forfend !

Charlotte --ignorant question: what kind of files are 240 megabytes?
Good Grief !! And your point about how to store the files when they're
digital -- I didn't think of that... Burn a CD? Uh oh, Yuck. It is
awfully nice to have that piece of film... is there a photoshop plugin
that puts your digital neg on film? (Maybe next year?)

You say with digital files "you only have images if you print them." As I
recall either photoshop or my Epson software will print an array -- if so,
theoretically one could print a contact sheet. I hate the thought of
learning to do all that stuff... more learning curve, ugh ! But scanning
film negs is also time consuming, so I see no easy way out. And I do know
that I can't/won't carry 2 pounds of Nikon everywhere. (I suppose if the
answer were simple, everyone would be doing it.)

More questions ASAP.

Meanwhile, many thanks to all...

Judy
Received on Sun Nov 9 01:19:33 2003