Film vs Digital (revisited)

[WatchYourStep 0]

I did a search on Film vs. Digital and read the entire thread. I also read the thread for Digital vs. Film. With that being said these threads are both from 2004, well we are coming up on the end of 2006 and I'm thinking about putting a still camera on my head. The big question is should I go digital or film?

A few things that may help you decide:

-This camera will be used for fun jumps as well as tandems.
-It'll be used for other things besides just skydiving; scenic shots and at sporting events.
-I haven't really thought about a price range at this point. I don't know something around 500-600.
-I know developing and purchasing film can be expensive so I need to take that into account if I go film.

So what do you guys suggest? Digital or film and which cameras should I be looking at?

Thanks for your time.

"You start off your skydiving career with a bag full of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience up before your bag of luck runs out."

[dragon2 0]

If your dz is ok with digital stills for tandems and you got the means to give it to them (stand-alone cd burner or laptop), go digital! Start up costs are higher but you will not want to go back to 35mm film I promise you!

Edit, as for which camera's, either Nikon or Canon. Suitable Nikons are D70S and D80, suitable Canon models: the digi rebels. I prefer Nikon myself, but Canon seems to have more followers here and the digi rebels are all lightweight.

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[Deuce 1]

This is a no-brainer.

In the old film days we'd shoot a roll of film and give it to the customer. It was really hard to get better quickly. With digital, even if you are giving a copy to the customer, you get to look through the photos right after you shot them and get instant feedback on composition and lighting.

With digital you can come home and post your days best shots on DZ.com!

[mnealtx 0]

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This is a no-brainer.

In the old film days we'd shoot a roll of film and give it to the customer. It was really hard to get better quickly. With digital, even if you are giving a copy to the customer, you get to look through the photos right after you shot them and get instant feedback on composition and lighting.

With digital you can come home and post your days best shots on DZ.com!

Not to mention the fact that you'll quickly spend the difference between a film camera and digital camera in processing/print costs.

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[Fast 0]

Quote

I did a search on Film vs. Digital and read the entire thread. I also read the thread for Digital vs. Film. With that being said these threads are both from 2004, well we are coming up on the end of 2006 and I'm thinking about putting a still camera on my head. The big question is should I go digital or film?

A few things that may help you decide:

-This camera will be used for fun jumps as well as tandems.
-It'll be used for other things besides just skydiving; scenic shots and at sporting events.
-I haven't really thought about a price range at this point. I don't know something around 500-600.
-I know developing and purchasing film can be expensive so I need to take that into account if I go film.

So what do you guys suggest? Digital or film and which cameras should I be looking at?

Thanks for your time.

Here I go blowing my 2000th post on this! Hah In all seriousness, if your DZ will let you shoot digital pictures for tandems buy digital and don't look back. Its worth the money. If you can't afford digital now save up till you can. It is going to cost you money to buy film and develop pictures while you are practicing. Also, you don't have to buy a rebel XTi, find a good deal on a XT and you will be just as happy.

~D
Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me.
Swooping is taking one last poke at the bear before escaping it's cave - davelepka

[ptwob267 0]

Plus dont forget the fact that instead of only being able to take 24 shots with film, you can take as many as your card would hold. 1G is probably the most cost effective and you will be able to take plenty of shots during the recreationaly uses aswell.

[jtval 0]

I agree with the digital.

I STILL shoot film but I jsut bought a digi rebel that isnt yet on my helmet.

some things I liked about starting with stills:
--It MADE me have to be selective with my shots and actually be a photographer as opposed to taking as many shots as I can in hoping for the best.

--It was easier to START off with a cheap APS Cam than adigital.
(I modified my canon elph myself so it cost me about $70 to put iton my head.)

--the light weight camera.

--I didnt' have to own a laptop in order to give thepics to the customer.


THings I look forward to with DIGI:
--Being able to take "burst" shots. Its cool to actually have a photgraphiceye and still be able to burst a few shots off. I can't tell you how many times I thought I got THE shot but then found out that thepersons hand was in the way Or some shitty thing like that.

--not having to pay for developing. I just brought
a pound (approx 200) of pictures to the DZ that I had deveolped but had no use for.(would have been nice to chrage for them but I figured I'd give them away this time.)
I had all ofmy rolls put to cheap quality digital disc but they were not 8mpixels.
-not having to buy aps film anymore.

--I can give the customer a copy and still have them on my harddrive.


there are many more pros and cons but I'll have to type them up later. I have to work on a price list.

My photos

My Videos

[Deuce 1]

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Plus dont forget the fact that instead of only being able to take 24 shots with film, you can take as many as your card would hold. 1G is probably the most cost effective and you will be able to take plenty of shots during the recreationaly uses aswell.

I disagree here. A CD only holds about 750megs of info, so if you fill a gig card, you have to burn it to two discs. A card that holds more than a CD can be a pain, for sales purposes.

[jtval 0]

I think the point was that you have the capabilty of TAKE a shitload ogf pictures and give the best predetermined (20-25)amount to the customer.

My photos

My Videos

[NSEMN8R 0]

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--I didnt' have to own a laptop in order to give thepics to the customer.

You don't need a laptop. You can get a Roadstor CD Burner off ebay for under $50. If you spend $150 you can get one that burns DVD so you can fill up the big cards and dump them all on dvd.

I've had one for 3 seasons and I love it.

[jtval 0]

YEa but the computer at our dz is for manifest. I needed someway to burn a CD while the student is at the DZ.

My photos

My Videos

[NSEMN8R 0]

You don't need the computer. It's a stand alone thing. You just put in your cf card and a cd and hit the button.
http://cgi.ebay.com/MicroSolution-RoadStor-CD-Burner-Card-Reader-DVD-Player_W0QQitemZ220060916639QQihZ012QQcategoryZ116239QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[Fast 0]

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Plus dont forget the fact that instead of only being able to take 24 shots with film, you can take as many as your card would hold. 1G is probably the most cost effective and you will be able to take plenty of shots during the recreationaly uses aswell.

I disagree here. A CD only holds about 750megs of info, so if you fill a gig card, you have to burn it to two discs. A card that holds more than a CD can be a pain, for sales purposes.

I agree and it pisses off other video people. It is good to be consistant. While it is possible to take a ton of pictures and just hope for the best, I find that being somewhere in the middle is the way to go. If I go up just trying to take good pictures only I miss them more often than I would like just because things are happening so fast. I try to bracket what I think will be a good shot with a couple that might or might not be good.

When I first put the digital on I just went up and took as many as I could and that helped me to understand where I could get nice pictures. Now that I have more experience with it I take less pictures.

~D
Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me.
Swooping is taking one last poke at the bear before escaping it's cave - davelepka

[Miami 0]

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I disagree here. A CD only holds about 750megs of info, so if you fill a gig card, you have to burn it to two discs. A card that holds more than a CD can be a pain, for sales purposes.

A fair number of the stand alone burners support disc spanning...i.e. when the first disc is full it prompts you to put in another disc to continue burning from the same card.

Miami

[base935 0]

Seriously, if you taking 125 pics with a Rebel XT- for tandems-, set the resolution to medium. I bet you could fit 300 of those pics on a $0.08 CD. And the resolution will be better than anyone will ever want their tandem pics to be anyways. You won't have to worry about buffering, and the files will transfer way quicker...

Film stills are so 2005... I originally got into this thread thinking it was talking about digital DV video vs. film for movies...

Gravity Research Institute

[Miami 0]

Between ground and air shots (for tandems) with my 20D I'm putting about 140 pictures (at large/fine) on a cd and still have about 1/3 of the disc left open.

Miami

[Fast 0]

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Seriously, if you taking 125 pics with a Rebel XT- for tandems-, set the resolution to medium. I bet you could fit 300 of those pics on a $0.08 CD. And the resolution will be better than anyone will ever want their tandem pics to be anyways. You won't have to worry about buffering, and the files will transfer way quicker...

Film stills are so 2005... I originally got into this thread thinking it was talking about digital DV video vs. film for movies...

I shoot large for tandems just cause I can. My DZ has a soft limit of about 30 pictures because there are still a few people using film.

~D
Where troubles melt like lemon drops Away above the chimney tops That's where you'll find me.
Swooping is taking one last poke at the bear before escaping it's cave - davelepka

[WatchYourStep 0]

Quote

You don't need the computer. It's a stand alone thing. You just put in your cf card and a cd and hit the button.
http://cgi.ebay.com/MicroSolution-RoadStor-CD-Burner-Card-Reader-DVD-Player_W0QQitemZ220060916639QQihZ012QQcategoryZ116239QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Can you pick what prints you move to the CD or does it just dump the entire card?

"You start off your skydiving career with a bag full of luck and an empty bag of experience. The trick is to fill the bag of experience up before your bag of luck runs out."

[Miami 0]

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Can you pick what prints you move to the CD or does it just dump the entire card?

The card plugs directly into the burner and all of the contents go onto the disc.

Miami