Ten Reasons Why You Should Not Buy a Film Camera

George Eastman came up with the Kodak film camera over a hundred years ago, and people have been snapping pictures ever since. Although vast improvements in film and in the basic film camera have been made over the years, the development of digital cameras has almost made the film camera obsolete.

Film cameras can be a hassle so, if you are in the market for a new camera, why not purchase a digital camera to start with? Pictures are out faster and you don’t even have to worry about loading film into the camera; just snap and you’re done. Below are ten reasons why I believe you shouldn’t buy a film camera.

1. First, there is a much higher risk of getting a film camera broken. If dropped, they can get jammed or broken, and the film (with your pictures) can be ruined in the blink of an eye. Digital cameras have a better chance of keeping data and surviving the fall.

2. Buying film every time you want to take pictures is also a drawback with film cameras. Film is expensive and, with gas prices as high as they are, every trip to the store costs you money. Instead of buying film, you could own a digital camera and use a memory card. Film also goes bad after a certain amount of time, but memory cards don’t.

3. Another disadvantage in using a film camera is that you only have so much memory capability. Most cameras take film rolls that hold 12, 24 or 36 pictures. This means you will always need to have several rolls on hand in case the one in your camera runs out. With a digital camera, you have almost unlimited storage capabilities, which means you can fit from 300-600 pictures on one digital camera alone. (The actual number depends on your memory card capability.)

4. Cameras that use film have a greater chance that the film could be damaged and pictures could be lost. Film is delicate and just a drop of water may ruin the whole thing. This once again costs more money because you have to purchase more film.

5. Film cameras have more waiting involved. One of the things you have to wait on is for the roll of film to get full. Whether you take 24 pictures at one time, or you take them at several different times, you still have to wait until you finish the roll before you can have the film developed. Most people like to have their pictures more quickly than that.

6. With a digital camera all you have to do to take a picture is turn the device on and click the button, but with a film camera you have to load the camera. This takes more time because you have to depend on the scene to stay still while you load the camera. Wouldn’t it be easier to just snap and go?

7. Some film loading cameras don’t have the capabilities to turn the flash off, which can occasionally ruin pictures by leaving flash glares on the picture. It’s better to have a camera that can turn the flash on and off, to give you more diversity.

8. Unless you buy an expensive, top-of-the-line model most film cameras have only a few choices for the user. Digital cameras offer much more diversity. Your pictures can easily be turned into a slide show on your computer without buying special slide film. You can zoom in or zoom out on a digital camera, but with many film cameras you have to move yourself or the scene to get a decent shot. You cannot review pictures on a film camera. Digital cameras give you the opportunity to review the pictures and decide if you want to keep them or not. If a picture did not turn out as well as expected, a digital camera gives you a chance to retake the picture on the spot; another plus that is impossible on a film camera.

9. More wait time is involved when you have get film taken with a film camera developed. You usually have to wait several days or even a week, unless you pay extra for speed processing, and there is always the possibility your pictures could be misplaced or permanently lost. There is a hefty fee to get the photos developed and you usually don’t have the choice to only print one or two of the pictures; you have to develop the whole roll.

10. The last and most important reason for many people not to buy a film camera is the difficulty of sharing film pictures with friends. A film camera requires you to develop the film, print it, and then mail it. With a digital camera, all you do is download your pictures to your computer and send them off by e-mail. Voila! Your friend can be looking at your pictures in the matter of a few minutes.

Hopefully, the ten tips above have convinced you that film loaded cameras really aren’t the best buy for your money. With all the developing and film purchasing they require, you are just throwing hard earned cash out the window. My advice would be to take the money you would be spending on film and developing and invest it in a good digital camera; you’ll find they are well worth the money.