I got rid of my bulky Nikon F60 with 28-80, 70-300 Sigma lenses and dedicated achiever flash for 1/5 the original cost after carrying the 2.5 KG monster bag around for 7 years, thanks to an aspiring photo professional with limited financial means.
I bought a Sony DSC S60 and am using since last 9 months.
Now coming to the pros and cons.
1) Film camera lost most of it pro’s with today’s digital technology if you are just a point and shoot guy.
2) Extreme zooming (10X and more) is available in some mid range digital point and shoot models launched in US. They will make their way to India soon.
3) Film is very costly to process. It takes Rs 80 to get a new film and approx Rs 300 to develop, print and make a CD for 36 prints. The same 36 when done thru digital costs approx 126 rupees. Of course the memory stick costs extra but it takes only 720 prints to recover the cost of memory stick.
4) Film camera gives you prints, which can be viewed by anyone. Try to print most of digital snaps as soon as possible so that you need not switch on the DVD player or a computer to share prints with guests. Also those will be your truly physical backup if your CD doesn’t play or memory stick fails.
5) Most Digital cameras allow you to shoot short video, which a film camera cannot.
6) You can immediately preview your snaps and take a better picture if you took a bad one.
7) Lens is the only moving part in a digital camera. so easy to maintain.
Some tips while buying digital cameras
1) If you are not a pro buy a 4MP or 5 MP camera with atleast 3X zoom. Don’t go for more MP go for better optical zoom. Don’t waste your money on more MP.
2) For Indian conditions consider a camera with NiMH rechargeable. Otherwise replacing a defective proprietary battery will be very costly. Buy extra set for backup.
3) Instead of buying one 1GB memory stick go for two 512 MB sticks. You will thank me for this one.
4) The larger the LCD display the more power it consumes. So your choice between better viewing or more recharges.
Some tips while using digital cameras.
1) Always use 3:2 mode of capturing images for easy editing of snaps for 3*4 prints if you are going to take prints directly. Some in-experienced photo processors will make the pictures out of proportion.
2) Completely drain the camera before recharging by using the play mode.
3) Store the camera in a bag with silicon gel sachet.