Digital Passion

Mahesh Tharani finds out the reasons behind the allure of digital cameras

Photography used to be the affluent man's hobby. Even if, say, one managed to buy a good camera, every time you finished with your 24 or 36 photographs, you had to pay for the development of the films and then spend some more to buy new reels. Only the seriously inclined could vie to be a photographer. Things are however different now, thanks to technology. The film reel is on its way out for the average user, replaced by the CD. Developing of films is also passe. Nowadays, one can click the photo, view it and if found wanting, instantly delete it and do the process all over again. At no additional cost. All this, thanks to the digital camera.

Six months ago, Ryan Noronha, assistant manager, HDFC Bank decided to go in for a digital camera and it's a decision that he has not regretted. Noronha, who wields a 2.5 megapixel Olympus, says, "I go trekking to different places in the state and take my camera along with me. The digital camera is great because I at least know what I am capturing. So, if I don't like the picture I can delete it immediately and capture it again. In an SLR camera the problem was that you don't actually know whether the picture that you have clicked is what you wanted."

With digital cameras extending their functions to record video footage, the going has just got better. Noronha adds, "The recording time on my camera is for 15 seconds but it's worth every second."

Digital cameras are also so easy to use that it is not a problem for the technologically-unsavvy. Prabodh Hamilton, assistant category manager, Walt Disney, who has a Mavica digital camera, says, "I bought this digital camera because it's a 'duffer's camera'. It's easy to use. I travel to various destinations in the country every month and have trips abroad every four months, I have been using this camera for work everywhere I go and I find it extremely convenient."

There are, of course, disadvantages to mobile phones. According to Noronha, taking a print from a digital camera is twice the cost of taking a print from a film roll. On the other hand, the images can be stored in a CD at nominal cost but, here also, one needs access to a personal computer to view it.

A Srinivas, a photographer for a leading newspaper, who uses a digital SLR camera, says, "While buying a digital camera people do not think of the cost of the peripherals such as a computer. Servicing is a problem for digital cameras because unlike manual SLRs the entire maintenance cost of the camera is of the software which isn't easily available and is expensive to re-install."

However, Himanshu Panchal, technical support and marketing executive, Interfoto India Pvt Ltd, authorised dealers for Nikon, counters, "Cases of problems occurring in digital cameras are rare if good care is taken of it. This would include using lens cleaners and air-tight boxes specially available for these cameras."

Most dealers of digital cameras such as Olympus, Canon, Casio, Sony and Kodak also concur saying that the cameras are glitch-free for the first three to fours years and even after that period the cost of servicing is minimal. Ketan R Parikh, proprietor, Peoples Camera Co, Mumbai, says, "I deal in most brands of digital cameras and have rarely had complaints. Insurance is available for buyers from the official dealers, so even if there is any problem there is cover."

One possible competitor to digital cameras could the mobile phone, many of which come with the ability to click photographs. Some can even record motion. But, as technology stands today, there is no danger of the digital camera becoming redundant. The clarity or resolution of mobile phone pictures does not remotely compare and people who want a camera, are not considering mobile phones as an option. Hamilton says, "The resolution of a mobile camera is wretched. I have never considered using one."