When did you switch over to digital for family pictures? And when did you switch over to a cell phone? (Canon, Fuji)
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In my experience, for casual photography, most people's transition process went like this:
Film -> Standalone Point-and-Shoot Digital Camera (typically 2002-2004) -> Cell Phone (typically 2009-2010).
I see few "casual" pictures taken with P & S digitals now; most people (who do not consider themselves "photographers") seem to use a cell phone for all their pictures. And home videos are a thing of the past; now they capture short clips, again with their cell phones. I've noticed a vast deterioration in the quality of normal pictures (such as on Facebook), although some cell phone camera sensors now rival point-and-shoots (however, they are more awkward to hold).
My first camera (other than a disposable) was digital in 2000, but that was mostly experimental as it could only shoot VGA resolution. My first serious camera was a Sony Cybershot P71 in 2002, and I used that for most of the "family" pictures I took. My first cell phone in 2004 had a camera, but it was only VGA and the optics were terrible. I used it once in a while when I did not have my P71 around. I only seriously started using a cell phone camera in 2012, as my current digital camera (FZ200) is a bit bulky. I use the EVO V as my exclusive 3D camera/camcorder.
My mother's film camera (a Kodak Cameo 35mm) broke around 2004, and by then she could not find any comparable film cameras. Despite me handing down my P71 to her in about 2008 or 2009, my brother buying a digital camera for her, etc., she did not really take any digital pictures as it was too confusing for her with her low computer literacy. She finally started taking pictures with her camera phone, a cheap pre-paid model, in 2012.
When did you switch over to digital for family pictures?
Around 2003-2004. I got my first digital camera in 2002, but still used my 35mm SLR for a lot of stuff.
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And when did you switch over to a cell phone?
I haven't and I have no current plans to. Between my DSLR and my various point & shoot cameras, I have a real camera with me more often than not. I have yet to see a phone with image quality that is acceptable to me. I use my cell camera more to document something I've seen rather than to take good photos.
I switched over to digital to take family photos around 2003. Still used my 35mm quite a bit though, but family photos were mostly digital.
Cell phone will never take over photos for me. There isn't a cell phone out there with the quality of even a cheap P&S digital when it comes to photos. Sure they have the same Megapixel count, but the quality isn't the same. My cell phone has an 8Mp "camera" on it, takes photos almost as good as the first 4Mp Kodak digital P&S I had back in 2003.
First camera was sometime in the 70's, first digital was an Olympus in 1997. "high res" on that camera was 640x480 and the storage only held about 20 pictures. To hold more you had to use 320x240 which didn't seem so bad back when desktops were often only 640x480 resolution. Had to transfer the pictures using a serial cable (who remembers those?), and it was slooow.
Most of my shooting is done with a DSLR, I haven't transitioned to using a cell phone but do use mine for occasional shots, landscapes, short notice shots of the kids or short video clips. Image quality isn't great by modern standards, it's Ok in bright light, but I'd rather use a real camera.
First camera was sometime in the 70's, first digital was an Olympus in 1997. "high res" on that camera was 640x480 and the storage only held about 20 pictures. To hold more you had to use 320x240 which didn't seem so bad back when desktops were often only 640x480 resolution. Had to transfer the pictures using a serial cable (who remembers those?), and it was slooow.
I know exactly what you mean!
Your post jogged my memory a bit. Back in the early 90's I tried a back for my Minolta Maxxum 9000 that captured an image digitally, but the quality was horrendous. Saved it on these little disks you inserted into the add-on back. Don't remember what the resolution was, but it was bad... really bad. Haven't thought of that failed experiment for many, many years. I guess that would have been my first "digital" camera, but it was a film body with a digital back that sucked, but was kind of cool for the time. I think they called it the still video back or something like that. Don't remember what happened to that back, I still have and use the body. I do remember the thing was huge and added an enormous amount of bulk to the body.
I got my first digital camera in, I think, 2003. It was an Olympus C4000 Zoom. I had used film cameras before then, but extremely rarely. I didn't know much about cameras or photography back then, so I'd usually just ruin a roll of film. The digital camera allowed me to learn without fear. Later I bought a DSLR, then another, then another, and now I almost exclusively use my Fuji X10. However, now that I know how to avoid ruining a roll of film, I occasionally shoot a few rolls in one of my old film cameras. My cell phone has a camera but it's only slightly better than having no camera at all. 99.9999% of the time I forget it even has one.
Pretty much like that. Approx the same years also. Beginning in the late 90s early 00s I started buying disposable cameras then opting for digital images when developing the film.
Bought my first cell phone in '06 or '07. Mainly so my Dad could contact me if he had an emergency. I worked about 3 mi from where he lived.
While I got a free HP P&S digital camera with purchase of a printer sometime in 2001 or so, I made the official switch to digital in late 2003 with my Sony F828, a camera I still use on occasions:
I also got a few Canon and Panasonic compact P&S along the way (and virtually every one of them ended up being given away to a friend or family).
The F828 remained my primary camera until 2011 when I added Sony A55, now my primary camera. Later, I picked up a used Sony NEX-3 primarily for manual photography.
Had a few disposable cameras in the mid 90s, then a really cheap version for about a year before buying my first SLR, A Canon Rebel, in 1999. That was when the photography bug really bit me hard on. Bought an Elan 7 in 2002, then went digital in 2004 with the Rebel 300. Now shooting with a 60D and absolutely love the thing.
I use my cell phone a lot, too. I call my wife a lot, keep in touch with friends and sometimes get called by my boss.... wait. Are you saying cell phones take pictures, too?
Who would anyone use a phone to take pictures? That's what cameras are for!
Went digital in 2001. But I still have and would use my film cameras. I LOVE the limitations they provide. Remember when you only had 36 exposures??? Try that on a trip now, and see how much more attention you'd be paying to your surroundings, composition, light etc. Very good exercise.
That's those who value "convenience" over "quality". I couldn't live with myself if I shot family photos on my cell phone. My iPhone has 8MPs and it still ****ty. I use the phone ONLY when there's something I want to share instantly. Usually something either stupid or funny. Not important stuff. I also use it for location scouting shots.
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Who would anyone use a phone to take pictures? That's what cameras are for!
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