In the past 20 years, digital photos have taken the world by storm. The creation of digital photos allowed people to take a picture wherever and whenever they wanted. The invention has allowed common people to capture (both with picture and video) moments in their everyday lives. This means that you no longer have to be an expert to shoot these photos. It can now all be done with a click of a button and opens a whole new world of opportunity for humans. Now, humans are able to keep their memories stored into a small card, instead of relying on their minds to hold their memories. Now while digital cameras have been produced into new forms, such as phone cameras, the question remains: Do people prefer the classic digital camera, or phone cameras?

The History of Digital Cameras

            The digital camera was developed in 1975 by young engineer Steven Sasson. The camera Sasson had created was around 8 pounds, and nearly the size of a toaster. He was able to build a prototype for his invention just out of a movie lens, Motorola parts, batteries, and a Fairchild CCD electronic sensor. With the limited amount of resources he had, Sasson was able to create a camera that was able to capture black and white photos that would be transferred onto a cassette tape. Sasson and his team were not even able to look at the pictures through the camera, but instead had to use a different screen to view them. This being said, digital cameras have improved immensely over the years. Nowadays, many people are able to carry smaller digital cameras in their pocket, or on their wrist using a string.

The History of Phone Cameras

            As the invention of digital cameras continued to grow and develop over the years, eventually, engineer Philipe Kahn decided to add cameras to mobile phones. This way it would be easier for people to take pictures off a device that they had with them at all times. The phone, Kyocera VP-210, was released in 1999. Khan’s inspiration for inventing a phone with a built-in camera was his daughter. He and his wife were expecting their first born daughter, and he wanted to capture every moment of it. So, he did what anyone would do, and decided to invent his own phone with a built-in camera! Little did he know, Kahn’s dedication to capturing his daughter’s birth would be a significant development of technology in the world.

Student Polling

            In the modern day, it is very common to see both digital and mobile cameras being used in people’s ‘day to day’ lives. Digital cameras seem to be making more of a comeback within recent years, especially in the younger generations; the question comes down to which camera is better: digital cameras, or mobile phone cameras? A vote was conducted on the students of Archbishop Mitty High School asking this exact same question. After polling a large number of students, the results were that most people preferred mobile cameras over digital cameras. While it is obvious that both cameras have their pros and cons, why did the people choose this as their preferred camera?

Why do people prefer mobile cameras?

            During the polling process, a number of students were asked why they preferred the mobile camera over the digital cameras. It was clear that the main reason people like mobile cameras is because they are quite convenient. A repeating point made by many is that the majority of young people carry their phones on them most of the time. It is easier to quickly pull out your phone and snap a picture, rather than carrying around a separate camera. Along with that, many students acknowledged that it is much easier to edit, and share photos with their friends on their phones. Unlike digital cameras, one does not have to wait to download photos onto another device to edit them. Senior, Nick De Pierola, also makes a valid point explaining that, “ You get more for what you pay for. Like, you could pay less for a phone than a nice camera, and have way more uses for it”. Nick, among many other students who like mobile cameras, make fair points; however, for some people convenience is not necessarily the biggest concern.

Why do people prefer digital cameras?

            The biggest appeal of the digital camera is the quality of the photos. This camera style has the ability to give photos a more clear, yet “retro” type of look to them. These pictures allow a nostalgic feeling to travel through people as they look at them. It’s almost as if the pictures are addicting to look at. Something just continuously draws your attention back to them. Senior, Emma Houle, expresses her excitement over digital cameras as she claims that, “Digital cameras just… I don’t know… They just capture the moment perfectly!” This seems to be a common excitement over all of the students that voted. The younger generation is drawn to these digital cameras because the quality allows them to feel like they are living in the moment. The quality of most digital cameras tends to be good; therefore many students don’t mind carrying around a digital camera if it means that they are getting great pictures. It is also important to highlight that digital cameras are not only used for the day-to-day use of storing memories, but some choose to use digital photos as an art form. In this case it is important to have a good quality camera to express their art as best as possible.

Conclusion

            In the end, it is clear that both digital and mobile cameras have their ups and downs. Ultimately, they are both very good cameras to use on a daily basis. It all comes down to what the individual person values more when they are taking pictures. Would you rather take pictures on a more convenient device, or would you rather carry around a separate camera with magnificent quality? For some people, the quality of the photo is not as important as capturing the moment. For others, the quality of the photos matter a lot, whether that be because they want to post on social media, or another reason. No matter what qualities of a camera you prioritize, both of these types of cameras are great to use regularly in life, and will continue to develop as the world continues on.