first digital experiences...

[postcardcv]

I guess that a lot of forum members will have gone digital to at least some degree, but when did it happen?

I remember taking my first digital photo way back in 1988, though it was another 13 years before I got my first digital camera, four years later I'd completely given up on film.

My first digital shot was taken using a video camera attached, via some device or another to a pc. Shots had to be downloaded directly onto the pc and each one took about 10mins to load, not a very fast frame rate!

The first digital camera I owned was a cheap Fuji 1.3mp compact, a decent little camera, but lower res than my current mobile phone. I then progressed through a number of compacts (got into digiscoping in 2002) until in 2004 I finally got a dslr. We've been through 12 digital cameras 6 years (still have 5 of them and use 4 regularly).

So those of you who have used digital, when did you first experience it? When did you get hooked? and has it completely stopped you using film?

[yelvertoft]

Mrs Y started down the digital route before me, in about 2002 if I recall correctly. Debbi bought a Sont DSC-S85 which at the time was a well respected digi-compact. I held off for a few years, still feeling that film was better. If nothing else, I wanted to continue to get a return on my film equipment investment.

In about 2004 I bought a Sony DSC-W5, specifically for digiscoping, once I started using it, I realised the benefits of going digital and bought a Pentax *ist DS shortly afterwards. I'd always used Pentax film SLR bodies and saw no reason to swap, it would at least allow me to continue using my lenses.

Mrs Y has now inherited my DS, and is making excellent use of it. I use my K10D. The S85 sits in a cupboard unused, the W5 is used when a small, ultra pocketable camera is needed.

I never use my Z50P film body, but do put a reel of film through both my K1000 and 1938 Rolleiflex now and again. This is primarily for theraputic purposes rather than serious photography. It makes you slow things down and de-stress.

Duncan

[gordon g]

My first digital was won in a raffle at my local chemist, who has been developing my films for the last 8 years. A horrible cheap thing with no screen, a memory for 24 images, but it was quite fun as an introduction to image manipulation. Following that I spent about 6 or 7 years scanning prints initially then negatives, before moving completely to digital in october last year, once I could afford the 1DsII.
Selling the 1V was a wrench, although my old EOS300 (1995 vintage) is still going strong in the hands of my nephew.
I did start using a digital comact a few years ago - a Fuji S7000, which my daughter now uses as I have a canon A95 as a pocket camera.

[inacar]

As a camera addict from the age of six, a Kodak Brownie, I traded over around 2000 with digital but just upgraded in November to lenses and a whole new world of picture taking. A new learner with lots of experiments.

[Jon Sharp]

I stopped taking pictures as a serious hobby around 1986 and didn't pick up a camera in anger for many, many years.

A few years ago whilst working for the NHS one of my tasks was to photograph new starters, (I chose to use a plain wall in a corridoor for maximum embarressment!), and create an ID card. This was undertaken with a Fuji compact.

On a long bank holiday weekend, I borrowed said camera and took it to the my parents house up here in the Lakes. At that time they had a Wren nesting by the back door. I was able to capture numerous images of the Wren feeding it's young.

I became instantly hooked and on returning home invested in a Fuji S7000.

Photography, for me now, is better and more interesting for being digital.

[Christine]

First digicam was a Fuji S602,bought used from a dealer in Scotland.First photo taken with it was a Male Mallard,i was stunned.Bright colours ,clear detail.no effort,just focus ,and press shutter.the odd times I hade used a film camera,could never manage to fit the whole of the person in the frame,on the whole a total disaster.I then took up digiscoping,as I wanted to see on the pc screen,the same image as I saw through the scope/bins.that led me to joining BF,and gradually went to a DSLR,the 300D when it first came onto the market with a used 100-400 lens.i still have both of these,albeit the lens has been repaired,but well worth the expense.I have have a couple of DSLR's,mainly because I have trouble changing lenses,so find it safer to keep a lens on each cam.
Would have cost me a fortune in film,as I bin 90%.But having said this,'cos i have never used a film cam properly ,as such,I have never really needed to understand settings.Just fill the frame with the bird,hold steady,and hope for the best.Take as many shots as poss before it flies away.there are usually at least 2 keepers.

[miketoll]

Started with a Canon G5 and now have a 20D and an 800IS compact. Have found digital has revitalised my interest in photography as it releases one to take many more photos and to experiment plus I enjoy a little dabble at PP on the computer so am involved with the image from beginning to end.

[walwyn]

We got given a 2mpix in 2004, which is interesting to use, but I still preferred using my old OM10 (bought in 1980) which I'd got out again after many years of neglect back in 2002. Through 2004/5 I'd struggled with it for macro shots and had never got a truly satisfying image.

Eventually at the beginning of June of last year I bought a Panasonic FZ30. I was about to buy an Olympus E500 when I read a couple of reviews that said that you had limited choice in macro lens. At that point I was impressed by one guys macro shots using a FZ30 + Raynox DCR-150 (I already had the DCR-250) so checked up on the camera.

What I saw was a 35-420 leica zoom, and had teh followingg conversation with myself

Why do buy a dSLR?
Well to swap lens.
This has a 35-420 zoom.
Primary lens are better.
Am I going to buy primmary lens.
No you're thinking of whacking on a couple of zooms.
But I might get a decent macro lens.
You'll have to carry it about, which means putting it in that big bag with all that other gear, which you leave in the car anyway, and just whack on the zoom lens.

I then did a google search of photos using the FZ30 saw that it was capable of landscape and portraits and ordered one. Will I get a dSLR in the future? Who knows I love the freedom of not having to carry around all the gear and not feeling peeved that I've left it all it home/car. Though I have had a couple of thoughts about polarizing neutral density and other types of filters, perhaps that's the slippery slope.

This was one of the first photos I took with it.
http://www.worldphotographyforum.com...500&ppuser=472

So anyway last year I went from a semi-automatic exposure setting manual focussing camera to digital.

Until sometime in 2002 I used to have informal competition with a colleague, he using a 2MP digital and me Pentax P30 + 20min processing service. Then the back came undone in mid-film once too often and I got Nikon E4500 and was delighted with the extra performance, ability to shoot dozens of frames and compactness.

Unfortunately the joy of compact size kept me out of DSLR slightly too long, but now realise what I was missing and that maybe choosing 1 good lens right for ones staple use may obviate all the angst of always needing something else.

And where better to learn to get the best out of it all than WPF?

[Nogbad]

I went digital in July 2004 with a Canon Powershot and was my first camera. I had had a couple of simple point and shoot cameras which I used for holiday snaps etc but had never thought of Photography seriously until July 2005 when I bought the D70.

I have to say the photography bug really bit and I am really pleased it took hold as I wasnt sure it would replace my previous passion for Rock climbing.

It doesnt have the adrenaline factor but it certainly makes up for the challenge learning curve and satisfaction when iIget the picture I want. Coupled with the Photoshop side digital photography will keep me busy for a long long time.

Long Live digital photography!!

Nogbad