Digital seems to be overrated

Gawd almighty, people. There are a million arguments to support both sides. It's not about digital vs. film image quality. It's about the realities of today's consumer/client mentality.

Danny - if you are a photography student, I assume you will pursue photography as a profession. You must certainly realize the value and need for digital. Unless you are a fine art film photographer who is actually able to sell their work (and more power to them if they can - I'd buy it), by the time you get out of school, 99% of your clients will expect the speed and convenience that can only be produced shooting digital.

Digital is about cost, speed, instant results, and fast delivery. You can produce amazing prints assuming you know your stuff. I'm still learning and it's getting better and better. It's getting harder and harder to convince clients that they'll get better results using film (and maybe so) when they expect results quickly. If you can't do it in the time frame they expect, there is someone who can. Until you make a name for yourself, you have too much competition who can do the same level of work using digital equipment, reap more back end profit, and deliver results faster. And, for the average and even above average viewer, digital is just as acceptable as film.

Give digital another 3-5 years. Many film purists will do what I just did. Turn in their film cameras for digital gear. The only film cameras I've kept are my old TLR medium format relics (becasue I collect and shoot them purely for fun) and a professional film camera setup in case I come across an oddball client who insists on film. I doubt that it will ever happen.

In my experience - which is limited to shooting weddings, seniors, and a lot of portrait work - there's no argument. Digital is it.

Yeah, I admit, I do miss film. And it's very hard to match film quality sometimes. I spend a lot of time in front of my computer now.

Heck, maybe I'll just go out and buy a couple of used film cameras, bring back the convenience of dropping off NPH film and getting beautiful prints back, and be looked at as an old school photographer.