Here's my draft for the topical review paper, do let me know if you have any ideas or improvements that I can make to this report.
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Executive Summary
This paper includes a brief history of the camera and discusses the impacts that digital photography has in our world today. It outlines the clear advantages of digital photography by comparing it to the time when we only had film photography, and looks at the future potential of this technology in this industry.
Introduction
Digital photography refers to a form of photography that uses light sensitive sensors to capture the image focused by the lens, as opposed to an exposure on light sensitive film. It is then stored as a digital file ready for digital processing, viewing or printing. This is unlike conventional film photography as there is no form of chemical processing involved.
The invention of digital photography is a disruptive technology as it has changed our lives and the entire industry. This has led to a low demand for film cameras. Kodak has already phased out its film cameras in developed countries and is currently facing financial difficulties with its shares recently plunging 54%. Digital cameras, on the other hand have outsold film cameras since 2002 and the 2010 predicted figures for sales was a staggering 109.9 million units.
Film cameras used to be a common asset in society before the era of digital cameras. I still remember waiting some time before I could see the pictures taken during a family holiday overseas. After returning back to Singapore, we had to send the photos to be developed before they could be viewed. The invention of digital photography brought about many new advantages and innovations. Taking pictures was easier, there was not a need for film, and we could see the image immediately after taking the picture!
Historical Perspective
The First Camera
It all started in 1727 when Johann Heinrich Schulze discovered that silver nitrate darkened upon exposure to light, and that photographic images could be captured and stored. The discovery led to the subsequent invention of rolled photographic film and the box camera in 1888 by George Eastman, an avid photographer and the eventual founder of the Eastman Kodak Company. The invention of the photographic film meant that multiple images could be developed and there was no need to develop the image immediately after it was taken.
"You press the button, we do the rest" promised Eastman in 1888 with this marketing slogan for his patented Kodak camera. The box camera entered the market with enough preloaded film for 100 shots. It could be handheld during operation and proved to be both easy to operate and carry around. After the 100 shots were taken, the camera had to be brought back to the Kodak Company in Rochester, New York, where new film was inserted, and the current film developed and photos returned to the customer. This might seem to be a hassle for consumers at that time as their images could only be developed at one location. Furthurmore, no more pictures could be taken until the camera was serviced and new film added into the Kodak Camera.
The Brownie and the 35mm Film Camera
In 1900, Eastman took film photography to the next level by introducing the Brownie Camera. It was the first camera that underwent mass- market production and was made widely available to the general public. This was a simple handheld camera that gained popularity also because of its low price. The Brownie was widely used by the public and it introduced the concept of the snapshot.
However, it was only till 1925 when the first 35mm film camera was developed. The 35mm film camera Leica 1, developed by Leica, became very popular and subsequently led to the production of many other 35mm film cameras, with the Retina 1 from Kodak becoming 1 of them. Changes in design and technology ultimately led to conventional film cameras being made available to the public in the 20th Century.
The Digital Camera
The first attempt in creating a digital camera was in 1975 by Steven Sasson, an engineer at Eastman Kodak Company. It used the then-new solid-state Charge- Coupled Device and took 23 second to capture its first image. However, the prototype camera was a technical exercise, and it was not intended for production. This was a bad move by the Kodak Company as it did not give them the first-mover advantage but instead allowed other companies to capitalize on the invention instead.
Soon enough, Sony came out with the first electronic camera called the Sony Mavica in 1981 which recorded videos in floppy disk format. The first true digital camera was likely the Fuji DS-1P produced in 1988, which recorded to a 16 MB internal memory card that used a battery. The move to recording pictures and videos in digital formats was helped by the formation of the first JPEG and MPEG standards in 1988, which allowed image and video files to be compressed for storage.
Advantages of Digital Photography vs Film Photography
Instant Gratification
Under film photography, to view the image captured, the film needed to undergo a series of chemical processes in order for it to be developed and the photograph viewed. This meant that photographers could not view the image immediately after it was taken and they had to depend on their gut feeling or resort to taking multiple pictures to ensure that they got the perfect shot. This was a waste of time and resources, as additional film was used to take multiple pictures. If the photograph turned out to be substandard, the same conditions would have to be recreated again to get the same shot. This might be very difficult as not all events could be recreated.
With digital photography, the image captured could be immediately shown on the camera screen. This allows the photographer to determine whether the shot is to his liking. If not, he can choose to edit the settings of the camera such as lighting, exposure or angle to produce the perfect shot. This means that we need not be worried about how our pictures would turn out as we already have full control over them.
No Developing Needed
The fact that photographs needed to be developed before it could be viewed, printed, or published meant that there was a time-constrain that film photographers faced. This was a major problem especially for news journalists who needed to get their photos published as soon as possible to ensure timely delivery of the latest news to the public. This problem resulted in news reporters bringing their own mini photo labs, developing the photos on the spot and finding a way to transmit the images through telephone lines to the news room for publishing. Although this helped to shorten the time lapse that they faced, it did not solve the issue completely. People without their own photo labs had to resort to their pictures being developed by an external studio which wasted a lot of time.
On the other hand, digital photography allowed the images to be printed from a photo printer immediately after the shot was taken, thus saving valuable time. News journalists could view their photos and send them wirelessly through email or MMS via a hand-phone. There was now no need for a long chemical process of photo development to produce our photos when we can just enter a shop and print the shots directly, it would be even faster if we have printers at home, enabling us to do the job in the comfort of our homes.
Versatility
Photos produced from film cameras could not be edited. This meant that there was a fixed end product and no manipulation could be made after the shot was taken. Furthurmore, film came in fixed ISO settings. ISO refers to how sensitive a film is to light, and can range from the 100 to even 1600. This meant that the only way to change the ISO settings of the picture was to change the film entirely. For example, a photographer would have to change his entire roll of film when the weather changes from a sunny day to a cloudy day and this was certainly a hassle for them.
Digital photography brought about a whole new era as there is now a photo editing industry which caters to post production of pictures. Companies like Adobe have capitalized on this and their photo editing software, Adobe Photoshop is one of the most popular in the industry today. Pictures can be modified to the way we want it to be and its versatility knows no bounds. A colour picture can be modified to become a black and white photograph, colours and contrast can be enhanced, we can reduce the red-eye effect we get in pictures, and there is even anti shake technology in digital cameras to ensure that we do not get blurry images. All these were previously not possible with film photography and this goes to show how versatile digital photography has become.
Cost
Although film cameras had a relatively low initial cost, avid photographers faced the issue of increasing costs for every photo taken. Film had to be purchased for every shot taken and it could not be reused. This meant that there was wastage whenever a photo was taken but turned out to be unsuitable and hence not developed. Besides the cost of film, photographers also had to pay developing fees whenever they chose to develop their pictures. All in all, film photography is a more expensive option in the long run.
Digital cameras, though having a higher start-up cost, proves to be more cost effective in the long run. There is no film required and photos need not be developed unless there is an absolute need to. Thus, there is virtually zero additional cost whenever a picture is taken. A photographer can take as many shots as he wants and as long as he does not print the pictures out, there is no cost involved. The decrease in prices of digital cameras due to it becoming increasingly available in markets today goes to show that digital cameras have a lower cost in the long run.
Storage
The film in cameras was bulky and a normal film camera could only store the specific number of images that was inside the film at any point in time. Once all the shots were taken, the film had to be changed. Besides this, film had the tendency to degrade and fade. This would affect the original picture and its quality could deteriorate after time. Developed photographs also took up space and there is a considerable amount of effort needed to have a proper storage and archiving system for developed photographs. Film photography was not space efficient and it proved to be a tedious task to retrieve a single photograph from an entire archive of photo albums.
With technology such as storage cards and devices, digital cameras can now store a large number of images. For example, a Kingston 8GB card can store up to 3800 6-megapixel JPEG images. A considerably large number when compared to the normal 12, 24 and 36 exposures in conventional 35mm film. Also, the quality of photos stored in digital format will never decrease unlike films. Digital photographs can be stored and backed up to be used later without any risk of its quality becoming compromised. Photographs stored in digital format take up very little space as compared to developed photographs. Thousands of images can be stored in the computer and organized into different folders and dates. This would make searching for a particular image fast and effective as we can make use of the search engine to help us.
Digital Photography In Our World Today
Environmental Impacts
The invention of digital photography helped to save our natural resources and this led to it becoming a more sustainable choice compared to film photography. The chemical process of developing film in the average colour photo lab uses a lot of water. Water is used to clean the chemicals off the test prints as well as photographic film. It is also present in the developer, bleach and fixer. Water is not only used in the process of photo development, it is also used in the production of film and paper. When we use film and paper during photo development, we are indirectly using water too. The digital revolution also brought about a lower dependency on the harmful chemicals involved in photo development which will result in a lesser amount being disposed into the environment.
A large amount of paper is also saved as there is a great decrease in photo development now that the pictures we take can be digitally stored, viewed and printed from our devices. Although printing pictures does indeed waste ink and paper, most of the pictures we have now are digitally stored rather than printed out and this is still a positive effect on the environment. With a lower amount of paper, water, and chemicals used in our world today, we are indirectly saving electricity and energy sources. Think about all the fuels needed to transport paper and film from one place to another and the energy needed to clean and transport the water to photo labs.
There is a potential negative environmental impact when we consider the use of batteries in digital cameras. The digital revolution has resulted in a large number of digital cameras being purchased by the world today. All cameras use batteries as their power source and this might led to negative effects on the environment. Digital cameras have high consumption of power and resources are wasted to create batteries and batteries might cause a greater hazard if they are disposed in the wrong way. However, it is important to note that many of the batteries of digital cameras are now rechargeable and this is environmentally friendly.
Overall, digital photography has a net positive impact on the environment as fewer resources are used up when compared to film photography.
Social Impacts
The invention of digital photography has led to the massive downsizing of the film photography industry. Industry giants like Kodak and Fujifilm have aligned their business strategy to adapt to this change. These giants are now tapping into the large market potential for digital photography and have come out with digital cameras and products. However, film photography is still used in our society today though at a much smaller scale than before. It is now a niche market and it is usually the film enthusiasts who constitute the demand. Vintage film cameras are still being used today as it gives the users the experience of living life as it was in the past. Instant cameras are also in demand as the film is printed immediately from the camera after the shot is taken. This is a unique feature of instant cameras and it has created a specialised market for itself. Brands such as the iconic Polaroid and Fujifilm are the main drivers in this specialised market.
The increase in the use of the internet, email and subsequently, social media has led to many photographic images being stored in digital formats. Internet photo-sharing websites like Photobucket and Flickr are used by many around the world today to share their pictures online. Digital photographs are also widely used in social media websites like Facebook and Twitter. For example, Facebook allows the user to upload photo albums and tag friends in pictures. These photographs are now used as a means of connecting people together in the context of a social platform. Twitter allows users to share the latest news or shout-outs with ‘followers’ and sometimes, this can be in the form of pictures. Celebrities sometimes upload a picture of themselves on Twitter and this is now one of the ways of communicating with fans.
Though digital photography has it clear benefits, there are some negative impacts on society as well. The widespread storing of photographs in digital formats has led some to think that photographs have lost its sentimental value. Printed photographs usually remind us of the memories we had when we took the photo but if everything is now stored on the computer, it is not only until we access these photos before we are reminded of the memories we had. There is also a growing concern from archivists with regards to the transitory nature of digital media. There are many digital formats in which we can store our photographs but there is a risk of them becoming obsolete if the rapid technological advances cause a certain format to be inaccessible by new technology. It is therefore important to constantly backup our photographs and store them in the latest formats available.
The ease of taking pictures and uploading them into the internet has promoted voyeurism and the invasion of one’s privacy. Paparazzi and tabloid newspapers are constantly taking candid photos of celebrities in a bid to increase their popularity with consumers. There have been cases of lawsuits against these agencies for invasion of privacy and they have been fined or forced to agree to a financial settlement by the law. Photos of us can also be taken by random strangers and uploaded online and it is usually to our oblivion as it is so easy to take pictures now with digital photography. The digital era has also led to disturbing and explicit images being made available to the young and society in general. Pornography and violent images can now be accessed through the internet and these can develop vices and addictions in the unsuspecting young in our society today.
Technological Impacts
Digital photography has led to its application in many aspects of our daily life. Digital cameras have become smaller and you can find a digital camera in almost any hand-phone in the market today. Computers and televisions have in built webcams, while some music players and tablets have cameras inside the device as well. Cars have cameras in them to aid in the driver in reversing, while security cameras that record videos in digital formats help to keep our society more safe and secure.
In medicine, digital photography has been used in computed tomography, ultrasound imaging and magnetic resonance imaging; all this would not have been possible if we were still using film photography. Micrographic surgeons are heavily dependent on digital imaging as it allows them to map complex specimens in a specific and accurate fashion. Dermatologists also use digital photographs to access the skin conditions of their patents. In the recent years, the concept of tele-dermatology has been gaining popularity. Patients can now send their doctors a picture of an affected area via email and the image can be accessed from the internet with the condition diagnosed and treatment decided on by the doctor. A digital imaging system has also been developed to diagnose malignant melanoma. By measuring characteristics like thickness and colour of the lesions, this system is able to identify melanoma.
Digital photography has also advanced to a level where we are able to observe an object from a far distance. It is used in satellite imagery to monitor the earth from space. We are able to predict weather patterns, access the environmental health of the earth by obtaining a bird’s eye view of the earth’s forests and oceans, and even find the location of an exact person from space. It is also used in military technology for surveillance purposes and allows fighter jets and unmanned aerial vehicles to obtain a detailed photograph of the ground under by taking a high resolution photograph with a high level of optical zoom.
Digital photography has also led to digital video production and recording. Consumers can take high definition videos in digital format with their devices and use video editing software to edit their videos. Advancements in technology have allowed us to record and view videos in 3D and this relates to a totally new experience for consumers. Pixar also introduced its first digital imaging processor in 1985 and this has led to more advanced video editing in the movie industry. Animated movies are now possible as everything can now be created and stored in digital format.
Future considerations- What it would be like in the future
Smaller and Better
As technology advances, we are bound to reap its fruits by having smaller and better cameras. The physical size and weight of cameras would decrease while the qualities of the camera, such as megapixels and exposure levels, will increase. The world’s smallest camera can rest on our finger and it has a 2 megapixel sensor and can even take videos. With cameras becoming more attractive as we progress, digital cameras will become more widespread and cheaper as it becomes an essential part of a consumer’s life. The rise of cloud computing could bring about a picture storage system that does not require any more storage devices to be inserted into the camera. What if multimedia taken could be stored directly in the cloud and can be accessed from any device at any time?
New Products and Innovations
Advancements in technology could lead to new products and innovations to be created. 3D video and photography are already being developed in the market today, and there is a possibility that there might be a 4D or 5D camera made available to the consumer market in the near future. Touchscreen cameras are already available in our society today and it is possible that the camera can become fully voice activated in the future. By recognizing our voice, the camera is automatically able to respond to our voice commands and there is no need for us to manually adjust the settings. There might be another way to store our memories in the future without the need for pictures or videos. Could we store an entire memory into a handheld device in the future? We can re-access the memory anytime we want and it is as though we are back in time reliving that particular memory. This might prove to be another form of disruptive innovation and might eliminate the need for digital cameras altogether.
Human Augmentation
Ever wondered if we could enhance our bodies with rapidly enhancing technology? Humans currently have prosthetic legs and arms to help them with their disability. What if we could take this to a whole new level? There currently exists a filmmaker, Rob Spence, who has a wireless digital camera embedded in one of eyes. He lost one of his eyes in an accident and decided to replace it so that he could make movies all the time, just by looking around. The potential for this technology is so much greater than that. It is worth considering that one day, we might have advanced so far in technology that we are able to implant digital cameras in our perfectly functioning eyes. The camera can be attached to our nerves in the brain so that we can take a picture or video just by thinking about it in our heads. This would mean that cameras are a part of our body and we can bring it with us without any hassle.
Conclusion
Digital photography has indeed been a disruptive innovation and film industries have been forced to adapt to these changes by creating a niche market for film cameras and instant photography. Those who fail to adapt and refuse to change will be left behind as there are much more benefits in using digital photography as mentioned above. Cameras will become smaller, better and more accessible to all. This might require regulations to prevent the abuse of digital photography and safeguard privacy. Society needs to be educated to understand the dangers of digital content in the internet and social media. With technology rapidly advancing, we are bound to see many more innovations in the digital photography industry. The possibilities are endless and it is exciting to know what the future holds for digital photography. However, this industry must never be complacent as with technological progress, there might be new game changes and disruptive innovations that will force the industry to adapt to the change or be left behind.
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