What are the advantages and disadvantages of a digital camera vs. 35mm??

Question

I am looking for a camera that can be passed around at my wedding for all to use. It must be extremely affordable, easy to learn and use and that takes great pic's. I'm not a professional photographer neither are my guests, nor am I trying to be one at this point in time. We just want good looking photo's a decent, affordable camera can buy. I am considering a SLR. What is the difference between a regular digital vs. SLR digital or non-digital? Doesn't digital have delays in between pic's?
I'm just trying to find the best camera that is affordable for what my purpose is for and for my future occasions.

Answer 1

Ok, first I would do it otherwise. Buy a good dSLR with a decent flash on it. Give that to folks at your wedding who know how to handle such a camera. Also buy a lot of those one time camera's with flash. If you have tables, place one on each table so that your guests will take pictures of eachother and the fun they have.

Last thing, ask other guests to take their dSLR with them. Let them also make pictures. Remember, they will be enlightened that you have asked them to take pictures at your wedding. This way, you will have enough nice pictures to remember your wedding by.

With regards to your question:

a decent dSLR like an Canon 30D, 20D will not have any delays anymore.

Digital pros: you just keep on clicking, you have instant result so you know if something went wrong, it's relatively cheap - you don't have to develop every picture -, you're never out of filmrolls

Digital cons: you have to buy very good lenses and dSLR body to get the same result as a analog camera with expensive lenses and positive professional film.

Answer 2

For your reception, you could also consider a small pile of disposable cameras. That way everyone can get in on the fun. You'll also get 20 angles of you cutting the cake and the first dance to choose from ;-)
If you really want a digital camera for the occasion, get a Kodak EasyShare with a ridiculously huge 1GB memory card. Those cameras are cheap, non-intimidating, intuitive, idiot-proof, AND they take good pictures. One thing they're not, however, is fast. Another thing to take into account, is that if you use it indoors or at night, it will eat batteries like crazy. So get a model that takes AA's, and have three extra packs handy (the heavy duty kind, made specially for cameras).
If you want a camera that will capture the shot every time, you'll need a (digital) SLR. With a digital SLR, you're looking at a $800+ investment.
Now, I don't know about you, but I'd hesitate to circulate MY new $800 toy all night among increasingly tipsy friends and relatives...
If it were me, I'd get disposables for the wedding and just consider that part of the day's expense, and get a dSLR for the honeymoon and after.

Answer 3

Everyone give you great advice already. But I think if you want the camera to be passed around the best option will be a disposable film camera.

Cheap
Everyone basically know how to use one.

SLR are too complex even if everything set to auto. And too heavy for most common people to handle. Compact digital is a good option but how many can you get.

Let me remind you. This is your wedding. It's an event that happen once and hopefully that's it. Which mean if the photo is bad you can't retake. So my advice get a professional and as many disposable as you can. Everyone taking your photo from different angle let say 50 cameras at once. you will have at least 5 decent photos and you won't miss anything. A good camera can give you better picture quality but in event you're racing againts time. Therefore I would suggest Quantity over Quality here.

I hope you understand what I mean

Answer 4

from the description of your needs and situation:

1) buy a 3 or 5 Megapixel digital camera. it will have built in flash
easy to use, not so expensive. In singapore it costs less than
$500/- for the 5 Mega pixel one for a good brand like
Nikon / Canon.

2) Film cameras are becoming obsolete as the quality of the high end digital cameras (especially the ditgital SLRs) are close to 35mm cameras in quality for 99% percent of the people's needs.

3) Don't buy a digital SLR now. it is too early, too complicated, and expensive for you. you may consider it later.

Answer 5

Well i recommend a digital camera for many reasons.
1. If someone takes a stupid pic you can always delete it later (not so on non-digital.
2. Most modern digital cameras mostly have 200-1000 pic storage and a non-digital camera need film rolls.
3. It may cost alot of money to develop all the photos on a non -digital. Not like a digital were you can burn them to a CD, print them, email, and send through most IMs.

Answer 6

With all those people, you really run the risk of the camera being dropped, or disappearing.

Why not go with a bunch of disposable cameras, one on each table for the guests to use?