Icon Studios - //Is Digital Cheaper
//Is digital cheaper?
Many people believe that digital photography is less expensive than shooting with film, "because there is no film".
Whilst digital photography provides a number of important benefits, cost savings are generally not one of them. There is a massive increase in equipment costs, and in time expenditure for the photographer, to produce quality images.
However, whilst the digital photography component of a project by itself is not necessarily less expensive, when incorporated into a digital workflow, from capture to output, the overall cost and time savings are considerable.
Utilizing high quality digital photography in your next marketing or advertising project has very distinct benefits, and can lead to an overall reduction in costs, as well as an increase in sales.
Higher equipment costs
On average the cost of professional digital equipment is around 3 times greater than the equivalent film gear. Added to this digital has a turnover period of 18 – 24 months as compared to the 5 – 7 year lifetime of film equipment. A basic professional digital kit will cost in the order of $20,000 and can easily rise to $50,000 or more.
Digital
Cost $20,000 - $50,000+
Turnover 18 - 24 months Film
Cost $8,000 - $20,000
Turnover 5 - 7 years
Greater time commitment
The developing and processing services which were once outsourced to specialized labs are now handled by the photographer. Every hour of photography generally requires 1 - 2 hours of editing and production time, and an increased volume of computer and storage equipment. The positive side to this is the increased creative control the photographer and client gain over the process.
Additionally, once film is processed, it still needed to be scanned to a digital format. This in itself could be an expensive process and also represented a reduction in image quality for the original film.
Digital - each 8 hours photographing
8 - 16 hours production
positives increased creative control Film - each 8 hours photographing
1 - 2 hours production
negative increased costs in later workflow