Cameras and Prints
Film-based and digital cameras work on the same principle. Both record a scene using the energy of light acting on a light-sensitive material. The change caused by the light is then heightened, chemically or electronically, to produce a visible image. The main difference is that traditional cameras use light-sensitive film, while digital cameras have light-sensitive electronic sensors contained in a small chip. Like the film in a traditional camera, the chip is positioned at the focal plane of the lens.
Photographic Print from Traditional Camera
Digital Print from Photographic Negative or Print
Digital Print from Digital Camera
Photographic Print from Traditional Camera
Load the film into the camera.
Press the shutter release button. Light enters the camera and acts on the light-sensitive silver halide particles on the surface of the film. This creates a latent image.
Remove the roll of exposed film from the camera.
Chemically process and air-dry the negatives.
Place the negative and a sheet of photographic paper in an enlarger. The light inside the enlarger acts on the silver halide particles in the paper. This creates a latent image.
Chemically process and air-dry the photographic paper.
The result is a photographic print.
Digital Print from Photographic Negative or Print
Select a photographic negative or print.
Place the negative or print on the scanner. This creates a digital image file.
Save the digital image file to the computer.
Manipulate the image if desired using imaging software.
Print the digital image file on an ink-jet or laser printer.
The result is an ink-jet or laser print.
Digital Print from Digital Camera
Place a removable memory card inside the camera.
Press the button. A photo sensor called a charge coupled device (CCD) records the image by converting light into a digital signal.
Remove the memory card from the camera and place it in a memory-card reader connected to a computer.
Connect the camera directly to a computer.
Connect the camera directly to a printer that is equipped with this feature.
There are three ways to transfer images from the camera.
The memory-card transfers the images into digital image files.
Open the digital image files in imaging software.
Print the digital image file on an ink-jet or laser printer.
The result is an ink-jet or laser print.
