Which one do pros use because I want to start taking pictures now. I will be taking a classes and stuff film camera u put a roll of film in it, take pics, take it to be developed, and then order the pictures,
digital is u take a picture, and it automatically stores it in the camera so u can do whatever u want with it(post it on the internet via usb, take it to be developed, photo shopped, etc...
pros use film, because it tends to be better quality.
but if ur not a photagrapher, id use digital so u can do different things with the pictures. The previous answer pretty well explained the difference and I would suggest using which ever camera your comfortable using. Contemporary and digital both have their pros and cons and everyone is different. Both can yield amazing results!
The professionals use the film cameras but I reckon these are really hard for just begginers. Its best to probably just muck around with a good digital first and find out what you really want to get out of photography. First, the obvious: Film!
Second, the not-so-obvious: Format! Format is the size of the imaging surface. In film, that can be 35mm, 105mm ... or larger. Most (but not all) digital cameras are near 35mm, or a little smaller.
Larger formats are capable of producing sharper images at larger sizes. That is why some Architectural and Landscape photographers still use film cameras - they can get a very high quality image at very large sizes! However, someone willing to pick up a Hasselblad H3D can also get fantasticly sweet prints at humongous sizes. That camera is digital.
If you are just starting out and want a pro camera - get a Nikon or Canon. Older Canon 20D's or XT's are perfectly fine for a student. You won't regret a 20D. Most all photo classes start you out using a 35mm SLR. After a few semesters, they may or may not offer digital classes.
If you buy a Nikon or Canon SLR camera when you eventually do go to digital, your lenses will work on the new DSLR body you eventually buy
Look on craigslist for good cameras in your area .. and you can check them out before you buy. There are some great SLR cameras with lenses for under $150. if you are a student most classes wont let you use digital so you may want to check that out before you purchase one-- learning the basics on a film camera is so much more rewarding and it also helps you learn the mechanics so that when you get a digital you can be excellent! Some pros use film. There are considerably fewer pros using film than there were a few years ago. You can expect that trend to continue. Go with digital.
{Of course you may have a professor or two that's behind the times. You can always pick up a cheap, film SLR. ...Maybe in a hock shop or at a yard sale.} If you "classes and stuff" are just for fun, i.e., hobby level, they you can probably bring any camera you want.
However, if you're going to a film school or are talking about taking college level photography classes, then you will probably need to get a film SLR.
You best best is to check with the sponsor/school/insctuctor to see what their requirements are.
That said, the difference between film and digital is that film records an image onto light sensitive chemicals that have been fused to a strip of celluliod. It requires a chemical process to take that exposed image, called a latent image, and turn it into a negative or a slide. You then need to print using an enlarger (or a slide projector for the slide).
Digital records an image using a light sensor. Digital requires less processing. Digital does not quite reach the quality of film, but in most applications, you won't be able to tell the difference. A digital camera stores images directly to a memory card which can be read by computers.
Film cameras use film. Unlike digital cameras where all settings can be changed in the camera, the film camera can only do what the film it has at the time can do. If you need the camera to be more 'sensitive', you need to replace the film with a faster one. If you need to balance the colour cast to the lighting used, you need to change the film to the correct type - ie. tungsten, daylight etc. | 