Citation
(2003), "In the picture", Work Study, Vol. 52 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/ws.2003.07952faa.002
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2003, MCB UP Limited
In the picture
In the picture
I recently read that the sales of digital cameras have just overtaken those of film-based models. It has taken only a few short years for a long-lasting technology to lose its premiere status (though of course film is far from dead). There are, of course, many reasons why digital cameras have proven attractive – though ironically one of the reasons often cited is actually both true and untrue … in fact untrue for most users. This is the issue of costs: it is often claimed that digital cameras have lower running costs than film cameras since there is no need to buy film. However, anyone who uses their inkjet printer to produce photo-quality prints pays far more than the cost of buying and developing film. Cameras may have lower costs for those who do not print, or who use some of the (lower price) online printing services. I know there are other reasons for shifting from film to digital but it does seem as though a major purchasing behaviour shift may have been based on a fallacy.