Biological
Although the very first digital camera was large, bulky, and heavy; the first several digital cameras sold commercially were small enough to fit in a person’s hand. Slowly some commercially sold digital cameras began growing in size and capability while many other digital cameras remained small. (Edwards, 2011). Small digital cameras appeal to many costumers due to their compact size and ability to conveniently be carried anywhere including in a pocket. Many companies are trying to come up with smaller but better digital cameras. Research is being done to create smaller, less expensive cameras that can use batteries more efficiently. One way Rice University researchers are looking to reduce battery use is by removing the need to compress photos to store on the cameras memory card. (Paulson, 2007).
According to a Sony press release, women purchase more digital cameras than men. (Goldstein, 2005). The photography chair at the Art Center College of Design found that women and men view the world differently and subsequently take photos differently. It was found that male students took a technical approach and would use more equipment and accessories than their female counterparts. Whereas women were able to be more “flexible” in how they viewed the subject of their photograph and would create images more emotional than technical. (Mitchell, 2009).
Social
The digital camera has led to social changes. In 1960 just over two billion pictures were taken with film cameras and half of those pictures were of babies. In 2012 eighty billion photos were taken in one year in the United States. The digital camera has allowed people to take larger quantities of photos. It is cheaper than taking pictures with film was, which is a contributing factor to why significantly more photos were taken in 2012. Users also have instant gratification with digital cameras whereas people would have to wait to see the photos from film cameras. (Kreiser, 2012).
Cultural
When people were using film cameras, film was expensive and photographers planned every detail of the shot before they took it. With digital cameras people were able to take an abundance of pictures because storing photos on memory cards costs very little. Now we not only have standalone digital cameras but we also have digital cameras in our cell phones. This allows people to take pictures and share them almost instantly. Our society has now become one with an “I was there” attitude. People are constantly trying to one-up each other with photos of where they ate, who they saw, and what they witnessed. Digital cameras and cameras in cell phones have also began replacing traditional media and journalism as more people can capture events and share stories on the internet. (Castella, 2012).
Economic
There is a difference in which camera brands women and men prefer. Some brands cost more than other brands and this will affect the economics of each gender differently. (Women, 2005). It does appear that women are more affected by the cost of digital cameras overall because a study by Sony found that women buy more cameras than men. (Goldstein, 2005). On the other hand, men routinely use more equipment and digital camera accessories than women; so men will see the cost more heavily there. (Mitchell, 2009).
Political
Digital cameras have altered political culture as more people can take photos and write stories to share on the internet. These photos could be beneficial or detrimental. For example, a person or group who do not like a particular political figure could photograph that figures spouse exiting a state provided plane and could later photograph that spouse shopping. A story could be written around these pictures to create the feeling that the state’s resources are being abused when the true story could be something completely different. On the other hand people can more easily take pictures of, and share, a true injustice or political corruption. (Howard, 2010).
Educational
Digital cameras have a large impact in education. First off, several colleges now offer classes and degrees in digital photography. Several community colleges also have classes open to the general public for digital photography and photo editing. Many classes can benefit from digital cameras because students can easily capture aspects of a project that are more powerful viewed than read about. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Digital cameras give teachers more of an opportunity to enhance the learning of their students through the use of photos.
