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I took the memory card back to the minilab and asked the technician to duplicate the color of the film print. The redone print was lighter and better, but still too orangy—and the black sky had become gray, the balloon had lost its brilliant blue stripes. My favorite night shot, with the balloon centered in the arch, is the most off-color digital picture of all. But it’s dramatic and luscious. The film print is closer to reality although a bit on the green side.
Could the minilab make a digital print to duplicate the color of the film print? Perhaps, but they didn’t in this case. The resulting print from the memory card was greener than the print-film version.
While I think you and I may have learned some useful things about the advantages and disadvantages of working with film and digital cameras, remember this is an isolated situation—with two specific camera models and settings—so don’t take these results as universal truths. If you get a chance to shoot both digitally and with film, you will learn more.
A touch of Photoshop would probably cure all ills I and nature created and provide near-infinite variations and changes, thus putting film far behind digital—if we had the inclination and time. But I still have so many books to read, music to listen to, and pictures to take. Everyone to his or her own priorities.
Can you do everything with a digital camera without a computer? No. Can you enjoy using a digital camera all by itself? Yes. But give up film SLRs completely? Nonsense!
 Off-color, the best color?
Digital: (top) Wow! What great wrong color! The reprint looks slightly more accurate but insipid green is pretty awful. Digital minilabs handle film well...
Film: (bottom) ...but aren't adept with digital images! This is fairly close to reality but slightly greenish. A print redo will probably fix it.
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