Image appearance and quality are easily controlled using software included with cameras. For some situations, digital cameras are at a disadvantage compared to print and slide film cameras. For computer use, digital camera image quality is close to standard VGA quality. Further disadvantages concern convenience, because digital photography requires the user to do all processing work. Digital image quality is generally lower than film, and high quality digital photography is expensive.
Digital photography can meet many needs in support of education.
Student and staff identification photos or badges can easily be printed and updated Photos can be produced for students' files and school records of equipment and events. Photos of school property for record keeping, documenting crime or vandalism, and insurance inventory can be kept efficiently. Digital photos can be displayed in a variety of formats including posters, multimedia displays, presentations of student activities or project work for open house, awards night, and fairs can be displayed digitally. Take pictures for school newspapers and local broadcasts, or even a digital yearbook. In the curriculum area, digital photography allows electronic field trips using stored images to be shown in the classroom or uploaded to a World Wide Web page.