Digital or dial caliper, which should I buy?

Reviewers frame it as a use-case question. Digital calipers offer inch/metric/fraction switching and zero-anywhere convenience, ideal for 3D printing and reloading. Dial calipers like the Mitutoyo 505-742J need no batteries and are favored in shop environments with coolant, dust, or infrequent use, with the caveat raised in community threads that they can 'skip a tooth' if dropped.