If you are interested in photography, you have undoubtedly heard of a DSLR camera. However, you may not be one hundred percent sure what exactly this term means. DSLR stands for digital single-lens reflex. The differences between a DSLR camera and a standard point and shoot digital camera are DSLR cameras have have removable lenses and a reflex mirror that allows you to see through the view finder, as opposed to using the LCD on a standard point and shoot digital camera. While these may seem like minor differences, the difference in quality between DSLR cameras and a standard point and shoot digital cameras can be quite significant. Because of this difference in quality, DSLR cameras are normally more expensive than point and shoot digital cameras.
Before we discuss why you should buy a DSLR camera, it’s important to understand that buying a more expensive camera won’t instantly make you a better photographer. However, if you are willing to invest the time required to learn how to maximize the performance of a DSLR camera, it can be invaluable tool and help you take your photography skills to the next level.
Now that you understand what a DSLR camera is and how it can help you as a photographer, let’s take a look at the specific reasons to buy a DSLR camera:
Customization
Most photographers agree that the best thing about a DSLR camera is the level of customization and flexibility that it offers. With a standard point and shoot digital camera, you can tweak a few settings through the menu, but for the most part, point and shoot digital cameras are limited to the features that manufacturer adds to them.
In contrast, because DSLR cameras have a removable lens, you can easily customize your camera for maximize performance in a specific situation. Not only can you use multiple lenses with a DSLR camera, but you can also use different flashes and filters. It takes practice to learn what lenses, flashes and filters produce the best results from specific situations, but as your skills as a photographer progress, a DSLR gives you the ability to continue experimenting and working in ways that simply aren’t possible with a point and shoot digital camera.
Optical Viewfinder
As discussed in the introduction, because DSLR cameras have a reflex mirror, you are able to use the optical viewfinder when you shoot your photographs. While the transition from using a LCD viewfinder to an optical viewfinder can seem strange at first, once you get used to looking through the optical viewfinder, you will be able to appreciate the detailed view of your subject that it gives you. Instead of relying on a small LCD screen, you are able to take advantage of your full range of vision.
Image Quality
After reading the first two reasons that you should buy a DSLR camera, it should come as no surprise that the quality of the images produced by a DSLR camera are superior to those produced by a standard point and shoot digital camera. To understand why the image quality of a DSLR camera is going to be better than a point and shoot digital camera, it’s important to realize that megapixels aren’t the only factor that determine the quality of the images a camera produces. While megapixels are the most common selling point manufacturers use for their cameras, the image sensor in a camera also plays a major role in determining the quality of its images.
While you don’t need to understand every technical detail about how image sensors work, the bottom line is that DSLR cameras have a significantly larger image sensor than point and shoot digital cameras. As a result, even if a DSLR camera and a point and shoot digital camera have the same number of megapixels, the images produced by the DSLR camera are going to be much more crisp and clear than those produced by the point and shoot digital camera.
Manual Controls
While most point and shoot digital cameras claim to have manual controls, in reality the options they offer are quite limited. However, DSLR cameras truly provide a full selection of manual controls. Although DSLR cameras also offer automatic controls, because they are designed for people who are truly interested in taking pictures, DSLR cameras are designed to provide full access to the manual controls.
Speed
Depending on their price range, the speed of point and shoot digital cameras can range from very slow to average. On the other hand, DSLR cameras are well-known for their impressive speed. If you purchase a DSLR camera, you won’t ever have to worry about yelling at your camera because it takes too long to start, the shutter lag is too slow or focusing takes too long.
Although a point and shoot digital camera can work fine if you are just starting out or if someone is only interested in taking casual photos at events like family parties, if you are passionate about photography, a DSLR camera is an excellent investment that can really help you maximize your skills as a photographer.
