Most people are familiar with the compact, or point and shoot, digital camera. The best thing about these cameras is their size, you can just slip one into your pocket and go on with you day. Whenever a photo opportunity arises you simply point and shoot, the camera does eve
rything for you. This is great for people who need to shoot a quick photo and be on the go. They usually come with several different presets which cover a wide range of photographic conditions, such as sports, landscapes or portraits. But with automation comes the sacrifice of control, and with most point and shoots you cannot manually control the exposure or focus. They also have fixed lenses with a limited optical zoom range. Most compact cameras attempt to supplement this shortcoming by offering digital zoom, but digital zoom quickly becomes pixilated and blurry. Add all the features and drawbacks to compact digital cameras and you quickly realize the compact point and shoot cameras, while great for the family at Disneyland, are not designed for serious photographers.
Serious photography demands careful attention to exposure settings. The only way to do that is to have manual control of said settings. Currently there are very few point and shoot cameras that offer manual control so serious photographers, pros and amateurs alike reach for the digital single lens reflex camera also known as a DSLR. A DSLR system is based upon a camera body that houses the sensor and all the other electronic parts to make the camera function. Lenses are sold separately (though most consumer DSLRs are sold with a “kit” lens) and come in many different varieties. The variety of lenses and capability of manual control give the DSLR a flexibility that is impossible to achieve with a compact camera. You can photograph in almost any condition provided you have the proper lens. The only drawback to a DSLR is that they can become rather heavy and bulky. It can be uncomfortable to carry around all day. DSLRs are great for beginners as well. Want to learn to take control of your camera? Most DSLRs have programmed modes that allow you to take manual control of one setting while the camera sets the other. This allows you to play with different aperture settings while not worrying about shutter speed or vice versa. Then when you are ready you can take full control of the camera using its manual mode.
Both of these cameras are great tools, if you know how and when to use them. Compact point and shoot cameras are great for when you just want to take a snapshot or have a small camera that you can slip into a pocket and forget about. But if you want to experiment with different exposure settings and do some more advanced photography a DSLR is the way to go.
rything for you. This is great for people who need to shoot a quick photo and be on the go. They usually come with several different presets which cover a wide range of photographic conditions, such as sports, landscapes or portraits. But with automation comes the sacrifice of control, and with most point and shoots you cannot manually control the exposure or focus. They also have fixed lenses with a limited optical zoom range. Most compact cameras attempt to supplement this shortcoming by offering digital zoom, but digital zoom quickly becomes pixilated and blurry. Add all the features and drawbacks to compact digital cameras and you quickly realize the compact point and shoot cameras, while great for the family at Disneyland, are not designed for serious photographers.Serious photography demands careful attention to exposure settings. The only way to do that is to have manual control of said settings. Currently there are very few point and shoot cameras that offer manual control so serious photographers, pros and amateurs alike reach for the digital single lens reflex camera also known as a DSLR. A DSLR system is based upon a camera body that houses the sensor and all the other electronic parts to make the camera function. Lenses are sold separately (though most consumer DSLRs are sold with a “kit” lens) and come in many different varieties. The variety of lenses and capability of manual control give the DSLR a flexibility that is impossible to achieve with a compact camera. You can photograph in almost any condition provided you have the proper lens. The only drawback to a DSLR is that they can become rather heavy and bulky. It can be uncomfortable to carry around all day. DSLRs are great for beginners as well. Want to learn to take control of your camera? Most DSLRs have programmed modes that allow you to take manual control of one setting while the camera sets the other. This allows you to play with different aperture settings while not worrying about shutter speed or vice versa. Then when you are ready you can take full control of the camera using its manual mode.
Both of these cameras are great tools, if you know how and when to use them. Compact point and shoot cameras are great for when you just want to take a snapshot or have a small camera that you can slip into a pocket and forget about. But if you want to experiment with different exposure settings and do some more advanced photography a DSLR is the way to go.
