Digital SLR camera buying guide
Digital single-lens reflex camera (digital SLR or DSLR) is the most popular digital camera.
A DSLR cam uses a mechanical mirror system and pentaprism to make the light falling from the lens to the sensor on the back of the camera. It's a multipurpose camera (overall the most polyvalent), practical and able to make really nice pictures.
One of the biggest adventages of buying a DSLR camera is that you should be able to reuse your old lenses !
The king of cameras!
Since its invention, DSLR camera captured most parts of the camera market, because of its simplicity of use and versatility. There are higher performances cameras, or smaller and light ones, but DSLR stays the best compromise. We'll see later that DSLR has nevertheless a default : its price.
What does a DSLR camera look like?
A Digital single lens reflex camera (DSLR)
Buying a DSLR
Prices of DSLR are falling down! Due to the competition between brands, you can now buy a reflex camera for unbeatable price!
At the time I'm writing those lines, you can buy a DSLR camera for less than $500.
Some good reasons to buy a DSLR camera
Here are a few goos reasons to buy a DSLR Camera.
- Higher image quality: the optical quality makes DSLR better at producing high quality and less noise pictures.
- Exchangeable lenses: zoom, wide angle, extension tubes, brackets, filters, adapters, flashes or other strobes, you can play with all those accessories! DSLR cameras are upgradeable cameras.
- Best enlargments: thants to its high effective pixels quality, a 10 millions pixels DSLR will take by far better pictures than a point-n-shoot digicam (don't get rolled by basic camera spec sheets...).
- Instant Startup: you don't have to wait, your camera has instant startup time. Furthermore when you press the shutter release button, your picture is immediatly taken!
- Beginners ready: a DSLR cam is as suitable for beginners (simplicity of automatic modes) as for professionnals (advanced settings).
Some good reasons to not buy a digital SLR cam...
DSLR is not the ultimate camera, for all the users, so there can't be good reasons to be on your way and to not buy this kind of camera (why not having a look at a point-n-shoot digicam).
- Price (even though becoming more and more affordable): a DSLR is more expensive than a low-end point-n-shoot camera.
- Portability, bulk: by its conception and shape, a DSLR cam is much larger than a average point-n-shoot cam.
- Learning Curve: to take the most of a DSLR camera, you should know a bit of photography technic before starting. It's possible use a DSLR like a point-n-shoot digicam, but it's much more expensive...
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