In my previous post “Is it worth upgrading to DSLR? (Part-I)” I wrote about understanding the characteristics, anatomy, Pros and Cons of point-n-shoot camera. In this concluding part I would like to brief out characteristics, anatomy, Pros and Cons of a DSLR. This will help you make a decision to whether or not to upgrade your gear to DSLR.
DSLR Characteristics
DSLR stands for Digital Single Lens Reflex. These cameras can be mounted with a variety of lenses like fish eye, wide angle, telephoto, etc. Such a variety of interchangeable lenses provides you with a greater creative control over ability to select lenses based on virtually any photographic situation.
The other major design difference between DSLR and point-and-shoot cameras is that most DSLRs only provide a “through-the-lens” optical viewfinder, although some models such as select Sony α (alpha) DSLRs feature the ability to compose and see a live preview of your shots on the camera’s LCD monitor. For DSLRs that don’t include this feature, you frame the shot by holding the viewfinder up to your eye.
Point-n-Shoot Anatomy
Light rays pass through the lens and strike a mirror.
The mirror reflects the light up to a focusing screen
Light rays then enter a block of glass called a pentaprism where they are reflected to produce an image which can be seen in the viewfinder.
When you press the shutter release button, the mirror flips up and shutter opens up which exposes the image to image sensor.
DSLR Pros
Image Quality- These cameras usually have bigger image sensors as compared to compact point-n-shoot cameras. For a 8-10 Megapixel point-n-shoot the size of image sensor is approximately 8.5 x 6.5 mm and a startup DSLR with same Megapixels will have an image sensor approximately 23 x 15 mm. As I said larger image sensor translates directly to better image quality in terms of fineness, color depth, detail and dynamic range.
Full Control- Unlike point-n-shoot cameras, DSLRs offers a huge list of customizable options. You can manually set your own fully or partial combination of shutter speed and aperture, white balance, contrast, metering, auto/manual focus, depth of field, ISO, etc. Along with these manual setting today’s DSLRS also offer dial mode feature where you can handle your camera just like a point-n-shoot. Just turn the dial to available shooting modes and click the shutter release button.
No Shutter Lag- DSLRs have virtually no delay between the time that you click the shutter and the image is taken due to the fact that they focus at a very great speed. You can continuously press shutter release button to get a burst of images without waiting in-between. I guarantee, you will never miss an important shot due to shutter lag.
Instant Startup- Now-a-days DSLRs have instant startup times. This makes a lot sense when you see a fast flying UFO and your camera is in OFF mode, you quickly grab your camera start it and capture the unbelievable moments. With a point-n-shoot camera this seems to be a dream because it will take a couple of seconds to warm up and then focus for another second making your UFO invisible into the skies
Minimal Noise- Due to large image sensors in these cameras the setting of 100 ISO will produce less noisy image as compared with same setting in a point-n-shoot.
You get what you see- Unlike point-n-shoot cameras, you get the same image in the viewfinder what your image sensor see.
Higher ISO Range- DSLRs normally beat the ISO range in point-n-shoot. They may rage from 100-3200+ ISO these days. I’ve explained ISO in detail with an illustration in one of my posts during the month of May 2009.
Depth-of-Field- I love this concept. Just blur out the objects you don’t want in your scene. Using a combination of Shutter and aperture setting you can set your own depth of field. Stay on for my post on this concept soon.
A Lens for every occasion- Once bought a DSLR you don’t get stuck with single fixed lens because you can upgrade your lenses with shooting conditions like capturing close up of that little honey bee on a sunflower or capturing your baby’s naughty little acts or looking directly into the eyes of a ferocious lion or capturing that beautiful eagle taking its flight. These cameras can be mounted with a great variety of lenses ranging from super wide angle to Telephoto lenses. Wait for my post that I am planning to write soon on lenses.
Adaptability- Onceboughta DSLR let me assure you won’t have to upgrade to a new camera that often because DSLRmodels do not get updated quite as often as point and shoot models. You will only upgrade your lenses that to depends upon your shooting requirements.
External Flash- With DSLRs you get an option to have an external flash unit which gives you a bigger are to cover with illumination. You even have an option to have multiple remote slave flash units with your camera which gives you more illumination. Wait for my post on understanding flash, where I am planning to cover all kinds of basic to advance flash operation to attain pro like quality of pictures.
DSLR Cons
Weight- DSLRs are basically lot heavier and bulkier than point-n-shoot. Planning for an outing with your DSLR will add up another piece of a backpack to your luggage. My own DSLR with 18-105 mm lens kit build up a load of 5 Lbs. I can easily slide my point-n-shoot in my jeans pocket.
Price- Even though DSLRs are becoming more and more affordable, you can still get a low-end point-n-shoot camera for much less money. Once bought a DSLR body you will surely have to have a lens kit, a couple of filters, tripod, monopod, external flash unit, reflectors, macro lenses, etc. We are actually talking about a collection of four figures USD.
Sheer learning curve- Buying a DSLR simply can’t make you a good photographer, you will have to learn and practice a lot. Before and after buying a DSLR you will have to do a lot of study and practice to attain a professional ‘WOW’ picture. If you plan to own a DSLR study and practice the concepts like ISO, Exposure, White Balance, Metering, Aperture, Shutter Speed, and a lot more. If you don’t want to go deeper into the technical aspects and planning only using full time auto mode, my suggestion to you is stick with your point-n-shoot.
Maintenance- For my point-n-shoot I never ever have to care about the dust going into the camera body. Although I often clean the front fixed lens with a soft cloth but that is not a geek’s business. In case of DSLR you have a variety of lenses that you mount and un mount based on shooting conditions. Every time you mount-un mount you expose your DSLRs’ expensive image sensor and reflex optics to dust. Dust on an image sensor can result in blemished mages and cleaning out the dust is no layman’s job. A small mistake can cost you a loss of your camera optics.
That creepy motor noise- Since DSLRs are bigger in size they have bigger optics and to control those optics they have motors inbuilt. Every time you auto focus you will hear a noise from lens’s motor. For some this might be a point of consideration.
Live View- In many DSLRs the only way to frame your scene is with an optical viewfinder. Although now-a-days you can see a couple of manufacturers that provide Live View LCD but taking pictures using a live view is never a perfect idea.
Now that I’ve brief out the pros and cons of DSLRs and Point-n-Shoot Cameras, I leave you to make your best decision to upgrade or not. In my next post I’ll post a very important entry, which will help you choosing a good DSLR Camera.
Hope you enjoyed this post of mine.
Please leave a comment so as to let me know that this post is at least helping some one
With the advancement of technology and slashing prices of DSLRs these days many of you guys ask or at least have this question before upgrading from Point-n-Shoot camera to a DSLR. I get a lot of such queries from my friends and relatives, in fact I had this same question when I upgraded my gears to DSLR.
In this post I’ll try to cover all the aspects of ones needs to upgrade from Point-n-Shoot Camera to DSLR. I’ll compare the two and leave upon you to make the final decision. I’ll also provide links to various websites where you can gather more resources for your research.
In the first part I would like to brief out the strengths and weaknesses of a Point-n-Shoot Cameras and in the similar manner I’ll write about the DSLRs in concluding part.
Point-n-Shoot Characteristics
Point-and-shoot digital camera is defined by its in built lens which never separates from its body. The LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) always gets a continuous electronic version of the image. The image that the photographer sees through the viewfinder of a point-n-shoot camera is not the same image that passes through the primary lens of the camera. Rather, the image in the viewfinder passes through a separate lens. These cameras have focus-free lenses, with fixed apertures. These cameras also have a mode dial which enables you to easily select preprogrammed settings based on the scene (indoor, outdoor, day, night, portrait, landscape, macro, sports, etc.) without knowing the technical photography terms.
Point-n-Shoot Anatomy
Light passes through the lens and strikes a micro processing chip called Optics board which drives the lens motors for auto focusing and zooming.
Then it passes through another micro processing chip called Signal processing board which carries out the analog to digital conversion, auto focus, contrast, and data compression.
The final processed image is then passed over to the image sensor.
Image sensor passes it to the LCD.
Viewfinder sees altogether different image from a separate fixed lens.
Point-n-Shoot Pros
Size- These cameras are typically smaller in size. With the advancement of technology today’s point-n-shoot camera can easily be slithered into your tight jean’s back pockets.
Weight- These are very light in weight and as said these don’t require any separate carrying case or backpack. These cameras have fixed lenses thus eliminating the factor of carrying separate lenses.
Auto- These cameras have capability to make decisions based on the scene and the mode you selected. You don’t have to learn the technical aspect of photography. The quality of the captured images from these cameras varies greatly. Now-a-days DSLRs are also equipped with same feature along with their primary controls and functionality.
Maintenance- These require a minimal maintenance attention. Just dust out the front lens and LCD with a soft cloth and that is it.
Compatibility- Most of these cameras are built in with USB port to bridge them directly to photo printers or computers thus making them more compatible with the advancing technologies.
Live View- The provided LCD screen at the back of your point-n-shoot camera is very useful. In fact you will use it 100% to frame a scene. I don’t remember if I have used the viewfinder of my point-n-shoot ever.
Price- Generally point-n-shoot cameras are cheaper but you may want to go up to a range where you can even buy a startup DSLR.
Point-n-Shoot Cons
Quality- These cameras have a very small sensor. The photosites (or simply color pixels) falling on a bigger sensor makes a great positive impact on the quality of a picture. The smaller body of these cameras can accommodate smaller sensors.
Metering- These cameras may or may not have light meter. A light meter is a device used to measure the amount of light. In photography, a light meter is often used to determine the proper exposure for a photograph.
ISO Range- ISO in photography terms is camera sensor’s sensitivity to light. Generally point-n-shoot cameras have only up to 1600 ISO which limits us shooting in different conditions. The ranges are changing these days, many manufacturers are providing up to 3200 ISO which is coming close to DSLRs.
Fixed Apertures- Mostly these cameras have fixed apertures making them less effective in terms of exposure. Due to fixed apertures the models with flash have no way of controlling exposure from flash. One has to be very close to the subject to get a flash picture.
Longer Shutter lag- Point-n-shoot cameras have a one to two second shutter lag time between the time you press shutter release button and the time when photo is actually captured. The longer shutter lag time makes it difficult to take photos quickly and you can miss an important act of sports or babies or any other event.
Startup time- These cameras take at least a second or two to start up. This can also result in missing an important act. You can’t keep them on due to the fact that you don’t have option to shut down the electronic viewer which drains out the battery with in a couple of hours. Now-a-days we can see improvements in this aspect, we can keep the camera on and if it is not used for couple of minutes it goes into sleep mode but again it takes a longer startup time.
Limited Manual Controls- Due to the size priority given to these cameras, they have all their controls hidden into their menus. No manual or instant reachable controls are provided to customize the shooting mode.
LCD Framing: These cameras have LCD screen to frame a scene which never gives proper exposure. Photographer is not at all able to capture what he/she is viewing on the screen. If you are standing in a bright day light you will hardly see anything on the screen. Increasing brightness of the display only makes it easier to see the display but will never set proper exposure.
Fixed Lens- Once bought you will never ever have an option to change lens. You will get stuck with only one lens.
In concluding part I’ll brief out all about DSLR Cameras. So stay on and give your feedback or questions on this. I’ll love to answer your queries.
Please leave a comment so as to let me know that this post is at least helping some one
