DSLR and Compact Cameras: Choosing Wisely The technology in cameras today has improved significantly, simply because there’s more photography experts coming out of woodwork than ever before. While many people still prefer DSLRs, there are already many compact cameras that can compete with a milieu of techno-fancy DSLRs present today. With the right budget, you can actually get a decent compact camera with most of the features present in the latest DSLRs. Compact Cameras? Compact cameras aren’t classified as your normal point-and-shoot devices that you see in the box stores. In fact, there are many types that are available such as the micro 4/3 sensor camera, MSLT camera, Fixed Lens Prosumer and many others. Reading information off the product boxes does little for the novice photographer; this is where conventional wisdom kicks your pocketbooks into overdrive, or shuts them down. Today’s micro 4/3 cameras are worthy to look at because you are embracing the smaller bodied camera, but with the option of playing around with lenses and other common features present in a DSLR camera. Some good micro 4/3 cameras are made by Olympus and Panasonic, with one of the most formidable examples being the PEN series by Olympus. For those professional paparazzi types wanting to live dangerously, there is also the Prosumer cameras. These can be fixed lens cameras, or the ones with interchangeable lenses. Prosumer cameras do not have the same kind of sensor as the micro 4/3 cameras but comes with the same features, albeit with a thicker and bigger body. Prosumer cameras include the Fujifilm X-series, Canon Powershot G-series and a few others. Advantages Good compact cameras such as the X100 or XE-1 by Fujifilm can be expensive but the picture quality is on par with a DSLR camera. In the case of the X100, you can even get an aperture of f/2.8 which means that it will do well under low lighting. Besides that, you will also lose the bulkiness associated with the DSLR cameras. This means that you can easily go and travel without your heavy camera bag but still maintaining the capability of taking DSLRlike photos. Even if you have multiple lenses, you can easily place them in your sling bag or your traveling bag without taking too much space. Disadvantages A good compact camera can cost a lot, especially if you are looking for intermediate to professional level photo quality. The Fujifilm X-series for example, has many lenses but each of them will cost you at least a few hundred dollars at the minimum. This is of course, excluding the price of the body. More portable cameras such as the X100 on the other hand, has only one focal length and that can be a problem for some individuals. In Closing: Asking Never Hurts Professionals shopping for higher-grade products to feed their freeze frame affinities aren’t sissified for asking other professionals for assistance in choosing the best camera for their needs. In fact, many
websites have user manuals, forums and other clever means to enchant pros like yourself with mindboggling shopper guides. You’d be doing yourself a disservice by blindly choosing DSLR’s or compact devices without reading first.