Digital SLR Superguide: Why a dSLR?
Advantages of a dSLR
Fast shutter, fast action
Users of compact digicams would certainly have experienced this before–-the action is happening right in front of you, the right settings are selected and the image is composed. You depress the shutter button, but the camera, due to its complex electronic system and slower processor, takes much longer than expected to respond. By the time the image is captured, the action has already happened and moved away.
dSLR cameras have a significant advantage in this area. As the viewfinder is optical and not dependent on electronics, response time is much faster and there’s considerably less shutter lag (the time it takes from the moment the shutter button is pressed to the moment when the image is finally captured). The Single Lens Reflex action also aids in quick composition and framing of the photograph’s subject,allowing you to quickly whip up the camera and take a fast shot of the action. This is known as WYSIWYG: What You See Is What You Get. Looking through the viewfinder you see exactly what you are photographing. Removing the lag or delayed response from the electronic viewfinder (EVF) of compact cameras is a big plus for dSLR cameras. dSLRs typically employ only the latest in processor technology, and this translates into faster responses in the electronics. Image processing is faster and written to the storage medium quicker than most compact models, resulting in faster image reviewing and on-camera processing. This means that dSLRs are able to clear their image buffer quickly, freeing up the camera for the next available shot.
The bigger, the better
The larger image sensor of a dSLR means it has less electronic noise, and therefore can be used at higher ISO values without producing pictures with noise. For example, most prosumer cameras allow up to only 400 or 800 ISO speeds, but on most dSLR cameras values up to 1,600 ISO are the norm, with some models boasting ISO values of up to 3,200 or 6,400. This is an advantage for low-light photography, especially for action or sports photography where fast shutter speeds are needed to freeze the action. Focusing also tends to be faster on dSLRs. However, there is nothing which inherently requires the compact cameras to have slower focusing, and the gap is narrowing in the newer models.
The bigger sensor of dSLRs also means better image quality. A dSLR with a bigger sensor may have a smaller pixel count than some prosumer-level cameras, but the image it produces would have a much wider dynamic range and greater image resolution. Thus, while the megapixels of a dSLR may limit it in terms of printing out large-size prints, the image quality produced by the dSLR will be of a high quality. dSLRs also generally boast bigger and faster image file buffers. This allows the camera to continue shooting even when the CPU is busy processing previous files taken. Compact digital cameras, on the other hand, have much smaller buffers and this restricts the camera in terms of fast shooting, as the buffer has to be cleared before being able to continue shooting.
Staying flexible
Change is goodWith the use of the interchangeable lens system, the dSLR makes available a wider range of focal lengths. This is especially the case at the extreme end, where huge telephoto or ultra-wide lenses are available. This also means that dSLRs are able to use lenses with wider apertures: Ideal for shallow depth-of-field (DoF) or fast and low-light shooting conditions. The larger sensors and relative lens aperture sizes allow for a greater DoF range compared to prosumer cameras, i.e. f/2.8 lens on a prosumer camera may not produce equivalent results to an f/2.8 lens on a dSLR lens. So far most SLR lenses have been designed for use with 35mm film cameras. This means that if the dSLR’s sensor size is smaller than the size of a 35mm frame it will affect the focal length of the lens. This is called the "crop factor". To give an example, the EOS 30D has crop factor of 1.6. In practice, this means that a 100mm lens on a dSLR will have the same angle of view as a 160mm on a 35mm film camera. This is great for getting the most out of your zoom lenses, but it does mean that you will need to make sure that you have a good wide-angle lens for landscapes and the like. The ability to use different lenses offers the greatest flexibility in taking images. There is no reliance on zoom by wire focal system on digicams, and focus control is fast and easy. Focusing is achieved by the lens itself mechanically and not electronically controlled by adjusting buttons on the camera. It results in a very natural way of managing the desired settings, with one hand controlling the camera settings and the other handling lens focusing. Precise manual control is also simple to achieve with the dSLR and lens. Pictures in the RAW An additional boon for dSLRs is the use of the RAW digital format. This is by far the most versatile image format for the best image quality and control and is typically only available in top-end prosumer cameras and dSLRs. The RAW file format allows very precise control over exposure, white balance as well as a host of post-processing options even after the shot has been transferred to the computer. | |||||||||
Why a dSLR?- Talkback
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