Why are SLR cameras (even digital ones) still being made?
I used to own an 35mm SLR years ago and loved it. It was my main method of doing photography for many years. When the first generation of digital cameras came out, I ignored them tor there horrid resolution and lack of features. However, the models of the last couple of years caused me to put away the SLR. When my friend bought a Nikon D60 he let me play with it and I was aghast. I thought is was too heavy. I thought the zoom lens was ridiculous with its lack of range and weight. I missed auto zoom and shocked when I saw even focus needed adjustment. So since lcd screens give users the power only SLRs once had, why bother? I can only see a camera like the Nikon SLR for professionals and even them might be able to use top of the line non-SLRs for their work. So what am I missing in my evaluation?
DSLR camaras are around for a number of reasons. First of all you actually see what you are going to get on the photos. The best EVF ( electrinic view finder ) camera out today the Lumix G 1 has only gotten reveiws that say its “nearly as lifelike as a DSLR ( and its more expensive than some entry dSLR). As already noted with the exception of the four thirds EVF cameras do not have interchagable lenses and the lenses that are on point and shoot cameras are not nearly the quality of DSLR lenses. so if you de need a larger aperature than your camera has or a lens with longer or shorter focal lengths you are generally jus tout of luck The the quick phase-change autofocus system of traditional DSLRs cannot be used on point and shoot or other EVF cameras They have to use a contrast based autofocus. While contrast based autofocus has traditionally proved very accurate but slow. This accounts for the shutter lag so many people complain of on point and shoot and can cause huge problems for sports photography and wildlife photography or for that matter even the slower movement at events. As to your focusing problems with the D60 what focusing mode did you have it in ? Did you select the focus point and use focus lock or did you let the camera select where to focus which whit this camera or a point and shoot can lead to it focusing on the wrong object in the scene ? What was your aperature setting ? As you know that will effect depth of field and what is or is not in focus.
DSLR have faster write times to cards, larger image buffers to this with the faster autofocus allows multiple shots per second. dSLR have better metering with more metering options. They have much much larger sensors. A larger sensor means more light to each pixel. More light – better color saturation, better dynamic range, better geometric accuracy and lower noise. The smaller image sensor also effects depth of field making it difficult if not nearly imposible to get the shallow depth of field needed for good bokeh. A 6mp APS-c sensor can give a better image than a 10mp point and shoot sensor. Some people want to put larger sensors on point and shoot and this will improve quality but guess what ? Then you will need larger lenses and the weight will go up.
The micro four thirds systems may in the future give dSLR cameras a run for thier money in the recreational market but I personally do not think they are where they need to be for that right now. Comparing point and shoots to a dSLR would be like someone when you had your film SLR saying that a 110 film camera like the Kodak Pocket Instamatic 60 was as good as the 35 mm SLRs of the day
If you want the camera making most if not all of your decisions and are OK relinquishing control of that as well as having limited options for what you do with your camera then yes a point and shoot is good and they make some that do OK at that for the person that only wants snapshots
How Fair are the DXOMark Sensor Evaluations? (Canon 550D 60D 7D Nikon D7000 D90 D700 Pentax K5)
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