DSLR stands for Digital Single-Lens Reflex. DSLR cameras are the industry standard, the most popular camera choice by far. Models range from entry-level to expensive full-frame cameras. Amazingly versatile, they can work with an array of interchangeable lenses.  Whatever your budget, whatever your subject, a DSLR is a great camera choice. A single-lens reflex camera means just that… one lens, which allows light to travel through to hit the film. With digital, we no longer use film, but rather a digital sensor to record the light. DSLR and SLR cameras work the same way, but digital photography allows you to see the image almost immediately and without the expense of film and developing cost.

Small format, 35mm single-lens reflex cameras entered the scene around 1920. It wasn’t until 1999 that the first DSLR camera appeared, from camera manufacturer Nikon.  It cost $6000 and had an effective 2.74 megapixels.

With a digital camera, you can easily take hundreds of photographs of a subject, particularly helpful in low light situations. You can adjust your shutter speed, aperture, and other camera settings without wasting shots. Taking the same number of photographs with a film camera would mean many rolls of film and the expense of developing and printing.

DSLR Vs. Mirrorless

DSLR cameras may one day become a thing of the past. New systems are constantly being researched and developed. One advancement in photographic technology has already created mirrorless systems. Without the mirror, and its noisy action, we can take faster, quieter, and higher quality photographs. These mirrorless cameras have resolutions that are quickly becoming comparable to DSLR cameras. They are lighter, more compact, have many lens options and are perfect for any kind of photographic need, from street to time-lapse photography.

In the next coming weeks, I will discuss how the camera works:   the shutter, aperture and exposure.

Quote of the Week: While camera gear is important, it is the photographer that makes a picture at the end of the day, not the camera.