At first glance, the pros and cons will seem obvious. The compact cameras are obviously smaller and more portable while the DSLR cameras, one would assume, take better pictures with its bulky design and huge lens. These should not be your only criteria when buying a new camera, however. You should consult this guide to see which of the two cameras is better for your needs.
Compact Camera Pros
A compact camera is likely the one you already own: the one you take photos of your family with at parties, vacations or events. Compact cameras are portable, cheap and can capture really nice photos with great quality. They have all the features one would need a camera to have and cover all the bases. Their LCD display lets you view and delete your photos. Many of these cameras offer great video capturing quality as well. If a camera is damaged or you’d simply like to change brands or upgrade to one with better capabilities, it’s cheap and easy to do: there’s no need to buy extra accessories like with DSLR cameras. These are practical cameras are great for the average Joe who is more concerned with ensuring he captures his life’s precious moments than with how he captures them.
Compact Camera Cons
The downside of compact cameras is that they are simply not as good as digital SLR cameras where the quality of a photo is concerned. Compact cameras are cheaper because they are limited in their ability to take stunning pictures with huge resolutions. These cameras also suffer from shutter lag, a delay between pressing the button and the camera actually taking the picture. This is something infuriating when trying to capture a perfect moment in motion. They also take a long while to power up in comparison to their DSLR counterparts. There are limited options for accessorising and enhancing its photo capture abilities.
DSLR Camera Pros
The digital SLR cameras are more suited for anyone with a passion for photography. They are technologically much more superior to the compact cameras. They have bigger sensors which ensure better images, no shutter lag, power on almost instantly and offer incredibly more control over how you take your photos. There’s a broad choice of lenses, each suited for a particular task or occasion – these will allow you take any type of photo you need or desire. If you like to play with your photos and do awesome stuff with them, you’ll appreciate the fact that they offer raw capture.
DSLR Camera Cons
All these pros come at a financial cost – and it can be quite hefty. They are far less portable, with a fully equipped kit often weighing far more than a little compact camera that fits in your pocket. If you want to make the most of it, you’ll want to buy accessories, which will add to the cost. With so much changing lenses, it might mean that your sensor gets dirty fairly often. Though they offer great picture taking capabilities, they’re useless if you don’t need them or find yourself not willing to use it often because it is inconvenient.
DSLR cameras are far superior to their compact counterparts in photo quality and control. Thus, these are best for someone who knows or would like to learn how to engage with photography in a more skilled manner. Those who are just looking for a convenient way to capture photos whenever necessary, a cheaper, more portable compact camera that takes sufficiently good quality photos is enough.
Adrian Rodriguez is a university student and freelance writer who appreciates photography as an art form. In his hometown of Brabham, he often takes photos of the beautiful, natural landscapes that Whiteman Edge has to offer.
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