Should you buy a DSLR or a Compact Camera

[matthewchj]

Found this guide over at the Cameralabs website.

http://www.cameralabs.com/features/DSLR_or_compact/should_you_buy_a_DSLR.shtml

[thekevinmonster]

I took a look at that. Very useful resource.

If I look at forums about specific cameras, there are just endless "should I get a dslr" "should I get a Brand X" "Waht's the best DSLR for taking pictures of baby weddings where the bride and groom are playing football on a mountain during the sunset".

I think, for me, it comes down to:

- Do you like to fiddle? Buy a DSLR.

Because when you buy a DSLR, you're going to fiddle. You're gonna buy stuff and buy more stuff and play around with crazy crap and spend all your time on the internet reading about more stuff and crazy crap you want to buy and figure out all kinds of blah blah blah blah which lens why's the viewfinder tilted oh no there's dust in it is my camera manufacturer going to be around next year....

You buy a point and shoot (I guess you could extrapolate all the way down to that uberfamous lomo camera) and you're going to just take pictures.

People agonize way too hard. I think a lot of people don't really have experience and they read stuff on the internet and go, "oh, I might want a DSLR, do I want this one with the super fast whatever or this one with the whatever?" and to be totally honest, when it comes down to it, a DSLR is a DSLR. They all offer manual control and a real viewfinder and interchangeable lenses and more megapixels than like 99% of the population could ever make use of.



:)

[dolphin]

In my view it depends on your needs.

I use both.

Actually image quality is not all that different between both, it all comes down to the situation. I have shot beautifull pictures with both.

Keeping a compact camera handy all the time is easy.

DSLR's are heavier, but one of the main advantages is the possibility to change lenses, which add to the weight you have to carry around, but can provide an image not possible with a compact.

Manual aperture/shutter speed control is also very usefull in some cases, however most of the time I leave my DSLR on automatic (aperture preset).

Kind regards,

Eddy