Why should you buy an SLR?

Answer 1

If all you want is a convenient camera to carry around that will produce good pictures, you don't need an SLR. A smaller, less expensive camera will serve your purpose just fine. Remember that the skill of the photographer in seeing and composing is what makes a good photo. You cannot buy into good Photography, it must be learned.

SLRs and DSLRs offer the following advantages, at the cost of higher price, more bulk, and more expensive accessories.

* A larger sensor (in DSLRs) that generally gives higher quality prints at larger sizes, and that sometimes produces better results in low light. * The ability to see the image directly through the lens -- in effect, to see exactly what the camera sees. * Along with that, faster shutter response: you are more likely to capture the image you saw when you pressed the shutter release. * Interchangeable lenses, allowing you to pick the optimum lens for a given purpose. This comes at a high price. Some lenses can easily cost more than the camera body. The advantage here is doubtful unless you are an advanced amateur or a professional. One could safely say that a person who needed to ask this question probably doesn't need a DSLR. In 35mm photography, on the other hand, a good SLR is a major step up from point and shoot in both usability and results.

This writer's favorite cameras, those he uses the most, are a Pentax K1000 SLR about 25 years old, and a Pentax K10D DSLR. Either does a good job, it only depends if I want negatives or RAW files. However, for just knocking around, I usually haul a Canon PowerShot G7 (current model G10), which is not an SLR. By and large, the images I get with it are as good...and sometimes better...than I get with the K10D and professional lenses.