So you've been tooling around with a point-and-shoot digital camera for a couple of years now and you're feeling pretty confident. Maybe you've shared some of your shots with friends and family; posted a few on Flickr; and printed some of your best pictures either at home on an inkjet printer or at a photo retail store.
Though you feel you've learned a lot about photography, every time your brother Jim comes over and shows you his photos, you can't help but feel jealous. His pictures look so much better than yours!
Why? It might not necessarily be that Jim is a better photographer than you, or that he has a better "eye." It could be your equipment. Yes, while there are plenty of benefits to point-and-shoot cameras including their great portability, when stacked up against the quality of images shot with a digital SLR, they really just can't compete.
If you're still on the fence about making the jump to a DSLR with your next camera purchase, check out these seven reasons why we think you should make the leap. Believe us, you'll soon have a batch of photos that look even better than Jim's!
1) Price
Yes, funny we should mention this first since it's what has kept most people away from buying a digital SLR for years now. Contrary to popular belief, buying a digital SLR doesn't require taking out a second mortgage anymore. In fact, many entry-level digital SLRs sell for under $900 with a lens; and several quality DSLRs including the Nikon D60 ($749) and Olympus E-420 ($599), are even less expensive than some top-of-the-line point and shoot cameras. Don't believe the hype, digital SLRs are extremely affordable these days.
2) Sensor Size
No, we're not talking about megapixels here, just the actual size of the sensor itself which effects image quality more than resolution. Though there's been a lot of hype about the importance of megapixels since digital cameras first entered the mainstream about a decade ago, much of the information is misleading. What's more critical to image quality than the number of pixels a camera has is the size of the pixels themselves.
While many point-and-shoot cameras have 8, 10, and even 12 million pixels (aka 12-megapixels), the imaging sensors in those pocket camera are extremely small – about the size of your smallest fingernail. Putting that many pixels on a sensor that tiny means those pixels will be even tinier. And smaller pixels gives the imaging sensor less light to work with which can wreak havoc on your images, particularly when shooting in low-light without a flash at ISO 800 and above. The end result is images with lots of digital "noise," aka those ugly multi-colored specks that appear in the dark areas of your photos.
In contrast, digital SLRs use imaging sensors that are about the size of a postage stamp, allowing for larger pixels that read more light and produce better, cleaner photos with less noise.
3) More ISO Control
Because DSLRs produce images with less noise, they often have a greater range of ISO speeds to shoot with compared to point-and-shoots. Since the higher the ISO, the easier it is for your camera to capture a crisp image in low light without a flash, you can use a DSLR in a variety of shooting conditions, letting you get the pictures you want in natural light. Even most entry-level DSLRs let you shoot at up to ISO 1600 or 3200. More advanced models though can go as high as ISO 6400. The Nikon D3, which uses a "full-frame" imaging sensor about the size of a piece of 35mm film, can even capture images in near pitch dark at up to ISO 25,600.
With pockets cameras, anything shot at over ISO 800 will typically be riddled with ugly noise.
4) Lenses
One of the best things about digital SLRs is their versatility. Because they use interchangeable lenses, you can choose the lens you'd like to suit the photographic occasion. Even better, the lenses on DSLRs often produce far sharper results than built-in lenses on point-and-shoots.
Like sports? Slip a telephoto lens onto a Sony Alpha DSLR-A350 and let its built-in Anti-Shake technology help you get sharp photographs of your son sliding into second base. If you want to make close-ups, attach Canon's 60mm EF-S macro lens to an EOS Rebel XSi to get close enough for butterfly portraits.
There are even "digital lenses" designed specifically for the smaller sized imaging chips found in low- and modestly priced digital SLRs. These lenses, such as Tamron's 18-200mm zoom, are affordable and achieve the kind of range not possible with fixed lens point-and-shoot digicams.
Though more and more point and shoot digital cameras are equipped with long built-in zoom lenses, because these lenses are made of cheaper materials – often plastic instead of glass – your pictures will not be as sharp.
Also, the faster apertures of interchangeable lenses on DSLRs lets you create a very shallow depth of field, thus blurring out the background to draw more attention to your subject. This "beautiful blur," as it is sometimes called, can really make the people in your portraits stand out.
5) Speed
Digital SLRs also operate a lot more quickly than point-and-shoot cameras, both while taking pictures and when starting up and shutting down. A camera that starts up in a flash means you'll always be ready to capture that critical moment. I don't know how many times I've had to wait for a point-and-shoot to power on and extend its lens while the subject I wanted to photograph – such as wildlife – already moved out of range.
Even the most entry-level of DSLRs can start up and be ready to snap a photo in a fraction of a second. Even better, there's virtually no lag between when you press down the shutter and when the camera captures the photo which gives you another split second to record the decisive moment. (Many point-and-shoots, meanwhile, still suffer from frustratingly long shutter lag.)
Shot-to-shot, digital SLRs are also hands down faster than most pocket cameras. In continuous shooting mode, even entry-level DSLRs like the Rebel XSi can capture up to 3.5 frames per second. Move up to a more advanced model like Nikon D300 and you can shoot six-frames-per-second bursts. Though there are some exceptions, point-and-shoot models can shoot 3 frames per second, at best.
If you hate missing "the shot," you should definitely consider a DSLR.
6) Ruggedness
Have you ever dropped a compact camera? Not pretty, right? Have you ever gotten one wet, taken it out in freezing weather, or accidentally stepped on it? Unless you own one of those super-tough Olympus SW pocket cameras – or something similar from a competing manufacturer – your point-and-shoot is probably toast.
Most digital SLRs, particularly more advanced professional models, are far more rugged than point-and-shoots, especially when it comes to weather resistance. If your DSLR gets caught in the rain, the camera's tough, rubberized and gasketed body features weather sealing to resist water, sleet, snow, and dust. If some dust does happen to get in, many DSLRs have built-in dust reduction which automatically shakes the debris and dirt right off the imaging sensor. The camera's magnesium alloy chassis also helps protect against bumps, dings, and the occasional drop.
7) Creativity
Though they have many automatic features, digital SLRs allow for significant manual control letting you makes a range of adjustments to expand your creativity. While many photographers might just stick to the various pre-set shooting modes such as Sports, Portrait, or Macro – which all produce good results – Manual mode on a digital SLR lets you tweak your Aperture and Shutter Speed as you see fit to adjust to the shooting conditions. Other easily accessible manual features on a digital SLR include being able to adjust exposure by individual "stops," customize your White Balance, and switch to manual focus on your lens for achieving precise sharpness.
Though much of this manual functionality is available on some point-and-shoots, oftentimes you have to go through several menus to set it, making it hard to access quickly. With a digital SLR, all the various manual functions are always within reach right on the camera body.