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Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) versus Compact Camera?
by
architect |
F: 2.8 | S: 1/30 | ISO: 200 |
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Before I start, which image above was taken with a DSLR and which with a Compact? Shots were taken side by side. Answer is at the bottom.
This Experience Tip is a companion piece to my “How to Get Quality Images from a Compact Camera”. This Experience Tip will hopefully help you decide how to start in photography by pointing out the pros and cons of the two very different formats.
Definition of a “compact” is a camera with a very small sensor, around 1/15th the size of many DSLRs. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_sensor_format for an extensive discussion of formats, ranging from camera phones to compacts to the various DSLR or Interchangeable Lens Compacts (ILCs) formats.
1. COST is the first consideration. You can get a great compact camera, even a superzoom with lots of controls, for much less than the cost of a single professional level DSLR lens. Saying this another way, you can take great photographs using a $400 (or less) compact, if you have mastered the techniques and accepted the limitations, that can exceed the quality of a DSLR used by a poor photographer, lacking in technical skills.
2. CONVENIENCE is another important consideration. With a compact camera, you do not need to change (or carry around) additional lenses. Nor do you need a backpack to transport your camera and its accessories. A simple neckstrap and/or a pocket or two will suffice. DSLRs are much bulkier, heavier and much less convenient to carry, and travel with (think weight limits on luggage for air travel). On the side of the DSLRs, the batteries are generally capable of taking many more photos than the small compact batteries.
3. CREATIVITY in getting the image you really want is mixed between the two types. Many compacts can take macro shots with deep depth of field (impossible to capture with DSLRs), capturing all the detail of an insect, for example, but a properly equipped DSLR can take creative shots using blurred backgrounds impossible to achieve with compacts. But the latest compact superzooms can take telephoto shots with great detail at long distances with just a thumb on the zoom control. DSLRs, because they offer many interchangeable lenses, and accessories to expand focusing and telephoto ability do have more flexibility, but at much higher costs.
4. CAPTURE ABILITY and VERSATILITY are where the DSLRs really shine and are the reason professionals use only DSLRs for serious work. DSLRs excel in speed and accuracy in autofocusing, speed in getting the first shot off as well as subsequent shots, metering accuracy, and performance at higher ISOs (400 and above) is much better with the larger pixels common to the DSLR sensors. Professional lenses available for DSLRs can be much faster (F1.4 to F2.8) than lenses for compacts, although at a high cost. These allow for capture of sporting events in low light, as one example. Wildlife is another. And the viewing systems of DSLRs is generally superior to that of compacts, many of which lack a viewfinder, a more stable way to view your composition, in my opinion, than the LCD on the rear of the camera.
5. LIGHTING OPTIONS for DSLRs is much greater than the on-camera flash available on compacts, and include camera mounted flash units as well as remote lights linked to the camera.
6. QUALITY of the final image is where DSLRs have the potential to exceed the compacts. Regardless of the number of megapixels, a DSLR at 12 MP will have a higher quality image file than a compact of similar size, due to the larger size of the individual pixels, which produce less digital noise in the image. Optical quality is a mixed bag, as some compacts have excellent lenses that are relatively distortion free and provide good resolution. DSLR lenses run the gamut, from fair to excellent depending on the design. Also all DSLRs accommodate the RAW file format, while only a few advanced Compacts do. That file format greatly improves the ability to edit for the optimal image.
CONCLUSION: If you are serious about becoming a professional photographer, then plan on making the financial sacrifices necessary to buy into the DSLR world. If this is a hobby, where you share your images with friends and family for fun, then a compact camera may be all you will ever need. But as I note in my “How to Get Quality Images from a Compact Camera“ Experience Tip, you can get close to professional quality images from a compact camera if you accept its limitations and restrictions, and learn to edit images to overcome some of its disadvantages.
Top Image: Maryleeusa's Kodak Z981, 1/30 sec, F2.8, ISO 200.
Bottom Image: My Nikon D90, 1/125 sec, F9.0, ISO 3200.
Note that my shutter speed is two stops faster than Marylee's, to freeze the action better, and my F-stop is over three stops smaller for greater DOF (the DSLR has much less DOF at any f-stop due to the difference in lens settings). Her 200 ISO has little noise, my 3200 ISO has noticable noise, but uncorrected in this edit. |
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ssem21403
Jul 6 2010 8:57PM |
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all very valid pooints Gary. One additional quality not mentioned here that almost all DSLRs have RAW capability and only a few Compacts have that . Might I add you write very well on this subject , even gramatically |
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onthegoma
Jul 6 2010 9:02PM |
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Great comparison. I agree with what you have pointed out. Travel with a DSLR & lenses is a pain... but I now have my ''backpack'' on wheels rather than my back. Bought a soft-sided cooler with a handle and wheels at Costco. It fits in the overhead bins in airplanes & well within the size restrictions. |
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onthegoma
Jul 6 2010 9:03PM |
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BOTH images are remarkable. I did notice though - the detail and depth of the bottom image. |
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architect
Jul 6 2010 10:20PM |
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Thank you Michael and Darlene. I have added a sentence on the RAW format. |
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kobresia
Jul 17 2010 1:08PM |
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I always knew Marylee was better than you.
Haa...(you didn''t think I was going to let you get by on that, did you?!)
Seriously. If it weren''t for your 3200 (!!) ISO, it might''ve been a tie. Good study here. :) |
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jrmcbills
Jul 22 2010 7:15PM |
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Well done. Many of us have not yet made the big investment but love to share decent quality photos. The information provided in this article is very informative and is invaluable to those of us on a budget. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with all. |
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timtim
Aug 4 2010 7:37AM |
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I think the main flaws with the compcat for me is the clarity! It is not as good as the DSLR. The price is about five times more but I think in a long run, it is worth it! Thank you on your experience tips. |
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veolia
Aug 20 2010 1:34PM |
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This was very helpful... thanks. |
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