Digital Single Lens Reflex (SLR) cameras are excellent cameras that produce clearer, sharper and more colourful images than most point and shoot digital cameras available. With prices falling rapidly, they are now more affordable then ever. With the price gap between an entry model digital SLR camera and the most expensive compact digital camera narrowing; the question is… do I spend the extra money and get a Digital SLR camera? or save a few hundred dollars and purchase the best digital compact camera.

Well, it really depends on your budget; however if you do spend the extra money, here’s what you get:

In addition to the price falls in the Digital SLR models, the performance on these cameras has increased year on year with the latest Digital SLR cameras being quicker and faster than ever before. They have improved to such an extent that power up or start-up time is near instantaneous with virtually no lag time. “Lag time is the time between you pressing the shutter release button and the camera actually taking the shot”. This delay can vary quite a bit between different camera models and it is one of the biggest drawbacks compared to a compact digital camera. The latest digital SLR cameras have virtually no lag times and react in the same way as conventional film cameras, even in burst mode. Compact digital cameras are catching up; however the difference is still significant. A lag time of ~0.5 seconds can result in you missing the heartbeat of the moment and hence that potential great picture.

Digital SLR camera also has a larger sensor versus a smaller sensor in a compact digital camera. This equates to higher sensitivity and less noise and results in the camera taking clearer pictures in low light. (They also have better autofocus speed in low light as well). A measure of sensitivity in a digital camera is ISO and a typical ISO range for a Digital SLR camera varies from ISO 100 – 1600 with the latter being more sensitive. The ISO range for a compact digital camera varies from ISO 50 – 400. In summary, the higher the ISO rating, the greater the sensitivity and the better the photo can be taken in low light.

The Digital SLR cameras have a much longer battery life due to the limited use of the LCD screen. Please note, that as the LCD screen is only used for viewing the image, the battery life of a digital SLR can allow up to 2000 shots per charge in some cameras compared to 500 for a good point and shoot digital camera.

Digital SLR cameras also allow you to interchange lens such as adding a zoom or macro lens when required.

On the negative side of a Digital SLR camera; They are usually larger and heavier than compact digital cameras, the image cannot be previewed on the LCD screen prior taking the picture. If you really require the image to be viewed on the LCD prior to taking the picture, there are third party manufacturers that produce LCD screens that attaches to the viewfinder and allow the scene to be view just like a compact digital camera. The other drawback is the inability to take videos and finally, lenses are expensive with the majority costing more than the camera itself.

Although compact digital cameras cannot compete on features with a Digital SLR camera, they are great value, have the ability to take videos and are portable. If you have decided to purchase a Digital SLR camera I recommend you visit infodigitalcamera.com to find additional information on Digital SLR camera. If you are still undecided, purchase both.

The author is Virginia Wong who is an IT consultant and has a passion for digital photography. Her research into digital cameras resulted in the development of her own digital camera website: http://www.infodigitalcamera.com

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7 is reviewed at Digital Camera Resource and found to be an excellent ultra-zoom camera: ‘The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7 takes a very good ultra zoom camera (in the FZ5) and makes it even better. The new features, which include a larger LCD with better low light visibility, a more powerful flash, manual focus, and a new and improved movie mode, make the FZ7 one of the best cameras in its class.
Photo quality was very good for the most part, with noise being the FZ7’s weak spot. The camera took well-exposed pictures, with accurate color and good sharpness. Panasonic has been good at minimizing purple fringing in their recent cameras, and the FZ7 is no exception.’

A review of the Konica Minolta Magicolor 5450 color laser printer at Trusted Reviews gives it a glowing testimonial for quality of prints: ‘Konica Minolta’s Magicolor 5450 is a well-designed, color laser printer for the small business or workgroup. It produces some of the best photo prints we’ve seen, from PC or direct from camera, and is relatively cheap to run. The high initial price reflects the maximum print speed, and though we couldn’t realise the throughput claims, this is still a high-quality printer.’

PCMag has an interesting review of Pansonic’s Lumix DMC-LX1 digital camera: ‘If you’re looking for a compact landscape shooter, consider Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-LX1 ($599.95 direct). Although it’s not a perfect all-around camera, it gets big props for being the first digital camera with a true 16:9 CCD. Other cameras can shoot at this aspect ratio, but they achieve the result by cropping, reducing the number of pixels in the image. The LX1 is the first camera of its kind with a true 16:9 CCD. As a result, you get the full 8.4MB of information in every panoramic shot.’

Investigate the latest offer on Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-LX1.