Do I need a Digital SLR for getting fine pictures?

When your needs are just centered on clicking a few casual shots on a vacation and to see and share them on a computer, then it is not a wise idea to go for a detailed DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera even if it means that you can afford it. Again, if you don’t have the basic knowledge of photography, then buying an expensive digital camera with ‘hi - fi features’ become demanding and you may end up in total frustration. Why buy frustration at a cost…! Relax and go for a simple camera initially and after getting a feel of photography, you can settle for the next superior level gear.

Remember, whether you are a beginner or professional, your camera should give you a sense of contentment at the end. Photography is good fun and especially for a hobbyist, it is truly a way to relax. Let us not break our heads with the hi-end cameras, when we need to gratify only our basic needs of photography. Your interest in photography will soar only when most of your pictures come good! I know many affluent people who possess very expensive and the best model cameras but unable to use them because it is painful to comprehend and shoot even simple pictures..!

At the same time, never settle for anything less if you are a professional photographer. Let your camera support your imagination and creativity for you to become a master in your selected domain of photography. For a professional, a good camera is one of the means to make his professional front better.

What do we mean by ‘the need or purpose of a camera?’. Well it is about what we intend to do with our cameras. For example a camera may be used,

· To shoot casual pictures of our family, friends just for fun

· To shoot people in every day life for serious documentation,

· To shoot the world around for making a news or to bring awareness

· To shoot your favorite sport star in action.

· To shoot the world of nature and wild

· To shoot pictures for very special medical or scientific purposes and the list is almost endless.

Every other need that is mentioned above and much more can be addressed by the right type of camera and lenses. Nowadays, digital cameras come with lot of options to choose from. Unlike conventional film cameras, it is possible to select the quality and resolution of the pictures depending on the way you want them for your applications. The same camera can be set to work in different resolution for different photography needs. You can even choose to shoot pictures with desired colour, black & white and even grain structure.

Maybe, it is better to understand the true advantage of a digital camera before you choose to buy one. Digital cameras record images on reusable memory cards instead of film, and there are no films and developing costs involved. So you can take as many pictures as you want and only print the ones you like. Most digital cameras feature an LCD view screen that lets you perfectly compose your photo and then check to make sure it came out the way you had hoped.

You really can enjoy the comfort about the technical advantages of a digicam if you know a lot more about the basics of digital photography. Photography was never so easy for a person serious about it. You will possibly understand how much you really know if you participate in a serious photography class. We shoot pictures that are not in focus even with an auto focus cameras…Our pictures look over or under exposed even if we use ‘programme or auto’ exposure modes!…Our pictures look blurred even with a VR or IS lens…Our pictures look flat and less interesting though we use a built in camera flash…Sometimes our pictures do not withstand even a slightly bigger enlargement.

Unfortunately every other setting in a digital camera needs to be understood correctly and set properly to make the best of it. This is what we mean ‘knowledge in basic photography’. If you are not willing to learn more about the novices of photography or you are a busy person and need something good, just at the press of a shutter button, then it is advisable to go for simple cameras with no complicated settings.

But if you want to buy a good Digital SLR camera, then it is suggested to learn a little about the basic aspects of good photography and handling of DSLRs.

- KL.Raja