How To Buy A Digital SLR Camera? This is a video tutorial from VideoJug about the important features of digital SLR cameras. It also includes memory cards, megapixels, lenses, jpeg pictures, and more. Learn from professionals how to choose and buy the best SLR camera.
If you do not want to buy a digital SLR camera, but a compact digital camera then have a look at these two digital camera tutorials, “How To Buy A Good Digital Camera For Beginners ” and “How To Buy A Digital Camera (part 2)“.
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Step 1: What is a Digital SLR camera?
SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex. SLR cameras have been the favoured cameras of professional photographers for decades. Today advent of the digital SLR, or DSLR, as it is also known, has provided another option for today’s serious photographers.
These cameras offer more control than standard digital cameras and produce higher quality images when used correctly. They also differ from compacts and standard digital cameras in that they can be used with a variety of lenses, filters and flashes to maximise the cameras capabilies in different conditions.
You do not have to be a professional to use them, and many models come with features to help novices make the step up from point and shoot digital cameras. The higher end models presume a certain level of knowledge about SLR photography.
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Step 2: What Will You Use Your Camera For?
One of the first questions you should ask yourself is what sort of pictures am I likely to take with this camera. Is it simply for recording events from your life? Do you want to take pictures of subjects moving at speed? Do you need the camera to work in very low light or with very small subjects? Make a list of the different conditions you will need your camera to perform in.
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Step 3: Size
Almost all Digital SLR cameras are larger and heavy than a standard compact digital camera. However, there is variation within the range itself and it’s worth thinking about how heavy you want the equipment to be. Remember that you may be attaching very heavy lenses to the camera.
Pick up the model you are considering, and imagine using it with heavy lenses. Does it feel comfortable? Feel the weight distribution, does it sit comfortably in your hands?
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Step 4: Sensor size
A digital SLR camera uses a sensor in the same way a traditional SLR camera uses 35mm film. The sensor will record the information coming down the lens, but smaller sensors will only capture some of that information.
Some cameras have full-frame image sensors, meaning they can work with the widest lenses to produce some brilliant landscape images. But this also means images shot with a telephoto lens can be harder to crop. It is also worth remembering that these sensors increase the price of the camera significantly and burn through memory cards at a greater rate. Big sensors also tend to be harder to keep dust free, which can be a costly and time consuming annoyance.
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Step 5: LCD Monitor
Unlike compact digital cameras, the LCD screen on DSLR cameras only allow you to view the image after it has been captured. For composition of the shot you have to use the viewfinder.
However, the LCD screen is still a very important feature. Not only does it display the pictures and menu options, they are also used to display histograms giving exposure information for your photos.
As with standard digital cameras, try to select a model which has a large clear LCD, which has as many pixels as possible.
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Step 6: RAW and JPEG formats
Some Digital SLR models can record images in both RAW format and JPEG format. This is a very handy feature and is worth checking for.
RAW images take up far more memory as the information is largely uncompressed. You will need special software to view RAW images, but the software also allows you to tailor the photo after it has been been taken, and then save it as a normal JPEG or TIFF file.
JPEG are compressed, and so more will fit on a memory card. If you choose high levels of compression, the picture quality will suffer. Once a JPEG photo is taken, you cannot alter features of the photo such as white balance and exposure compensation.
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Step 7: Memory Cards
Some models of DSLR cameras come with a memory card, though most do not. Regardless it is worth upgrading to at least a 1 gigabyte memory card for your camera.
Most DSLRs take Compact Flash memory cards though some take SD cards. If you own a standard digital camera you may wish to look for a model of DSLR that takes the same variety of memory card to save you buying new cards.
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Step 8: Lenses
Digital SLR cameras often come with a kit lens supplied, but to take advantage of the full capabilities of your camera you will probably want to invest in more lenses. Many photographers believe that high-range lenses on mid-range cameras will give you better pictures than mid-range lenses on a high-range camera. Find out what the range of lenses for any model you consider are like. Remember, many manufacturers only make lenses that work for their brand of camera, but there are some companies that specialise in lenses that are adaptable to different models.
Which lenses you choose to invest in depends entirely on what pictures you want to take: for grandiose panoramic landscapes you will need a wide angle lens; for pictures of very small subjects a macro lens will be useful.
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Step 9: Compatibility
If you already own a traditional SLR camera, it is probably worth buying a Digital SLR from the same manufacturer as the lenses are often interchangeable. However, do not assume this. Tell the sales person which lenses you own and how old they are when checking if they are compatible with the digital model.
It is also worth remembering that lenses for film cameras can give you different results on a digital camera as the sensor is often smaller than the gauge of a 35mm frame. Check this out with the sales assistant before you buy.
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Step 10: White Balance
White Balance settings control the colour temperature of your images. In strong daylight images can appear blueish and cold, whereas indoor lighting can make people look strangely orange. Most DSLRs offer a range of controls and settings for different lighting conditions, but if your work is colour critical it is worth looking for a model with maximum White Balance control.
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Step 11: Shutter Speeds
All DSLRs also allow you to vary the shutter speed. The shutter speed denotes the amount of time the Image sensor is exposed to light from the image. Some models of DSLR allow quite amazing ranges of shutter speed that can allow you literally freeze a fast moving object. If action or sports photography is likely to be important to you, it is worth checking what is the maximum shutter speed of which a camera is capable.
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Step 12: Burst Mode
Many Digital SLR models of come with a feature called burst mode. This allows the camera to shoot a burst of images quickly by just holding down the shutter release, you can then pick which images you want to keep. Obviously this is great for sports and action photography. Different models vary in the number of frames that they can shoot per second, and in how many images they can shoot in a single burst, so it is worth asking a salesperson about this feature.
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Step 13: Pixels & Megapixels
Digital pictures are made up of hundreds of thousands of “pixels” arranged in a grid over the image. Pixels contain information about light and colour for the area of the image they correspond to. A mega-pixel is a million pixels. The more pixels the clearer your images will be, and the more realistic colours your camera will be able to capture.
However there is a misconception that the number of pixels is the only important factor when considering picture quality. Also important is the pixel size, many standard digital cameras boast massive mega-pixels of resolution, but will still not produce the quality of image of a DSLR with a smaller number of pixels. This is because DSLRs have bigger pixels which capture more light. This especially important when taking pictures in low-light or with faster shutter speeds.
Other features
It is also worth considering some of the other features found in some DSLR models.
Dust Protection for the image sensor is available on some models, and this can even go as far as self-cleaning image sensors. If you can find a model with this feature it will probably save you a lot of frustration.
You should also ask the salesperson about how the camera connects to a computer. Generally DSLR cameras have USB ports, but increasingly models have FireWire ports and even wireless options for downloading your photos. Check that your home computer is compatible to the options on your chosen camera.
If you are new to the SLR level of camera, it may be an idea to buy a model that has similar semi-automatic modes to the ones found on standard digital cameras. These include settings for “landscape”, “sport” or “night”.
Again the main thing is to know what you want to achieve with your camera, and then pick a model that reflects your decisions.
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