6 Reasons to Prefer Point-and-Shoots to DSLR Cameras

The following post is an extension to my previous post which talked about how point-and-shoots are different from DSLRs.
In this post, I am going to highlight 6 reasons to prefer a regular point-and-shoot camera to a DSLR...

 

1. Affordability

Point-and-shoots are generally available at around half the cost of DSLRs. The reason for this wide gap in price is quite discernible - compact cameras are built inexpensively keeping the needs of casual users in mind, while the DSLRs are built expensively keeping the requirements of PROs in mind. Besides that, not everyone can keep up with the cost of accessories and maintenance of DSLRs, except for the professionals and photo maniacs :P

 

2. Portability

A point and shoot camera is your perfect companion for casual occasions like birthday shoots, get together clicks and for travel photography, on the go. Unlike DSLRs, point-and-shoots being sleek, light weight and pocketable are never a burden to carry along with.

 

3. User Friendly Interface

It's very easy to operate a point-and-shoot than a DSLR. It's just a matter of getting acquainted with a couple of buttons and you are good to go. Contrary, operating a DSLR requires an exhaustive understanding of so many controls and combinations. I have seen so many novice and wanna be photographers being bogged down by the sheer abstruseness of DSLRs. So, don't ever go for a costly DSLR, until you become an accomplished virtuoso at capturing anything with your point-and-shoot skills. The good news is, Android – the most successful mobile OS has entered to power the compact camera world. Nikon UK has recently launched the first ever android powered camera - COOLPIX S800c.

 

4. Maintenance

Needless to say, DSLRs demand much more care and maintenance than the compact cameras. One really needs to have a stomach to wipe clean all the vital parts of the DSLR unlike its counterpart which can be cleaned and maintained very easily.

 

5. Appealing Looks & Colors

These days the point-and-shoots come in vivid style and colors. Take Sony Cybershot's T series and the whole new range of canon's IXUS series of cameras for example. They are a perfect blend of style statement and functionality in a nice little package. Contrary to that, most of the DSLRs are available in the same retro style but they are very powerful when it comes to the level of performance and acuity.

 

6. Useful in-built presets

Point-and-shoots are usually equipped with so many useful presets like - the panorama mode, macro mode, under-water mode and the portrait mode. These presets perceptibly eliminate the need to fiddle with the manual settings of your camera while capturing different types of scenes.
For instance, to capture due drops on leaves, one can achieve fairly good results in short time by readily operating the camera under the macro mode.
Whereas to capture the same type of scene with a DSLR, one will need to carefully select a suitably larger aperture value and a smaller shutter speed to achieve remarkable results.

So what camera do u prefer to use ? Please add your valuable opinions in the comments below.

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How do megapixels affect digital picture quality

Do megapixels really make a difference ? How the effective megapixels of a digital camera relate to the picture quality ? Do increased number of pixels increase the digital picture quality and vice versa ? These are some of the frequently asked questions that certainly perplex the buyers who are not much into this business !

What is a megapixel ?

Technically speaking, a megapixel comprises of 1 million pixels or 1000000 pixels in an image, where a pixel being the smallest unit that forms the image you see on the screen. So when someone says that he has a 2 megapixel camera, then it means that the camera is able to capture an image with 2000000 pixel count. Quite clearly, as the number of pixels( or megapixels) on a digital picture increase, the level of detail in the digital picture and the size also do increase proportionally. Megapixel can be thought of as the basic unit to measure a digital picture. I believe that was enough to get a noob acquainted with – what is a megapixel and how does it relates to the digital picture ?

For example – consider this star icon…

When it is zoomed to maximum level in windows photo viewer, each pixel of this icon becomes visible (and the total number of these pixels expressed in the form of 1 million gives the effective megapixels)

Ok..now that you have well understood the fundamental explanation of a megapixel, lets move ahead and see how the number of megapixels are related to the digital picture quality…

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Megapixels and Digital picture quality

For a given size and resolution of a screen, you can’t really figure out the difference between the image qualities of two photos captured with different resolutions from the same camera. A 10 megapixel photo on a 3.2 inch screen seems to have almost the same quality as a 14 megapixel photo would have on the same screen.

So it’s a myth that higher megapixels lead to higher image quality. Indeed, image quality is only affected by the nature of camera lens used. For example – a picture taken at 5 megapixel resolution using a mobile phone camera will be a bit inferior to the same picture captured with a digital camera (point and shoot or DSLR)

Two photos are uploaded below (the left photo is captured using 5 MP resolution and the right photo is captured using a 10 MP resolution). It’s clear - you can’t distinguish the image quality of the two photos, though they have been captured with entirely different resolutions.

 

So the question arises…

When are higher megapixels needed ?

Higher megapixels are only required when one needs to obtain really good quality prints of their pictures. Remember that higher the megapixels or resolution of the camera, the more details the picture will contain. So capturing photos with a higher megapixels camera has an advantage only when you need to take superior quality prints of your digital photos. Furthermore, a higher resolution image when resized or compressed, looks better and contain more details as compared to the one resized or compressed with a low resolution.

When and how does image quality gets affected ?

Both the images are now resized/compressed down to 80% using Adobe Photoshop and the megapixel effect is analyzed by zooming in to 500% in Photoshop.

It’s clearly seen that the image which was captured with 10 megapixel resolution (the photo on the right side) still contains more details (more number of pixels) as compared to the one captured with lower resolution (the photo on the left side). This is the only way, one can distinguish between the image quality of two photos with different resolutions.

 

Quite obviously, large sized and superfine quality prints do require higher number of megapixels !!

I believe that this post fulfills its purpose and educates the readers with a much broader concept of megapixels and their relation to the digital picture quality !!

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Point and shoot Vs DSLR Camera

What is the difference between a point-and-shoot camera and DSLR camera? Which camera should I buy – a compact point-and-shoot or a bulky DSLR Camera ? These are some of the questions this post seeks to answer…

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Point and Shoot Camera

A point-and-shoot camera is a compact and easy to carry still camera specially designed for casual photographers. Its compactness, light weight, sophisticated design and ease of use make it a top choice among new photographers who are learning photography.

Advantages of Point-and-shoot cameras:

• Their features are easy to understand for beginners.
• Light in weight and compact and thus point-and-shoot cameras are easy to carry.
• Point-and-shoot cameras come under a reasonable price range and thus they are quite affordable.
• Preview of the scene on the LCD adds to the pleasure to shoot with ease and comfort.
• Semi manual and full manual controls are allowed in some cameras.

Disadvantages of Point-and-shoot cameras:

• Inferior quality of the image when compared to DSLRs. This is due to smaller size of optical image sensors of point-and-shoot cameras.
• Limited access to important manual features like aperture and shutter speed. Controlling these manual settings play a significant role in determining the overall quality of the image. So a Point-and-shoot camera usually comes down to its knees when it comes to controlling the manual settings.
• Point-and-shoot cameras suffer from shutter lags and thus they are prone to slow speeds.
• Inability to change the camera lens. They have a fixed inbuilt camera lens which can’t be replaced.

Working of point and shoot camera

point and shoot camera uses autofocus lenses or focus free lenses which means you are not allowed to change the focal length of these cameras such as the earlier used film cameras which uses a film to store the projected image. But with the advancement in technology point and shoot cameras changed their mechanism. Now they use a sensor on which image is projected and it is stored in memory devices. The point and shoot camera’s are now bit flexible and their controls such as shutter speed, aperture etc. can now be altered to some extent.

Should I buy a point and shoot camera?

If you don’t use a camera on regular basis then it is a better choice for you. For the people who use cameras only on special occasions such as a family party or a picnic then you should go for point and shoot camera.It is easier to maintain and differs with large gap in price as compared to DSLR. It is built for those who don’t want to tangle in complex operations of DSLR.

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DSLR camera

A DSLR is complicated when compared to a point-and-shoot camera. DSLRs use a reflex mirror system to aid the photographer to view through the optical view-finder. It is a camera especially designed for professionals who need a wide range of accuracy as well as a wide range of flexibility in their work. By flexibility I mean effortless access to all the manual settings like controlling aperture, shutter speed, ISO, etc..

Working of a DSLR:

DSLRs have totally different working system as compared to point and shoot cameras. The DSLR cameras has a lens, a mirror system and a pentaprism. They use mirror to reflect light to the viewfinder with the help of a pentaprism. A pentaprism is prism having five sides and is used to deviate the beam of light coming from the lens after the reflection from mirror by 90 degree so that conveyance of image by right angle without any inversion. Total internal reflection takes place inside the pentaprism to focus the view of image just composed to the viewfinder. A viewfinder is what photographer looks through to compose a image.The LED, LCD and OLED are electronic viewfinder. And the lens is used with camera body to project the image on sensor which stores the image electrically.  A simple model of a DSLR will help you to understand this better. 

 

Advantages of DSLRs:

• Superior image quality owing to comparatively larger size of optical image sensor of a DSLR camera.
• Access to a wide range of manual control/settings and thus DSLRs are flexible devices. Photographers enjoy the freedom to select several manual settings with the comfort of just a few clicks.
• These days DSLRs come with interchangeable camera lens. This feature adds to their reliability and ease of use.
• Optical view finder adds to the sheer photography experience.

Disadvantages of DSLRs:

• DSLRs are bulky and complicated devices. Unlike a point-and-shoot camera, a DSLR is difficult to carry everywhere with the comfort of putting it in your pocket.
• DSLRs are much expensive when compared to point-and-shoot cameras. Thus it is recommended only for people who take photography as a career or photographers who are very much skilled in this business.
• DSLRs are very difficult to maintain. Great care has to be ensured to get it working in excellent condition.

Should i buy a DSLR?

If you are a serious photographer and have a keen interest in photography then DSLR is a right choice for you because it gives you wide features which point and shoot cameras are incapable of providing. Photography is all about experimenting with new things and a DSLR camera gives you boundless flexibility to experiment with new things. If you are not a regular photographer and don’t want to alter the controls of a camera rather loves to shoot in Auto mode then DSLR is not what you are searching for.  If you are opting for a DSLR then keep it in mind that it is quite expensive and it is not a one time payment product. You may need to purchase different lenses lenses in future which are expensive too. But in a nutshell, the image quality of a DSLR cannot be compared to that of a point-and-shoot camera.

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5 tips to take care of your digital camera

Digital cameras are expensive and they need your little attention and care to perform well even after years of purchasing them.

Get acquainted with the 5 tips mentioned below to take care of your digital camera…

1.) Camera Bag

When not in use always keep your camera in its bag. This prevents any sort of scratch and dust that might spoil the camera and make it look like a less new one.
 

 

2.) Camera lens and LCD screen

 

The camera lens is the heart of your camera. Never touch it directly with your fingers and avoid using any cloth to wipe it clean. The camera lens should be cleaned using a slightly damped cotton cloth or a special micro-fiber cloth. Similarly for cleaning the camera's LCD panel one can use these materials. But it's always recommended to use a camera-cleaning kit rather than trying your hands on it.
   

3.) Battery

Always make sure not to keep your camera with battery inside it, when the camera is no longer in use. This can lead to corrosive discharges and is harmful to both the battery as well as the camera.
   

4.) Memory Card

Never place your digital camera near a magnetic material or near any electric field, as this can lead to a damaged memory card.

5.) Basic cleaning

Clean your camera and it's accessories by every weekend. It is advisable to buy a camera-cleaning kit for basic cleaning and maintenance.

Good Luck and enjoy the photography!

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Digital camera technical specifications

Getting acquainted with the specifications of digital camera is the first right step for customers before purchasing their dream camera. To ensure that you don't get perplexed by hearing these technical specifications from the shop dealers, you need to get yourself introduced with these terms.

Below are the 6 most popular technical specifications for digital camera that you need to know…

digital camera specification number 1:
megapixels (MP)

 
It denotes the resolution (ex. 4000*3000) that the camera  is capable of.
Advantages of Higher megapixel: 

• Best for zooming in and resizing without any considerable loss of image quality. 
  
• Best for taking superior quality prints. 
  
• More intense color details.

Most digital cameras these days come with the resolutions of 5 MP, 10 MP, 12 MP and 14 MP. Higher the resolution more will the picture detail but at the expense of larger image size. Go for the camera resolution that suits your needs.

digital camera specification number 2:
optical zoom

Optical Zoom is the capability of the digital camera's lens to zoom in before you actually capture any picture or record a video. Like megapixel, with increasing optical zoom the price of camera goes up. For example a camera with 4x optical zoom is capable of adjusting its lens so that it can zoom in 4 times the actual picture detail. If you frequently go for outings then go for a higher optical zoom (10x). But if you are a casual camera user (home user), then go for any moderate optical zoom (like 3x or 4x).

digital camera specification number 3 :
digital zoom

Digital zoom is the capability of the camera to zoom in after you have actually captured your picture. Generally most of the compact digital cameras come with a digital zoom of 4x. A higher digital zoom is surely a nice specification that every home user will crave for.

digital camera specification number 4: 
LCD length

 

It's the length of the digital camera's LCD screen, measured diagonally. Higher the LCD length better will be the viewing experience. But again, just like all of the above specifications, the cost of camera rises with an increase with the LCD.

digital camera specification number 5:
storage media

It denotes the type of memory capable of storing the digital photos captured by the camera. Most of the cameras have built-in micro SD cards that support up to 4GB of data. 

 

digital camera specification number 6:
ISO

It is the measure of the camera's sensitivity to light. Go for the camera with adjustable ISO settings as these are important when you have to shoot in challenging conditions (like too much light or low light conditions). Lower ISO value is desirable when shooting under too much light while it's higher value is desirable when shooting under low light conditions.

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5 Myths about digital cameras

There are a number of myths about digital cameras creeping among the people who are not aficionado of digital cameras. Without having basic knowledge about digital cameras people promote these myths among each other… Here are the popular 5 myths about the digital cameras:

higher the mega-pixel, better is the picture quality

People associate high megapixel counts with better picture quality… that’s a myth. Higher megapixels are required only when you need to take photo-prints of exceptionally good quality or when you need to get your pictures resized without losing the quality. An 8 MP camera will give the same photo-quality as a 10 MP camera. With an 8 MP picture your pixels will spread out if you zoom it after a certain range (1:1), while with a 10 MP camera you will be able to zoom in without losing much pixels. Furthermore, the size of picture will be larger than as compared to the picture captured with 8 MP one. That's the main difference. Overall there is no perceptible difference in the image quality. This is the most popular myth about digital camera which needs to be scrapped off.

expensive cameras are always better

It's again not true. First, you should properly check out the features and modes that you want in the camera of your choice then go for the right camera. Properly check out the lens type, camera brand, the features that you need and your pocket size of course.

digital cameras are only for experts

NO. Actually capturing images with digital cameras has become a child's play today. You just need to know the basic controls and features and that's it. Digital cameras have indeed brought a revolution in the field of photography.

digital cameras are expensive

It's simply ludicrous to say that digital cameras are expensive or "I can't afford to buy one" especially in a digital era in which the price of digital electronic products plunges down every one year. When you keep yourself abreast of the latest cameras and prices you will find that they are no more expensive. Carefully select the appropriate features that you need and then go for the camera. For instance, unless you are a pro photographer you might not need a DSLR with 10x zoom, super HD video recording..etc. My advice – for those who just stepped in the digital photography, practicing with point-and-shoots is the way to go !

digital cameras need a lot of care

Digital cameras can be maintained in very good conditions for years if basic cleaning and care is taken. For example, while in a month it is recommended to clean the camera lens with a soft cotton cloth using lens cleaning liquid, with smooth & gentle strokes in circular motion. The next basic care is to make sure that you are using a good camera bag, which can save your camera from dust and accidental drops.

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