Digital Photography
A DSLR has many controls that can be easily manipulated by the professional photographer. These controls are usually easily switchable using levers and dials on the outside of the camera—as opposed to point and shoot cameras which require the photographer to fumble though digital menus in order to make creative selections. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that DSLRs are used for the overwhelming majority of the professional photos that one will see in magazines and newspapers today.
Point and Shoot Cameras - Pro Photographer
In addition to having a more extensive (and more user friendly) exterior controls, the DSLR also has several other distinct advantages over the point and shoot cameras. First, the DSLR has a much larger selection of interchangeable lenses available to the pro photographer. Even though there are some point and shoots on the market with interchangeable lenses, they are few and far between; and the lenses that are available are of lesser quality and typically are much slower than comparable lenses on a DSLR.
There are five principle parts to the DSLR:
- The Viewfinder
- The Sensor
- The Lens
- The Aperture
- The Shutter
Each of the above (with the exception of the viewfinder) can be controlled automatically with an advanced DSLR camera. The degree and precision of the control is typically based on the quality of the camera. More expensive cameras have more features, and the features are typically faster, and more precise.
The viewfinder offers the photographer the “view” of the scene—in other words, it shows the “picture” before the image is taken. The viewfinder is use to compose the photo.
The sensor os made of up pixels, and it is the recording medium for the digital camera. The sensitivity of the sensor can be adjusting using the ISO.
Today’s DSLRs are rich with automatic features like auto-focus, auto-flash, and auto-exposure—just to name a few. All of these features are nice, but it is supremely important for the photographer to know his or her camera inside and out, and that means that he or she must not only know how to use the camera manually, but just as importantly, when to switch off the automation and shoot manually. Control the DSLR. Never let the DSLR control you.
Different shooting situations require different tactics. There is nothing wrong with shooting in AUTO, as long as the photographer understands why AUTO is the best mode to be shooting in at the time. Auto focus in the new DSLRs is incredibly fast, and very accurate. However, auto-exposure can still be fooled quite easily under certain circumstances—such as in snowy conditions.
The more you know about your camera, the better your shots will be. It is imperative that you understand your camera’s limitations. Your lenses will also have limitations—and even though we have been discussing camera bodies exclusively, it’s now time to shift gears and talk about the other half of image making—the lens.
