DAY 31

PHOTOGRAPHY 101

SLR vs. Point and Shoot

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

The first major difference is that what you see is not what you get.

When viewing the scene you are about to photograph through the viewfinder of an SLR camera, the scene is viewed through the lens, and via a reflective mirror in the pentaprism, the view is available in the viewfinder precisely as it will be captured on the film/sensor.

When looking through the viewfinder of a point and shoot, since the view-finder is slightly above the lens, there is a slight offset in the final photograph. This is called the parallax effect. Parallax becomes even more noticeable the closer the camera is to the subject.

An SLR is an excellent choice for the aspiring photographer or the casual user interested in producing more artistic and technically correct photographs. They most often have extra features such as through-the-lens metering and a built-in flash, and offer a variety of shooting modes, giving the user the ability to control as few or as many of the settings as he wishes. On the downside, an SLR is generally more expensive, bulkier, and heavier than the smaller point and shoot cameras.

Point and shoots are excellent choices for the casual user and have automatic settings that require very little user input. They are small and fit nicely in jacket pockets and are fairly affordable. Unfortunately, they don’t offer enough versatility for the serious photographer and the automatic controls can be frustrating for a user wanting to have more control over his photography. —CWN