Digital Camera Review: 2009-06

To make it simple digital cameras are categorized into 3 type, they are :

1.Pocket/consumer
this type of camera is small enough to put in your pocket
as it's name indicates. it's is handy to carry everywhere , and easy to operate. Event thought they are small , pocket cameras are equipped with many features . Their various scene modes enable you to take picture in my place and conditions.Some can even be used to shoot in 5 meters - deep water , with all the features available in today's pocket cameras , the resulting photos are as good as those taken with Prosumer or even DSLR cameras.

2.Prosumer
The word of "Prosumer" comes from PROfessional conSUMER. this type of digital camera is a step ahead of the consumer type these cameras are bigger in size , because their zooming ability up to 20x optical zoom, and manual shoot mode . The zoom range can also be extended via converters, althought converters cannot always be used for all kind of zoom lense .Sometimes , when the zoom is set at maximum , it may result in bad vignetting .
Prosumer cameras are suitable for those who want to learn more about photography before proceeding to the next level.

3. DSLR
Digital Single Lens Reflex Or DSLR camera used interchangeable lenses. A wide variety of lenses for different purposes are available for each camera system. DSLR are also faster at starting focusing , taking pictures taking multiple pictures, better at taking picture under low lighting situations by using higher ISO speeds ( no graininess ) and of course they cost more.
DSLRs are usually large and heavier than other camera types . It means that you probably won't always have your camera ready in your pocket or purse when a photo opportunity comes along ( DSLRs are the type you might wear around your neck with a strap, you can't carry it in your pocket

In the realm of film photography, the choice of camera was pretty clear if you were a serious photographer. Film SLRs can do many things that compact cameras can't do, and the quality they produce is generally significantly higher.

One of the most significant advantages of the film SLR is that you view through the lens, which is vital for taking close-up and macro shots. You can get macro lenses for SLRs that allow a large degree of magnification.

In film cameras, you generally have wider apertures for low-light photography without flash. If you do use flash, you can use an accessory flash that will give you much better lighting than the small flash built into the camera.

In the realm of digital cameras, the factors described in the previous paragraph are available with a prosumer camera as well, and in some cases are done better with one of those than a DSLR.

A prosumer camera is one that has a full range of manual controls, an accessory shoe for an external flash, and mounting threads for filters and additional lenses. Some examples are the Minolta Dimage A2 and A200; the Canon G2,G5, G6 and Pro1; the Nikon 5400, 5700, 8400, and 8800; the Olympus 5050 and 8080; and the Sony F717 and F828.

Some advantages of the prosumer camera:

1. A prosumer camera lets you view the scene through its LCD or electronic viewfinder. Most DSLRs let you view the shot only after you have taken it. The EVF is particularly useful in bright light conditions for reviewing pictures, where the LCD of a DSLR may be difficult to see.

2. A prosumer camera lets you take extreme close-ups, often as large as 1:1 with its built in lens. With a DSLR, you have to buy a rather expensive macro lens, and carry it around with you. In addition, the wider depth of field of cameras with smaller sensors is very useful for macro photography.

3. A prosumer camera doesn't have a moving mirror, which is a source of vibrations and noise in DSLRs, and therefore it can be used at a lower shutter speed and in locations where silence is important.

4. Many prosumer cameras have zoom lenses of a large aperture, such as f/2, which are either extremely expensive, or just plain unavailable for DSLRs. The lenses on prosumer cameras are designed specifically for their CCDs, and generally perform better at large apertures than comparable lenses on DSLRs. On my Pro1, the image is sharp in the corner even at f/2.8. On typical consumer grade SLR zoom lenses, you have to stop down to f/5.6 or f/8 to get the same kind of sharpness -- or spend upward of $1000 for a professional grade zoom lens. One reason for the difference is that the space taken up by the mirror in a DSLR requires a complex retrofocus design to get a wide angle view.

5. Most prosumer cameras are much more compact and lighter than DSLRs, a big advantage for travelling. The lightest prosumer camera, the Nikon 5400, weighs 360 grams, compared to about 800 grams for the typical consumer DSLR with lens.

Some advantages of DSLRs:

1. The larger image sensor of a DSLR has less electronic noise, and therefore can be used at higher ISO values without objectionable noise. This is an advantage for low light photography, and especially for action or sports photography where fast shutter speeds are needed to stop the action. Focussing is also quite a bit faster on DSLRs.

2. By offering interchangeable lenses, the DSLR makes available a wider range of focal lengths. This is especially the case at the long end, where extreme telephoto lenses are available. On the other hand, you get the inconvenience of having to change lenses. You just cannot buy for a DSLR a lens as convenient as the f/2.8-3.5, 28mm-200mm equivalent zoom that comes with the Minolta Dimage A1.

3. A DSLR has less depth of field, so if you want to blur the background, it's somewhat easier to do with a DSLR. However, a Minolta Dimage A1 at f/3.5 at the 200mm end of its zoom range can blur the background better than a DSLR with its standard zoom lens.

4. DSLRs generally focus faster, have less shutter lag, and can take a larger number of shots in rapid sequence. This means that where there is any kind of action, you can do a better job of capturing the exact moment you want to capture. This is valuable not just for fast action like sports, but shots of people (especially children) who are moving around. You have a better chance of taking spontaneous shots, or capturing that perfect expression.

Image Quality

When a 5 megapixel prosumer camera is used at its lowest ISO setting, there is no significant difference in image quality. The vertical lines of resolution are about the same as in a 6 megapixel DSLR. (The DSLR has 6 megapixels only because it is a wider format. For many photos, e.g., for printing an 8x10, you crop that off and it's wasted.)

Indeed the Canon G5, with 1350 lines of vertical resolution, beats the Nikon D100 and Pentax *istD, which have only 1300. The 8 megapixel prosumer cameras (Minolta Dimage A2, Canon Pro1, Nikon 8700, Sony F828) have even higher resolution. The tiny Canon S80 beats the semi-professional 20D in vertical resolution.(Comparative data on image quality of different cameras can be found at www.dpreview.com)

It is usually claimed that DSLRs have more dynamic range, meaning that they can show detail in the shadowed parts of a scene without the brighter parts of the picture being so bright that they lose detail. There may be some truth to this, but the difference is not large in the comparative samples I have seen. One interesting comparison can be seen at http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1007&message=10337700, where an impage from a Nikon 5700 (prosumer) appears to have better dynamic range than a Nikon D70 DSLR.

Digital Camera Review

Difference of type camera of Pocket, Prosumer( semi pro ) and DSLR

Digital SLR versus Compact Prosumer Cameras

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