| Digital SLR comes from digital single lens reflex, which | | | | Digital SLR With Interchangeable-lens |
| is named this way because of the mirror that sits | | | | These models are those considered as SLR's by |
| behind the lens of the camera and sends the light to | | | | most people. They're also the ones that we'll be talking |
| the viewfinder. | | | | about in this article. Just like the name says, in these |
| The digital SLR's are designed in such a way that you | | | | SLR cameras you can change their lenses. This way |
| can use a lot of different lenses, with different focal | | | | you're able to switch from a supertelephoto lens to an |
| lengths. This versatility is the reason why digital SLR | | | | ultra wide angle. |
| cameras are so popular among professionals. When | | | | Examples: Basically, most digital SLR cameras that are |
| you're using a camera that is not a SLR, you need to | | | | sold today belong to this type. |
| match the angle of the viewing lens with the angle of | | | | Digital SLR With Fixed Lens |
| view. If you're doing short-range zoom or you have a | | | | On these digital SLR's, the versatility is limited by the |
| fixed lens, then it's OK, but at different focal lengths it | | | | fact that you can't change the default lens. The mirror |
| can be much more difficult. The SLR is better because | | | | that bounces the light towards the viewfinder is |
| the viewing and taking lens are the same. | | | | nonmoving and semi-transparent in most of these |
| While entry level digital SLR cameras don't always | | | | models. |
| have Live View, advanced models usually do, and they | | | | One example of a camera with fixed lens is the |
| let you compose the photos just like you do with a | | | | Olympus E-20N |
| snapshot camera. The basic models will lock the mirror, | | | | Camera similar to SLR's |
| and the prism will divert the image towards a sensor | | | | Cameras that look like digital SLR cameras are usually |
| that is small. Then, instead of sending it to a capture | | | | digicams that have either an optical finder or a small |
| sensor, it will be sent to the LCD screen, which can | | | | LCD. You can't consider them as digital SLR cameras |
| take down the performance a bit. If you're getting an | | | | since the mirror is missing, and the quality of the photos |
| older model you might need to focus on the image | | | | isn't even close to what you can do with a true SLR. |
| manually when you are in Live View, though contrast | | | | Usually, this type of camera has a very long zoom, |
| autofocus is available in newer digital cameras. | | | | and another name for them is magazooms or ZLRs. |
| Digital SLR Camera Types | | | | |