5 Reasons to upgrade/buy to a DSLR camera

Your point and shoot camera may not come handy when it comes to shooting professional quality photographs, since it may be lacking few features that you require to explore your creativity. To enhance the level of customization and enrich the quality of your photographs, you require a good DSLR camera.

Initially, DSLR cameras were not as popular as conventional SLR cameras, but today, DSLRs have taken a huge step in photography. Most professional photographers prefer using DSLRs, and recommend amateurs to use a DSLR. However, if you are a beginner, it is recommended that you start shooting with a point and shoot and explore its various features. Once you have known all its features, you can make a choice to go for either a DSLR or a semi-DSLR camera.

Here are 5 Reasons to why you need to upgrade to a DSLR:

#1. Speed – Fast and Continuous Shooting

DSLRs are conveniently faster when it comes to capturing photos. If you are using a point and shoot camera, it is quite frustrating to wait for the camera to process the image after you have clicked the shutter button. Well, DSLRs react faster when it comes to processing of photos. With a DSLR camera, there is virtually no delay between the time that you click the shutter button and the image taken to process.

Image Credits: Prashant

DSLRs have faster power-up time, the capability of focusing quickly, faster shutter speed, negligent shutter lag and higher processing ability.

#2. Image Quality and Superior Sensors

DSLR cameras have large image sensors, and it is one of the main reasons why one should consider upgrading to a DSLR. Sensors are made up of photodiodes which are also called as pixels. A photodiode is a type of photo detector that is capable of converting light into photons, which are then translated to a brighter image to enhance the quality of the image.

Image sensors allow you to capture photos with larger pixel sizes that produce higher quality images. Larger the sensor, the more number of photodiodes you can fit in, and the higher the number of photodiodes, the better the quality of the image.

FYI: Image sensors used in point and shoot camera is 25 times smaller than the ones used in DSLRs, and it is why it produces a low/medium quality photos.

#3. Multiple Lens Usability

One of the biggest reasons to upgrade to a DSLR camera is that it provides you with a wide range of shooting styles. Unlike point and shoot cameras, that have a fixed optical zoom, DSLRs can be fitted with a variety of interchangeable quality lenses depending on what you are photographing.

For instance, if you were shooting landscape photographs, you would be using a wide-angle lens. But if you suddenly have to shoot a macro shot, then you can easily change the lens to a macro lens without any difficulties.

DSLRs are not just compatible with lenses. They can also be fitted with things like special effect filters, remote flashes, lens hoods, flash diffusers, lens extenders and strobe lights.

#4. Manual Controls

DSLRs offer manual control settings over your image. The manual mode allows you to control aperture, shutter speed and ISO speed. Here’s an example of the Canon 60D’s manual settings -

Image Credits: Daniel Straus

As you can see, you have the option to set shutter speed, aperture, ISO, white balance, exposure compensation, metering, resolution and focus points. Being able to manually control all of these things lets you get really specific and precise with your images.

FYI: Although point and shoot cameras also come with manual settings, DSLRs offer more precise settings to control over.

#5. Shooting in RAW

Point and shoot cameras process and compress your photographs as JPEGs. However, DSLRs provide you an option to shoot in RAW (NEF in Nikon). RAW image files contain minimally processed data from the image sensor – the output from each of the original red, green and blue pixels. In simple words, RAW image files are straight out of the sensor.

The diagram below will help you understand the difference between RAW and JPEG -

However, there are a few drawbacks of RAW images. Capturing photos in RAW will slow down your camera. Try shooting RAW images without leaving the shutter button. You camera appears to slog, but if you try the same without RAW, it will effortlessly capture the photos. Also, RAW files are extremely large in size which will hog up your memory card. On an average, a RAW file comes up to 18MB in size.

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