What is the operational difference between Compact Digicams and Digital SLR cameras?

Question

Note, this is not about Analog cameras, but about Digital Cameras.

Answer 1

D-SLR cameras are usually made to address the consumers at the higher end of thee market while compact digicams are for the average joe.

The main difference lies in 5 important portions:

1. D-SLR cams usually have the ability or very high shutter speeds which allows them to work in situations where you need to capture a moving object or in less then ideal lighting situations, Because the captured image has more exposure to light over less time. Something that many Digicams lack.

2. D-SLR cams use all glass lenses rather then polymer plastic lenses that most consumer digicams use. Glass has a higher threshold frequency for light emission then do polymers thus allowing the picture to loo better n low light, and furthermore, glass lenses have the tendency to look less blurry.

3. D-SLR cams usually have a higher rate of memory read/write speed which allows them to take pictures at a faster rate continuously in between shots, because they can write to the digital medium faster.

4. Also, D-SLRs have the ability to produce .RAW image formats rather then the .jpeg photos that many other cameras take. The .RAW image format is useful because it is uncompressed, although the files are typically big, they don't have compression artifacts.

5. Lastly, D-SLRs have adjustable lens, and in most cases removable lenses which allow them to be replaces with telescopic/microscopic lenses in order to capture pictures of objects of different scales and distances. Don't know if you have ever experienced this, but it is impossible to photograph something small at a relatively close proximity without terrible blurring on a regular digicam.

Hope this helps! Don't forget to vote! ;)

Answer 2

A single lens reflex (SLR) camera has a much larger image sensor, has interchangable lenses, better image quality, and costs alot more. Since an SLR allows you to view your subject DIRECTLY through the lens, you see exactly what the camera sees (compact digital cameras have a separate lens and viewfinder, which are slightly offset). You can get great pictures from a compact digital camera, but you're limited to the lens that's built-in, and you will not have the same depth of field. An SLR is what a professional photographer would be using. I still use my 35mm SLR camera because the digital versions are too expensive right now, at least for my budget.

Answer 3

Here's a detailed explanation of the differences between digital non-SLRs & digital SLRs. The biggest difference from a shooting standpoint is the DELAY you experience with all non-SLRs.

Answer 4

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_camera