What is an SLR camera? How does it differ from a regular camera?

Answer 1

I dunno.. But this question sure made me know more about it, through the net..
Great question..!

Answer 2

The two major choices are range finder and SLR (single lens reflex). In a rangefinder camera, the scene is composed by looking through small window to one side of the big lens which contains line frames for closeup and distant pictures.
SLR actually looks through the lens and uses a mirror to throw the image up to a view finder. The eye sees exactly what the camera lens sees. The mirror flips up out of the way during the time the picture is taken.
SLR cameras are noisier than rangefinder.
In modern digital cameras, most of them have an LCDisplay which shows exactly what the CCD inside the camera sees although cheap ones are only rangefinder.
A digital SLR could be built with the mirror arrangement, but it is easier to put a small LCD down in the camera so you see something just like an optical SLR instead of having to hold the camera away from your face and look at the one on the back - you hug the camera and you and the camera become a unit to follow fast action or take tight shots.
There were double lens reflex camera where the lower lens took the picture and the upper one fed light to a mirror and up to a ground glass view finder. Not very common these days - both lenses had to work together so much more optics to buy and carry.

Answer 3

SLR is an acronym for a Single Lens Reflex camera. In the digital world, the difference between an SLR and a regular camera is that the SLR will allow you to use a variety of lenses with different focal lengths.

Differences Between SLR and Regular Cameras

Digital SLR: Interchangeable lenses (hundreds to choose from)
Regular One attached lens

Digital SLR: TTL (Through The Lens) viewfinder — when you look through the viewfinder of a digital SLR, you are seeing what the lens sees. If the image is out of focus, the photo will be out of focus.
Regular: The viewfinder is separate from the lens and shows you an image of the scene in front of you. The lens can be out of focus, but your view in the viewfinder will be sharp.

Digital SLR: Large camera body, molded grip
Regular: Can be the size of a credit card — some have a grip for you hand but most don't.

Digital SLR: Bulky and heavy
Regular: Sleek and small

Digital SLR: The camera of choice for professional photographers
Regular: The camera of choice for the average consumer

Digital SLR: All can use an external flash unit
Regular: Very few can use an external flash

Digital SLR: All offer complete manual control
Regular: Only some offer manual controls — the rest are completely automatic

Answer 4

The single-lens reflex (SLR) is a type of camera that uses a movable mirror placed between the lens and the film to project the image seen through the lens to a matte focusing screen. Most SLRs use a roof pentaprism or pentamirror to observe the image via an eyepiece, but there are also other finder arrangements, such as the waist-level finder or porro prism.

The shutter in almost all contemporary SLRs sits just in front of the focal plane (and is called a focal plane shutter). If it does not, some other mechanism is required to ensure that no light reaches the film between exposures. For example, the Hasselblad 500C camera uses an auxiliary shutter blind in addition to its in-lens leaf shutter.

Many of the advantages of SLR cameras derive from viewing the scene through the taking lens. Most other types of camera do not have this function; subjects are seen through a viewfinder that is near the lens, making the photographer's view different from that of the lens. SLR cameras provide photographers with precision and confidence; they are seeing an image that will be exposed onto the negative exactly as it is seen through the lens. There is no parallax error, and exact focus can be confirmed by eye — otherwise hard for macro photography and when using telephoto lenses. The true depth of field may be seen by stopping down to the taking aperture, possible on all but the cheapest cameras. Because of the SLR's versatility, most manufacturers have a vast range of lenses and accessories available.

Compared to most fixed-lens compact cameras, the most commonly used and cheapest SLR lenses offer a wider aperture range and larger maximum aperture (typically f/1.4 to f/1.8 for a 50 mm lens). This allows photographs to be taken in lower light conditions without flash, and allows a narrower depth of field, which is useful for blurring the background behind the subject, making the subject more prominent. This is commonly used in portrait photography.

Answer 5

The single-lens reflex (SLR) is a type of camera that uses a movable mirror placed between the lens and the film to project the image seen through the lens to a matte focusing screen. Most SLRs use a roof pentaprism or pentamirror to observe the image via an eyepiece, but there are also other finder arrangements, such as the waist-level finder or porro prism.

The shutter in almost all contemporary SLRs sits just in front of the focal plane (and is called a focal plane shutter). If it does not, some other mechanism is required to ensure that no light reaches the film between exposures. For example, the Hasselblad 500C camera uses an auxiliary shutter blind in addition to its in-lens leaf shutter.

Advantage - Many of the advantages of SLR cameras derive from viewing the scene through the taking lens. Most other types of camera do not have this function; subjects are seen through a viewfinder that is near the lens, making the photographer's view different from that of the lens. SLR cameras provide photographers with precision and confidence; they are seeing an image that will be exposed onto the negative exactly as it is seen through the lens. There is no parallax error, and exact focus can be confirmed by eye — otherwise hard for macro photography and when using telephoto lenses. The true depth of field may be seen by stopping down to the taking aperture, possible on all but the cheapest cameras. Because of the SLR's versatility, most manufacturers have a vast range of lenses and accessories available.

Disadvantage - Single-lens reflex cameras cannot be made as small or light as other camera designs — such as rangefinder cameras, autofocus compact cameras and digital cameras with electronic viewfinders (EVF) — owing to the mirror box and pentaprism/pentamirror. The mirror box also prevents lenses from having rear elements closer to the film or sensor; this means that simple designs for wide angle lenses cannot be used. Instead, poorer-performing, larger and more complex retrofocus designs are required.

The SLR mirror blacks out the viewfinder when the picture is taken. In addition, moving the mirror takes time, limiting the maximum shooting speed; the mirror also causes noise and vibration. Partially-reflective (pellicle) fixed mirrors avoid these problems and have been used in a very few designs including the Canon Pellix, but these reduce the light getting to the film or sensor. To avoid the noise and vibration, many professional cameras offer a mirror lock-up feature, but this blacks out the viewfinder totally when in use.

Answer 6

SLR (single lens reflex) has a main feature that the photographer can see the actual view through the lens, before taking the picture. Also he/she can check the focus, zoom, field of depth before the picture is taken.

This feature is not possible in regular camera, where viewfinder is little away from the lens and the view from the viewfinder is little different from the actual image on the film.

Hope I made myself clear...
Good day...
SSJ

Answer 7

SLR camera means SINGLE LENS REFLEX CAMERA. It explains every thing.

Answer 8

Its strait left & right sharpness camera its totaly different from other camera.
thanks