i'm thinking of getting a new camera, i've been told to get an SLR camera, what do they mean?

Question

i know the SLR camera's are higher end... but what is the main difference between an SLR and a regular camera... actually, what does SLR stand for to begin with?

btw, the camera my friends have told me to get (as a transition between point and shoot and a more professional camera) was the Nikon 6.1-Megapixel Digital SLR Camera (Model: D40)

here's the link: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8139169&type=product&id=1158323379076

there are a few reasons why i'm trying to decide whether to get the SLR camera. first off, i take pics of my friends soccer games... while i've been using my camera, it's very old and it's only a 3x optical zoom... i've also been asked by a friend to be a set photographer (and sound guy) on a friends indi film. add to that the fact that i've been wanting to know more about photography anyway... and therein lies the choice of whether to get an SLR or not...

Answer 1

SLR means Single Lens Reflex. These contain a mirror, which lets one see through the main lens exactly what the lens sees. When the picture is being taken, the mirror flips up out of the way so that the light from the lens can reach the film or image sensor.

Answer 2

There's what it literally means and what it means in practice. The first two posters gave you the literal meaning. In the days of film cameras, that definition was relevent. With digital cameras, you have an LCD screen showing you a preview of what the picture will look like, so that definition of SLR is irrelevent. Instead, a digital SLR is a camera with a detachable lense so you can put on different lenses. That way you can buy a wide angle lense, a zoom lense, a macro lense, or some other weird lense. The opposite is a regular digital camera that has the lense as a permenant part of the camera. That's very convenient, but you can't upgrade the lense at all. More importantly, SLRs tend to be very high end, so they have lots of manual features that cheaper cameras do automatically, or not at all. Since you're obviously a newbie (no offense) I don't know if you really need an SLR. If you've got the money, go for it.

Answer 3

The single-lens reflex (SLR) is a type of camera that uses an automatic mirror system placed between the lens and the film plane to focus and project the image seen through the lens, through a matte focusing screen which then diffuses the light, allowing it entrance into the roof pentaprism where the light is reflected and then directed to the photographer's eye. Most SLRs use a roof pentaprism or penta-mirror to channel the light to the eyepiece, but there are other finder viewing capabilities, such as the waist-level finder, the interchangeable sports finders used on the Canon F1, F1n and new F1; the Nikon F, F2, F3, F4 and F5; the Pentax LX; and the porro prism system used in the Olympus Pen F, the Pen FT, the Pen FV half-frame 35mm SLR cameras, and the digital E-300 and E-330 cameras. A photographer can also purchase a right-angle finder which slips onto the eyepiece of most SLR's and D-SLR's and allows viewing sans a waist-level finder.

Answer 4

SLR means single lens reflex. The Nikon D40 is digital so DSLR. I'd say a major difference is that you can't change lens' on a point and shoot. Also, in a SLR the image you see through the viewfinder is a true image. Therefore you can manipulate through focus and zoom etc to get the best picture.

Answer 5

An SLR is a Single Lens Reflex. That's a camera that lets you actually see what it's looking at through the lens, rather than viewing through another window in the camera body.

Current models are referred to as a DSLR, a Digital Single-Lens Reflex.

You might consider a used DSLR, if you have a creative interest in photography. A DSLR camera is one that will grow with your abilities.

Answer 6

Ask yourself do I want to have complete control of every shot. Do I want to set different shots at different shutter speeds, and different apertures. Change lenses depending on the situation.
Nowadays there are high quality point and shoot cameras that let you have SOME control, to cameras that are fully automatic. One answerer mentioned that maybe you should take a class. If you do you'll then know how deep into photography you want to get involved with. Then and only then would I buy a digital slr.

Answer 7

Perhaps you should take a photography class at your local high school or community college before jumping right into an SLR. You may find its more camera than you need or will ever use.

Answer 8

Single Lens Reflex meaning the image you see in the view finder is coming from the cameras lens not a separate opening

Answer 9

SLR stands for single lens reflex. maybe u can go to wikipedia for a professional explanation.

Answer 10

go to cnet.com to read about SLR's