Do you ever wonder how cameras work? well here a little comparison between DSLR cameras and Point and Shot cameras. Perhaps you are undecided on which one to get so here is some advise on how they work. :)
DSLR cameras offers more power, speed, and features than a point and shoot model. DSLR cameras allow you to manually control certain aspects of a shot, while most point and shoot cameras work best when shooting in fully automatic mode. Digital SLR models cost more and are larger than point and shoot cameras. A point and shoot camera is sometimes called a fixed lens camera, because the point and shoot cannot change lenses.
Not surprisingly, DSLR cameras cost far more than point and shoot cameras. DSLR cameras also have more accessories available than beginner cameras, such as interchangeable lenses and external flash units.
A key difference between the two models involves what the photographer sees as he frames a shot. With a digital SLR, the photographer typically previews the image directly through the lens, thanks to a series of prisms and mirrors that reflect the lens image back to the viewfinder. A point and shoot camera's viewfinder is offset from the lens, meaning the viewfinder image and the lens image don't exactly match, if the point and shoot camera even has a viewfinder. Most of these tiny cameras rely on the LCD screen to allow the photographer to frame the photo.
Ultra zoom cameras are growing in popularity, which look a little like DSLR models, but don't contain interchangeable lenses. They work well as a transitional camera between high-end DSLR models and point and shoot cameras, although some ultra zoom cameras can be considered point and shoot cameras because they can be simple to operate.
Most of the time this thick ultra zoom is called a fixed lens camera, because the lens is locked into the camera body, versus the interchangeable lens in a DSLR. Point and shoot cameras also can be called fixed lens cameras.
Another good type of transitional camera is a DIL (digital interchangeable lens) camera. The DIL models don't use a mirror like the DSLR does, so DIL cameras can be made thinner than DSLRs, even though both cameras make use of interchangeable lenses.
