There are positive and negatives with all subjects in life, and the same applies to DSLR cameras and normal cameras, but the main difference between DSLR and a fixed lens camera, is the trade off between convenience and quality. There use to be a massive difference between the two cameras but these days you don’t really have much difference. The main quality with DSLR cameras is they allow you to capture better high quality pictures and allot more flexiblity, but of course there is a cost that comes with these, and it is that they are allot bulkier.

The DSLR camera come from the old school SLR film cameras. The SLR is for single lens reflex which means that there is only one lens that allows the camera to capture a photo.

If you plan to use a DSLR camera then the view finder is optical. The best thing about the DSLR is what you see is what you get, you take a picture with one of these bad boy’s and you will get the same picture. There is a mirror that reflects the light through your camera’s viewfinder, and then it flips up to expose the digital sensor.

The Nikon D90 DX is a solid digital SLR camera for its price point.  It has been one of Nikon’s quieter success stories in the past few years. There are a lot of nice goodies on board for the money. First, there is a new CMOS sensor, which the company says will give it good quality imaging as high as ISO 6400. This is one of the many features that Nikon has included from its higher end cameras. It also features Live View with contrast-detect AF. It also has a DSLR movie mode with 720p HDTV quality production. This digital SLR camera also has an HDMI output. There also is a new shutter and the 3D tracking AF that is on the higher end D3 and D300.

The D90 is supposed to appeal to the biggest audience of any DSLR in the Nikon family. Whether you are a first timer who is graduating to a digital SLR camera, or a serious hobbyist wanting more control and features without the higher price of top end Nikons, this is a camera strongly worth considering.

You will notice when you first hold this digital SLR camera that they tried to keep its size under control so it makes it easy to hold onto. Many more expensive DSLRs are very heavy and bulky. But it also is not too lightweight, otherwise you might shake too much when holding it.

Some of the features of the D90 also include a 12.3 megapixel CMOS sensor; a system that removes dust, a larger screen, movie mode, an ISO with a wider range; active D-lighting, vignetting control and retouching features; automatic chromatic aberration control; quick continuous shooting and a bigger buffer.

This digital camera will shoot as quickly as 4.5 frames per second, so it should work pretty well for entry level sports shooting, such as football and basketball.

The kit lens that comes with the D90 camera is fine for the beginner but you might notice some noise coming in your photos at the faster ISOs. You will want to consider an upgraded lens at some point in the future for the D90. The kit lens is an 18-105mm zoom lens. This camera also has good battery life, and a rather large screen so you can really see the fine details of what you are shooting.

One thing you may not like as much is the lack of auto focus when you are shooting videos. Also, the Live View mode does not work as well as one would like. The software does not seem to keep up with the image, so there is a good deal of delay. Overall however, Nikons are the leader in the digital SLR camera space, and this is a good option for the money.

A lot of people may think they know what a digital SRL camera is. However, what many of them might be thinking of is a compact digital camera, which is not the same thing. Before selecting a good SLR camera, you should probably know just what one is.

SLR is short for Single Lens Reflex. Here’s what makes this camera so much different from its compact cousins:

• When you view through the viewfinder, you are seeing straight through the camera lens. You are viewing precisely what the lens is viewing.
• The lens on a digital SLR camera can be swapped out. This is what makes these cameras the choice for serious hobbyists and professionals. You have so much more shot flexibility with an SLR.
• A digital SLR has a better and bigger image sensor. You get much better quality pictures.
• A good SLR has almost zero delay between the time you push the button and the camera takes the picture.

The biggest advantage of this type of camera is that it is very versatile. Whatever kind of pictures you want to take, you can do it with your SLR and a few lens and accessories.  

Another big advantage of these cameras over compacts is that a digital SLR camera can get great photos without a lot of light. And you can do this without the flash. You do this by adjusting the ISO – you make the digital sensor in the camera more light sensitive. When you do this with an SLR, you do not get a lot of graininess or ‘noise’ in your image, either.

Two Good SLRs to Consider

The Nikon D3100 is a good example of an ‘entry level’ digital SLR camera. However, it has a broad feature set:

• Full recording in HD
• A screen of 3 inches
• Megapixel sensor of 14.2
• 11 focusing points
• Vibration reduction lens, 18-55mm

The general verdict on this SLR is that it is a fine value for your dollar. It also is the least expensive SLR that has full HD video recording. If you are looking for the ability to shoot excellent pictures with little noise, and also record HD, the D3100 from Nikon is a fine choice. It has many features and options, ease of control, and outstanding quality images with great detail. Bottom line is it is a highly recommended camera for pictures and HD video for the serious hobbyist.

The Canon EOS Rebel T3i is another strong competitor that has fine video abilities, along with great picture taking. The image quality and the picture shooting ability are excellent; however, it is not a very fast camera for action photos. The burst shooting feature for taking pictures of sports or children moving quickly is not quite as good as the Nikon.

However, the T3i is still a good choice for the hobbyist or SLR videographer.  The camera shoots photos with little noise. The JPEGs are extremely clean until ISO 400. At ISO 800, you really have to look for the noise, and even at ISO 1600 the noise is still acceptable.

Is there a child alive who doesn’t like snapping photos? A lot of people remember taking their first photograph with a Kodak instamatic camera back when they were kids. They weren’t even allowed to touch their parent’s good camera. Naturally, that was then and this is now, and nowadays digital camera have become affordable for just about everyone. If you have been looking online, I am fairly sure you have learned that the Kodak CX7300 is one of the most affordable, good quality cameras out there nowadays. If you remember back a few years, I am sure you remember that you could effortlessly end up spending more than a couple hundred dollars on a good quality digital camera. Of course, the actual prices of digital camera are decreasing. While you can still pay more than $500 for a digital camera, you can buy a good digital camera for under $100.

If you are someone wanting a digital camera so you can post your photographs on the Internet, the Kodak CX7300 is ideal. You really don’t need a camera with higher quality for this purpose so why on earth would you pay more money for one?. And just because you are spending less money for the Kodak CX7300 doesn’t mean you are getting less as this camera has several terrific features. Some of these features include recording short movies, red-eye reduction and a 3x digital zoom, on top of other added features you will find very useful. Another thing users will love about the Kodak CX7300 is how easy it is to use.

This camera by Kodak is a low-end, cheap camera that has superb features for a camera that you can find for around $100. The CX7300 is an easy camera to operate, making it a good camera for the newbie or the hobbyist. The life of the battery is pretty average, keeping with the industry standard. The picture quality is very good for photos in color, black and white, or sepia. Without using a memory card and on the lowest settings, just using the internal memory, you can shoot 67 photos. If you want nothing but the best quality, you can still keep 17 photos with the internal memory and beyond that point you would have to have a memory card.

But even when you are using the lowest quality setting, you will find the photos still look fantastic. The fact that you can set up the CX7300 on auto means that you won’t have to worry about a flash. If the camera requires a flash, it will use it and if not, it won’t. You can even view the pictures you just shot on the LCD display screen and delete them if they are not great. One other feature is the movie mode, which gives you the ability to shoot a small movie clip, but with no audio. The manual itself is extremely easy to go through and you will also receive software for your computer to help you to organize and share your photographs. You might skip over the tutorial and just start snapping photographs since the Kodak CX7300 is very simple to use.

If you search online, you will see both good and bad reviews for the Kodak CX7300. Most of the reviews you will read for the Kodak CX7300 are good while some users did not think the product was worth the price. Personally, I believe that the reason there are many bad reviews is mainly because users who bought it were expecting all the features that they would get in a $500 camera.

I find mysel walking the line between a compact camera and a Digital SLR Camera. I’ve been bothered by the quality of my pictures, even after I adjust for light and crop.  It’s past time to grow up, and go big.  The compact point-and-shoot models are sleek, come in fun colors, and are easy to store.  These are the excuses I told myself about making a change, and getting a camera that fits my matured expectations.  The improved image sensor, RAW shooting option, and a vast array of manual shooting adjustments are too much to live without.  Advanced Point-and-Shoots now have models with interchangeable lens.  Some models can even use the SLR lens with an adapter.  Olympus has the PEN series, Sony has its NEX, and Panasonic has its G series.  If you get the opportunity to try one out at a store, you’ll be sold. But be warned, all that glitz in a small package will cost you a pretty penny. 

While a DSLR is years away for me, an advanced point shoot will make my journey there easier.  I’ve had the argument about the price of an entry level DSLR is on par with the price of a good advanced-point-and-shoot.  That withstanding, I can’t be talked out of the smaller and lighter physics of the advanced-point-and-shoot like Olympus PEN E-PL2 or Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 .  So goodbye washed out colors and grainy blacks & grays, hello RAW mode and super-high ISO’s.