The Digital Choice: Photography Today

The camera is at the center of our society; video and pictures document our lives and we are consumed by the content they capture Ð'- just look at social networking sites such as flickr and YouTube or news sites such as CNN's I-Report. While the decision used to be whether to purchase a film or digital camera, it is now more about what type of digital camera to buy. Mega pixels have reached (and surpassed) the quality you can get with a film camera, and there are now hundreds of different cameras on the market. The first type of digital camera is the single lens reflex (SLR); the SLR camera is known for producing higher quality prints and gives greater control to the photographer but is larger and more costly. The other type of camera is the Ð''point and shoot' which is smaller and less expensive, yet doesn't always deliver quality prints or the ability to control the settings as directly. So, whether you're an everyday Joe or a professional photographer, purchasing a camera can be a daunting task and it is important to understand the two main options Ð'-the SLR or the Ð''point and shoot' camera - and what each has to offer.

In the SLR digital camera, the viewfinder looks through the lens instead of on the body of the camera. This type of lens allows you to have greater control over the color, brightness and framing because you can define the image yourself. Generally this is the type of camera that serious photographers and artists have because it gives them greater control over quality of the image (Long). A low end digital SLR camera can be purchased for around $500 while the high end models can be more than $4,000. One example of a high end model is the Canon EOS 1D Mark III which boosts 10-megapixel continuous shooting with low noise, highly customizable settings (with weather sealing) and a 3-inch LCD screen and retails anywhere from $4146 to $4510 (cnet.com). There are also additional costs with this type of camera such as different types of lenses that are each sold separately. Also, because of the size of the camera you will need to buy a quality camera bag to protect your investment.

The digital Ð''point and shoot' camera has preset or automatically adjusted controls for things such as focus, speed, lighting and frame. The lens is attached to the body of the camera and usually includes an LCD screen as the only viewfinder. The Ð''point and shoot' camera is quiet (no loud shutter sounds) and provides great flexibility such as rotating viewfinders and small size. While it has been associated with low quality images in the past there have been significant improvements in the higher end models that rival the quality of film and digital SLR. You can find a good quality Ð''point and shoot' camera for as little as $100, while the high performance models, such as the Canon PowerShot G7, retails between $499 and $897 (cnet.com). The digital Ð''point and shoot' are also generally smaller and sturdier, so they are easily portable and make