As digital photography becomes more popular, camera users can choose compact digital cameras or Digital SLR models to take their digital photos.

Digital Cameras can be divided into two broad Categories, “Compact Digital Cameras” and Digital SLR Cameras”. The choice of using a digital compact camera or a digital SLR camera can depend on many factors as the users of digital cameras fill a spectrum covering the occasional user, the amateur photographer, the serious amateur right to the semi professional and the professional photographer. Fortunately the makers of digital cameras are very well aware of the many different types of camera users out there, and produce digital models to suit every taste.

Compact digital cameras are by far the most popular means of taking digital photos today. The popularity of the compact model is due to a number of factors.

Ease of Use of Compact Digital Camera

Most people want easy to use digital cameras and so the manufacturers have produced a lot of models that produce good digital photos with minimum learning curves. Like the pre digital cameras most occasional photographers just like to “point and shoot.”

Compact Digital Camera Price Range

Compact Digital Cameras come in all price ranges, from under $100 to well over a $1000. This ensures that the widest range of customers have access to a camera that will suit their budget. More money does not necessarily mean higher specifications. Nowadays style and looks can influence the price as well as the photographic power of the camera.

Increased Specifications of Compact Digital Models

As technology has progressed, so too have the specifications of the compact digital camera, even in the cheapest models. Very few manufacturers now offer less than 5 Megapixel models, and most have at least limited video capabilities. Camera memory cards are getting larger and less expensive, thus allowing users to take more photographs. Batteries for digital cameras are getting better and lasting longer. Unlike traditional cameras and Digital SLR cameras, compact digital cameras had very poor optical zoom qualities. This defect is beginning to be addressed with 3X and 5X zooms now commonly available.

Style Aspect of Compact Digital Models

Modern digital cameras have become a style item and they are getting more compact so it is easier to carry them around. Users like this aspect of digital cameras

As digital photography matures and becomes more popular, camera users are also maturing. A lot of non professional photographers and serious photography amateurs now need more than just “point and shoot” cameras. Professional photographers, although still loathe to move from film photography, are now considering digital photography as well. For all these people, digital SLR cameras are the camera of choice. Although more expensive, Digital SLR (“Single Lens Reflex”) cameras offer the serious amateur or professional many more options than the compact camera.

Choice of SLR Lens

Although compact digital cameras do allow users some control over type of photograph being taken, with a digital SLR camera the user has the choice of lens to suit all occasions, whether indoor, outdoor, wide angle or close up. It is this choice of different lens that gives the digital SLR its most distinctive advantage. Manufacturers of such cameras offer a huge amount of different lens for each different environment.

SLR Models Give Better Image Quality

Because users have control over the ISO (Sensitivity to Light Number, as defined by ISO 5800:1987) in an SLR camera, pictures taken in different lights will be of higher quality than those of compact cameras. This advantage is especially dramatic at higher light sensitivities (ISO 400 and greater). Quality is also improved because different lenses offer a wider aperture range and larger maximum aperture choices.

Viewing Precision with SLR Cameras

With an SLR camera, the photographer views the scene thru the lens, not thru a view finder. This WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) features give much more control over the finished photograph than what is available from a point and shoot camera.

SLR Models Best for Speed and Action Shots

Digital SLR cameras have faster auto focus, shorter shutter delay and faster continuous shooting so giving much better action shots and the ability to take a large number of shots in a short time.

Digital photography is becoming more popular by the day, and users are getting more sophisticated all the time. Irrespective of the consumer’s budget, knowledge or profession, there is a digital camera available to suit all types of digital photography and there is plenty of free software for digital photography available on the internet.