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DSLR’s vs. The Point&Shoots

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been a EXPLOSIVE amount of new photographers in the last 3 years. It’s unreal! And the reason for this is because starter DSLR cameras are at an all time low. When I bought my Canon Rebel xti back in 2006, it was $1200 and came “fully equipped” with the cheapest tripod known to man, a traveling case and a lens “extender”.   You photogs out there may be wondering what a “lens extender” is. Well, it’s a little lens that attaches on to the end of any lens and does absolutely nothing. It makes the lens LOOK bigger but doesn’t have any purpose.  I got suckered into buying so much CRAP when I first ventured into the world of Digital SLR cameras.

I didn’t know what I was doing. I bought a DSLR because I knew it was a NICE camera. I mean, if the “lenses come off” that means it’s NICE and I’m going to have the BEST pictures out of all of my friends! Right?! Wrong. I shot my Canon Rebel on AUTO for TWO YEARS and I thought my images were magnificent… and they weren’t. They weren’t HORRIBLE but that little camera that I paid $1200 for was capable of SO MUCH MORE! I took it to Rome, The Bahamas, Florence Italy, etc. The whole time, I thought I was hott stuff with this fancy camera but really, I had NO IDEA how to use it.  I would shoot aimlessly, just hoping for a good shot. Ohhhhh how I wish someone older and wiser had sat me down and said “Sweetheart, you paid over a thousand dollars for a camera that has the capability to expose manually… and you don’t even know what that means”.  I had no clue. I just wanted GOOD PICTURES and I thought that if I bought a fancy camera, I would get amazing results.

 

 

Digital SLR cameras are expensive because they are high tech! They are MADE for exposing manually and switching lenses. When I was shooting with my Rebel on “auto”, I was literally only using about 5% of what that camera was capable of doing.  I PAID BIG BUCKS to have a nice camera and yet, I had no clue WHY it was a nice camera. So! I want to explain a little about Digital SLRs for those of you that are looking into getting one for Christmas for either a family member or for yourself.

 

 

 

A Digital SLR is for you if……..

  • You are interested in gaining more knowledge about photography. Ex: learn about shutter speed, aperture, ISO, etc.
  • You are willing to really learn the art of photography and ENJOY it.
  • You want high quality images and are interested in the technical side of photography
  • You’re a parent with some photography background and want a GREAT family camera to capture shots of your kids!
  • Photography is a hobby and you enjoy shooting and learning how to improve your skills
  • You’re interested in eventually becoming a professional photographer
.
.
A Digital SLR is probably NOT for you if……
  • You want a fast, consistent way to capture high quality images
  • You want a camera you can throw in your bag and take ANYWHERE
  • You want GREAT shots of your kids but don’t have time to learn and practice photography basics
  • You have no photography background and have no interested in learning about the technical side of photography
  • Just want an affordable camera that captures decent images
.
If you fit into the second category and you’re realizing that maybe buying a fancy, high-tech camera isn’t for you, there are other options! There are cameras that are MADE to just point and shoot and guess what! They are CHEAPER!!! Hooray! So many moms email me about being so frustrated with their DSLR cameras because they try to take pictures of their kids inside the house and the flash pops up or the shadows are awful or it’s way to dark! This happens because digital SLR’s are not made for just pointing and shooting. Sometimes you can get GREAT images that way if the light is good….but not always.  Don’t get me wrong, you CAN just point and shoot a DSLR camera and get good images…. but you’re paying twice as much as you need to!  If you’re just pointing and shooting with an SLR and that is ALL you have a desire to do, you would be better off paying less for a Point&Shoot camera. Canon has some AMAZING options for Point&Shoot cameras that won’t break the bank and will provide you with great images consistently! This one is my FAVORITE!  And if you decided you really want to learn more about photography and purchase a camera that will allow you to practice the basics, then I recommend a CANON REBEL!! Best starter DSLR out there and the prices are so much cheaper than they were 6 years ago when I bought mine!!!:)
.
So the reason I’m writing this post is to SAVE some of you from making a big purchase that may not be the best move.  Just because everyone has an SLR doesn’t mean they are capturing the most amazing images. You have to understand your DSLR and understand the basics to REALLY get your money’s worth!!! So I hope this helps!! Again, this is only my opinion… but I have this opinion because I was the girl that spent WAY too much money on an SLR and never knew how to use it until two years later!  Don’t make my mistake!! Happy Monday!
.

Thanks for reading!

— Katelyn

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