How is a digital SLR and digital non-SLR camera different?

[Confused]

That's some good info, Sketcher!

I'm thinking, from what you're saying, that my GF's camera (can't remember model, but it's a Fuji) is D-SLR, will get her to check the model number later. If so, then me is stealing that to do some photography practice!


Confused

 

[DuallyX]

Originally posted by: Confused
That's some good info, Sketcher!

I'm thinking, from what you're saying, that my GF's camera (can't remember model, but it's a Fuji) is D-SLR, will get her to check the model number later. If so, then me is stealing that to do some photography practice!


Confused

It's either an S1 or an S2-both very capable cameras. I am very fond of the S2.

 

[Maverick]

Rossman what kind of applications are you going for with the digicam? I'd say unless you're a professional or you travel a lot to different tourist sites, SLR might be over kill. A good digital will probably be all you ever need. Unless you're looking for an expensive hobby

 

[Kyteland]

One thing to keep in mind about digital SLR cameras is that none of the lense hardware was designed to be used with the digital sensor. Everybody and their mother has an old set of lenses that they don't want to get rid of just because they bought a digital camera, so all of the camera makers were forced to reuse their 35mm lense mounts. But it was all made for 35mm film. The frame of a 35mm film has a diagonal length of ~42 mm. What this means is that any lense that was made for use with 35mm film projects a cirle of light on the film with w 42mm radius.

It is too expensive to make CMOS or other digital sensors that big (are you willing to pay $10,000 for you consumer grade DSLR? I thought not. ), so most digital SLRs have a sensor with a diagonal size of ~26mm. Most of the light coming though the lense does not project on to a sensor this small. This means that when you go buy a "standard" 28-80 lense for use on your DSLR it will actually take pictures like it is an 18-50 lense. All this really means is that if you are used to lense specifications for a 35mm SLR, you may have a hard time adjusting to the way a DSLR takes pictures. It also means that you may need and extra lense or two in order to cover all of the focal lengths you want.

Point and Shoot digitals don't suffer from this problem.

 

[pearlJammer]

Originally posted by: Kyteland
One thing to keep in mind about digital SLR cameras is that none of the lense hardware was designed to be used with the digital sensor. Everybody and their mother has an old set of lenses that they don't want to get rid of just because they bought a digital camera, so all of the camera makers were forced to reuse their 35mm lense mounts. But it was all made for 35mm film. The frame of a 35mm film has a diagonal length of ~42 mm. What this means is that any lense that was made for use with 35mm film projects a cirle of light on the film with w 42mm radius.

It is too expensive to make CMOS or other digital sensors that big (are you willing to pay $10,000 for you consumer grade DSLR? I thought not. ), so most digital SLRs have a sensor with a diagonal size of ~26mm. Most of the light coming though the lense does not project on to a sensor this small. This means that when you go buy a "standard" 28-80 lense for use on your DSLR it will actually take pictures like it is an 18-50 lense. All this really means is that if you are used to lense specifications for a 35mm SLR, you may have a hard time adjusting to the way a DSLR takes pictures. It also means that you may need and extra lense or two in order to cover all of the focal lengths you want.

Point and Shoot digitals don't suffer from this problem.

I think you have that backwards... a 28-80, on a 1.6 crop factor body will produce images which have an effective focal length of ~45-128.

 

[Kyteland]

Originally posted by: pearlJammer
I think you have that backwards... a 28-80, on a 1.6 crop factor body will produce images which have an effective focal length of ~45-128.

Whoops, I just plugged the numbers in my calculator and copied the results. I didn't stop to think if I should miltiply or divide.

 

[phantom309]

I went from an Olympus 5050 to the new Digital Rebel. The most striking difference is the speed of the Rebel. With most P&S cameras, there's a substantial lag while you wait for the autofocus to lock on to your subject, even if you prefocus by pressing the shutter button halfway. This makes it very difficult to take pictures of people or moving objects. You never know exactly when the camera will fire, or exactly what the AF has locked on.

The Olympus also had a very, very slow electronic zoom.

With the Rebel, the autofocus is extremely fast - and you see exactly what you're focused on. There's very little shutter lag, so you can capture people's expressions at will. The zoom is manual - very fast. Image quality is superb but the Olympus' was very good too.

On the negative side, the Rebel is bulky and has a cheap-looking plastic body that didn't bother me when I bought it but I really dislike now. It just doesn't feel like it was built to last. But the system is good enough that I'm seriously considering getting rid of all my 35mm gear to buy more EF glass for the Rebel.

 

[alkemyst]

If you have an accurate back LCD the difference bet. SLR and non-SLR isn't so important for most.

However those that take alot of pictures need battery power and LCD's eat it fast.

 

[Anubis]

its basically all been covere allready.

ill be getting a DSLR soon most likely a Nikon D100 or teh sucessor if it comes out. this is so i can use teh lenses i have for my N80 on it. basically if you know how to use a film SLR going to a DLSR wont be that diff. they have a lil slower pic to pic time. the 10D and other prosumer ones have this. ones like the Nikon D2H and D1X dont but they cost a ton and are able to do many FPS. they also have the 1.6 or whatever crop factor. other then that they are teh same. the bodys are exactly teh same they just dont have film. thats what i like about them. they dont feel diff.

they will be extreamly different then a P&S digi cam tho. just liek a P&S film cam is diff from a SLR film cam