What is a SLR camera?

[Jhill]

My dumbass friend bought a 400 dollar pentax SLR zx-l camera. It's just a 35 mm camera with a 28-90 lens kit. What is this camera for? Why does it costs so much? He doesn't know anything about it he just bought it because it was 400 so he thought it must be good.


I tried to tell him just go get a canon a70 but he wouldn't listen.

 

[ndee]

n/m, I was talking out of my ass.

 

[isekii]

I personally think the SLR cameras are much better than the digital cameras right now.. ( photography wise )

You have assorted number or Lens and accessories that acompany it.

It's more of a professionals camera.. I'm not to sure on that model.. but I wouldn't mind switching over to SLR cameras from my Digital ..

 

[ElFenix]

SLR means that the image you view through the viewfinder uses the same lens that the camera will be shooting the image with. thats where single lens comes from. reflex comes from the mirror that angles the image up into the viewfinder. it also blocks the film. when you push on the shutter button the shutter closes, the mirror flips up, the shutter opens to the designated fstop for the designated amount of time, then closes, the mirror flips back down, and the shutter opens back up.

 

[Anubis]

Single Lens reflex. means you are looking directly through the lense. not useing a viewfinder. cost more because they tak ebetter pictures have an assload of options and you can put different lenses on them

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: isekii
I personally think the SLR cameras are much better than the digital cameras right now.. ( photography wise )

You have assorted number or Lens and accessories that acompany it.

It's more of a professionals camera.. I'm not to sure on that model.. but I wouldn't mind switching over to SLR cameras from my Digital ..

i'll take one of these, thanks.

 

[ggavinmoss]

Originally posted by: isekii
I personally think the SLR cameras are much better than the digital cameras right now.. ( photography wise )

You have assorted number or Lens and accessories that acompany it.

It's more of a professionals camera.. I'm not to sure on that model.. but I wouldn't mind switching over to SLR cameras from my Digital ..

There are digital SLRs ya know, but you'll be paying a pretty penny for them.

-geoff

 

[FeathersMcGraw]

SLR is unrelated to the medium of the camera -- there are film SLR cameras and there are digital SLR cameras (which are not consumer-priced right now).

It's also unrelated to the features of the camera (such as priority modes, exposure or focus lock, exposure compensation, etc.), although it's rare nowadays that you'd get a modern SLR camera that didn't have those features as well, since anyone who chooses SLR over a viewfinder typically has some concern about WYSIWYG for purposes of image composition and is likely not a Joe point-and-shoot.

 

[codeyf]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: isekii
I personally think the SLR cameras are much better than the digital cameras right now.. ( photography wise )

You have assorted number or Lens and accessories that acompany it.

It's more of a professionals camera.. I'm not to sure on that model.. but I wouldn't mind switching over to SLR cameras from my Digital ..

i'll take one of these, thanks.

I'll take one of these, thanks.

 

[Jzero]

The ZX series is not a bad entry level camera. $400 with a 28-90mm zoom isn't too bad of a price.

 

[squirrel dog]

SLR = single lens reflex

 

[Electric Amish]

Originally posted by: Jhill
My dumbass friend bought a 400 dollar pentax SLR zx-l camera. It's just a 35 mm camera with a 28-90 lens kit. What is this camera for? Why does it costs so much? He doesn't know anything about it he just bought it because it was 400 so he thought it must be good.


I tried to tell him just go get a canon a70 but he wouldn't listen.

He's really not a dumbass. The pics from the SLR Pentax will be much better than the A70 Digital and have more potential for enlargement.

Digital's are coming along and getting close to film camera's, but you have to pay out the ass to get a digital that's comparable to a film camera.

amish

 

[Parrotheader]

Originally posted by: codeyf

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: isekii
I personally think the SLR cameras are much better than the digital cameras right now.. ( photography wise )

You have assorted number or Lens and accessories that acompany it.

It's more of a professionals camera.. I'm not to sure on that model.. but I wouldn't mind switching over to SLR cameras from my Digital ..

i'll take one of these, thanks.

I'll take one of these, thanks.

The guy in the office next to me just bought one of those. His D30 is now his 'point and shoot' camera (glad I didn't get addicted to photography like he did; it's an expensive hobby.)

 

[GTaudiophile]

Bang-for-the-buck, I'll take one of these, thanks.

 

[Eli]

As others have said, he's not a dumbass. He's going to get much better pictures, not to mention much better options with that camera than he would the A70.

 

[Jhill]

Originally posted by: Electric Amish

Originally posted by: Jhill
My dumbass friend bought a 400 dollar pentax SLR zx-l camera. It's just a 35 mm camera with a 28-90 lens kit. What is this camera for? Why does it costs so much? He doesn't know anything about it he just bought it because it was 400 so he thought it must be good.


I tried to tell him just go get a canon a70 but he wouldn't listen.

He's really not a dumbass. The pics from the SLR Pentax will be much better than the A70 Digital and have more potential for enlargement.

Digital's are coming along and getting close to film camera's, but you have to pay out the ass to get a digital that's comparable to a film camera.

amish

I meant hes a dumbass because he bought it and he doesn't know ANYTHING about cameras. The only reason be bought it is because it was 400. He has no idea what SLR is and knows nothing about the features. He doesn't even know what film to buy. He won't be able to take advantage of 1/10 of the features. I'm sure it's a great camera, just not for him. All he wants to do is just mess around and take pics of various things.

 

[codeyf]

Originally posted by: Jhill

Originally posted by: Electric Amish

Originally posted by: Jhill
My dumbass friend bought a 400 dollar pentax SLR zx-l camera. It's just a 35 mm camera with a 28-90 lens kit. What is this camera for? Why does it costs so much? He doesn't know anything about it he just bought it because it was 400 so he thought it must be good.


I tried to tell him just go get a canon a70 but he wouldn't listen.

He's really not a dumbass. The pics from the SLR Pentax will be much better than the A70 Digital and have more potential for enlargement.

Digital's are coming along and getting close to film camera's, but you have to pay out the ass to get a digital that's comparable to a film camera.

amish

I meant hes a dumbass because he doesn't know ANYTHING cameras. The only reason be bought it is because it was 400. He has no idea what SLR is and knows nothing about the features.

In that case, he is a dumb ass. Should have just gone to Costco and bought a multi-pack of one time use Kodaks.

 

I have a Minolta STsi SLR camera, and truthfully I'd much rather have a digital camera. In terms of quality they're not too comparable, but in terms of versatility I'd much rather have an A70 than my STsi.

 

[Lucky]

Originally posted by: FeathersMcGraw
SLR is unrelated to the medium of the camera -- there are film SLR cameras and there are digital SLR cameras (which are not consumer-priced right now).

It's also unrelated to the features of the camera (such as priority modes, exposure or focus lock, exposure compensation, etc.), although it's rare nowadays that you'd get a modern SLR camera that didn't have those features as well, since anyone who chooses SLR over a viewfinder typically has some concern about WYSIWYG for purposes of image composition and is likely not a Joe point-and-shoot.

Actually there are some fairly cheap (under 1K) non interchangable lens digital SLR's, as well as new offerings in the interchangable lens arena for as cheap as $1600 or so.

 

[randomlinh]

i like something like a G5 when it comes. satisfy the hobbist digital photography side of me. but... it's so much quicker to change apeture/shutter on an SLR... it's right there, no menu's to hobble through. granted, i haven't really used a G2/3/whatever, but I would think it'd get cumbersome.

 

[LS20]

my friend has a nikon F5 SLR and a nikon coolpix 995. guess which one he uses more often?

he has like 30 rolls of undeveloped film and hasnt touched the f5 in ayear

 

[Mday]

Originally posted by: LS20
my friend has a nikon F5 SLR and a nikon coolpix 995. guess which one he uses more often?

he has like 30 rolls of undeveloped film and hasnt touched the f5 in ayear

wonder if the f5 lenses will fit on the digital SLRs that are out now...

 

[Eli]

Oh, I didn't realize it was a film camera.

 

[GoHAnSoN]

humn...SLR photography is like using linux. (full control)
normal compact cameras is like using windows. (easy mode)

well, i guess that's the best example that i can think off for those who is new to photography.

 

[sgtroyer]

Yeah, the Nikon lenses will fit on a Nikon, Kodak, of Fuji digital SLR. So you can buy both a film and digital SLR camera body, and use the same lenses for both.

However, since the CCD or CMOS digital sensor is smaller than a 35mm frame, the picture will seem to be "zoomed in" more. That is, a 50mm lens, which is the normal focal length on a film camera, will seem to be a telephoto lens on a digital camera. A 35mm wide angle lens will seem to be normal focal length.

I wish digital SLR's were cheaper. I would love the convenience of digital, but you can't beat the ease of taking good pictures on an SLR. You know what you see in the viewfinder is exactly what the picture will be. The viewfinder image is large and clear. You can't get that with a point & shoot.