Food for thought when considering getting your first Digital Single Lens Reflex camera
I see this question so often on photography forums, “total newbie wants to take great photos, which DSLR camera should I get?”….
Read on to find out how I stand on the subject…
I can understand this, I did it myself when I started out in photography, even though my question was already half answered since I, before getting my first digital camera had already bought an analog Canon SLR, the Canon 3000V. With that followed a 28-90mm kit lens. I soon found the need for more reach, so I scrapped together enough money to buy a used 70-300mm Tamron lens, thus setting my self comfortablely in place within the Canon family.
No getting out now…
But does it even matter which camera platform you choose?
In my humble opinion, no. Sony, Canon, Nikon or Olympus all produce great equipment capable of creating great photographs. It’s all a matter of feel and preferences, which camera platform you end up choosing.
DOWN TO BUSINESS
So will getting a DSLR get you better photographs than a normal compact camera? ya, if you know what you are doing. Setting it to the normal programs, like “landscape”, “portrait”, “sport” or the dreaded all-round “green square” will get you the same photos as you would have gotten from a compact.
The whole idea behind the DSLR cameras is the ability to change focal lengths to get the composition you’re looking for and the ability to easily change the three parameters, ISO, shutterspeed and aperture. Obviously the ability to use extremely high quality lenses doesn’t hurt either.
A lot of new photographers look for sharpness, and expect to find it automatically with their new SLR with the standard kit lens… most of the time, that’s just not gonna happen. Most kit lens just arent that sharp, but the main reason, is that the try to shoot at the biggest aperture, without really knowing why.
Their are some very cheap and great alternatives, like the Canon 50mm f/1.8 prime lens, of course with the restrictions you get from a prime lens.
You’ll soon find out that sharpness in other focal lengths cost, so prepare to dig deep in the ol’ wallet.
The DSLR also gives you the ability to easily add artificial light off camera, using radio triggers or similar to fire the flashes. The build in flash on DLSR doesn’t produce any better light that your average compact cameras flash.
It has the same drawback that the compact flash has, it’s situated right smack on top on the lens, getting you the allways akward looking “deer caught in the headlights” look.
The secret to getting great flash photos is getting the flash away from the camera, using light stands, speedlights, radio triggers and what not.
SO WHAT DOES IT ALL BOIL DOWN TO?
That means that thinking that SLRs will get you better photos of the bat, just isn’t realistic. Actually, you’ll probably get better photos straight out of camera with a compact.
When most compact cameras take a picture they “process” the bajerzers out of the photo in-camera. It’s a combination of optimizing the photo, enhancing the colors, and adding a little sharpening.
The same thing a DSLR does when set to one of the auto programs. So when expecting the newly bought DSLR to take better photos, than their previous compact camera, people will get disappointed and blame their gear, yet again.
There’s a reason pro photographers take better pictures, than your average new owner of a DSLR. They are better photographers 
…
If you wanna take great photos, expect to be doing some self-educating for a long while.
Learn the three parameters, understand what it is that each one of them does to your photographs. Understand light, learn to add light where needed. Learn composition, the art of composing interesting and pleasing photos. Accept that better pictures are a result of understanding photography first and foremost and not getting better equipment…
I read a blog post from a great photographer once, who wrote, that before you get a new camera or lens, one should exhaust all the possibilities in the current one. Only then should you get new equipment.
I haven’t followed this rule my self, but have learned it the hard way.
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