The Pros and Cons of Owning a DSLR

After years of using point and shoots, many people suddenly get bitten by the DSLR "bug." Maybe they become frustrated by the poor performance of their cameras in low light. Maybe they see gorgeous photographs a friend of theirs took with a DSLR and decide, "Hey! I want one of those!" Maybe being creative types, they feel too restricted by the limitations of an automatic and want something that will give them more control.

Ironically, even though these people may feel a certain urge to finally get a DSLR, they find themselves wavering on whether to commit themselves to one or not. After all, not only are DSLRs a major investment investment, they require a lot more knowledge to work with than a standard point and shoot. So in spite of feeling the inclination to get a DSLR, many people wonder if all the money and additional effort needed to learn more about photography will be worth it.

If you're someone who's still undecided about getting a DSLR, below is a guide designed to help you out. In it, you'll learn all you need to know about the pros and cons of DSLRs. By the time you've completed it, you'll hopefully have a better sense of whether you're ready to finally get one or not.

The pros of DSLRs

1. Less noise
One of the biggest cons of a point of shoot is that due to a number of factors, the images they produce tend to be very noisy, even at low ISOs. This can be a frustrating problem if you like to shoot pictures in low light without flash. This is because it's almost impossible to set your point and shoot to an ISO higher than, say, 400 and produce a photo of passable quality. It will either come out very noisy or smeared due to heavy in-camera noise reduction.

Because DSLRs have image sensors that are much larger than what you'd find in a standard point and shoot, they don't suffer from heavy noise issues. That isn't to say that you won't get noise at all with them, but that DSLRs are able to produce virtually noise free images at ISOs that on a normal point and shoot would be very poor quality-wise. For example, pictures taken with my Panasonic Lumix LZ6 start to get horribly noisy at 400 ISO. But with my Sony a230L DSLR, they don't reach that level of noise until 1600 ISO. Such is the benefit of shooting with a DSLR-- less noise at most ISOs, which translates to the ability to take better pictures in low light without flash.

2. More creative control
Point and shoots are very handy cameras; with just a turn of a dial and click of a button, you can take great pictures. However, there's only so much you can do with them. Since their settings are mostly automatic, you're extremely limited in terms of certain creative options. For example, you can't toy around with things like bokeh (extreme depth of focus), light trails, or HDRI photography-- at least, not without some measure of difficulty.

With DSLRs, you have complete and utter control over how your photographs are made, because practically everything is adjustable-- speed, aperture, and lens. You can even control the focus! So if you feel hampered by point and shoots because you're just dying to experiment creatively, you can do no better than get a DSLR. There's practically nothing you can't do artistically with one.

3. Viewfinder
Another major positive of DSLRs is that they will most likely come with an electronic or optical viewfinder. As you may have already seen, most point and shoots only come with an LCD screen, which almost always results in the unfortunate problem of being able to compose shots in bright daylight. Another downside to non-viewfinder point and shoots is that if you've spent most of your life using film cameras, using the LCD screen to compose shots can feel awkward.

With DSLRs, the problems that tend to come with LCD screen-only point and shoots is avoided. Not only do you no longer have to worry about screens getting washed out on bright days, there's no longer the awkward feeling of holding out your camera to compose shots when you've spent years holding it to your face.

Cons of DSLRs
Now that we've discussed the pros of getting a DSLR, let's talk about a few cons.

1. More expensive
DSLRs are more expensive than point and shoots. It's not just because their base prices are more expensive. It's also because they're seldom perfect for shooting the type of images you want right out of the box, since you're only given a few basic accesories to start with. As a result, more often than not when you finally buy that dream DSLR, you'll find yourself needing to get additional accessories, such as another lens or two, special filters, and other items to be able to shoot the type of high end, gorgeous photographs you'd always hoped to take. Unfortunately, this means that once you've bought that your DSLR, your expenses have only just begun. Expect to spend a minimum of $150 on top of your initial DSLR purchase (and that's being conservative!). It's inevitable if you really become serious about making the most out of your camera.

2. Heavier and larger
If you ever wondered why pros sometimes use point and shoots over DSLRs in spite of their drawbacks, all you have to do is hold a DSLR. While most point and shoots are no heavier than a small paperback, a DSLR can be as heavy as a hardcover. When you couple one with the other accessories you'll most likely be carrying on shoots (tripod, multiple lenses, etc), suddenly the prospect of breezily bouncing around town or the country snapping photographs feels less than exciting.

If you don't mind lugging around this gear around with you once in awhile, you're a natural candidate for a DSLR. However, if you're the type of person who can't stomach the idea of being weighed down by all this stuff on a day of shooting, you're better off sticking with your point and shoot.

3. Steeper learning curve
All DSLRs have automatic settings for the novice user who isn't yet ready to learn more advanced photography techniques. However, this doesn't mean that taking gorgeous pictures with them is a snap. In spite of "scene modes", user friendly menus and manuals, DSLRs require a lot of experimenting with before you can get some great shots out of them. This is because DSLRs were designed to be tweaked by the user, not used like a standard point and shoot. You can try to use a DSLR like one, but what will happen instead is that the shots will not really be that much more spectacular than the ones from a point and shoot. In some cases, a DSLR used as an automatic might even turn out shots that look worse than the ones taken from your compact!

The key to avoid this problem is to learn as much about traditional photography as possible in order to tweak your DSLR. Unfortunately, this means that you'll have to spend more than just a few hours playing around with one to really "get it." If you have the patience to spend a few weeks just learning the basics, you'll have no problems with a DSLR. But if you can't see yourself trying to understand the "science" of f-stops, speed, and all of this other technical stuff that comes across as either overwrought, annoying, or nonsensical mumbo jumbo, a DSLR might not be right for you.

4. Lack of live preview
With each passing year, more and more DSLRs are coming out with LCD screens with "live preview", just as you would find on a point and shoot. However, the inclusion of live preview is still not all that widespread yet. What this means is that it's very likely that a model you're interested in might not come with it, especially if it's an older camera that's within your budget. If you don't mind going without live preview or can afford a DSLR that comes with it, then by all means, get one. However, if you're a big fan of live preview, keep in mind that at the time of this writing, you more often than not will have to go without this feature when purchasing a DSLR or go beyond your budget to buy one that has it.

5. Less conspicuous
One last major drawback of DSLRs is that they garner a lot of attention because of their size and look. As a result, if you're the type of person who's into sneaking in a lot of candid shots of people in public, you're going to have a lot harder time of it with a huge, bulky camera. Yes, people do tend to notice you anyway when you have a small point and shoot, but multiply that by ten with a DSLR.

Even if you're not into this type of "guerilla" street photography and are more about taking pictures of objects and scenery, you still have to deal with problems that come with being more conspicious. Sometimes by virtue of whipping out a DSLR, you garner more attention than you'd like, some of it negative. The most common negative experience is to have a individuals regard you with suspicion and treat you accordingly. Are you a media snoop? Corporate spy? Terrorist? An outsider entering a very territorial neighborhood? Aan annoying tourist? Or just an obnoxious photographer hoping to put a candid picture of people in the paper? These are just some of the negative-- and yes, unfounded-- conclusions that many people come up with when they see someone with a "professional" camera.

So expect occasionally to be sternly instructed to put your camera away by a rent-a-cop, eyed sharply by residents, asked to leave by landlords or store owners, or even screamed at by a random paranoid schizophrenic who's convinced you're there to take his soul. Such is the downside of owning a DSLR. But if you can handle the occasional unpleasant encounter in your quest to take better pictures, in the end it will all be worth it.