With technology advancing in such a rapid pace, camera manufacturers have been able to produce different cameras, each with its advantages and disadvantages. Depending on what your needs are for photography, you will most likely choose one type over the other. However, though technology has advanced so far, there will be trade-offs with each camera.
Though there is no such thing as the perfect camera, we can sure do our research to find the best camera that would most fit our needs. Below, we have listed five camera types that you will most likely come across in your life, and in the camera store, which are:
- Digital Single Lens Reflex cameras
- Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Cameras
- Compact cameras
- Bridge cameras
- Mobile phone cameras
Digital Single Lens Reflex cameras
Let’s start off with the most common type of camera on the market, and one of the most versatile camera types out there. We are talking about the Digital Single Lens Reflex camera, or DSLR.
The first time that anyone took their very first photo may not have been on a DSLR, but once they found themselves more and more intrigued about the art of photography, there is a good chance they grew into one. For us, it was the same story. Our very first photos came from a compact, yet bulky camera that had to be loaded with film.
The reason why many people started out their photographic journey with a DSLR was the manual control over the exposure, it allowed for lenses to be interchanged for different perspectives and image quality, and.. it just looked cool. The latter was a tad shallow, but hey.. as long as we’re honest to ourselves.
The DSLR was a tool that almost all professional photographers used, due to the flexibility to interchange lenses. You could attach a lens that was more suitable for wide-angle shots.. or a lens for stunning macro shots.. or even a lens that would be great for low-light conditions. Different lenses have different features and capabilities. That is one thing that makes photography so interesting. We will cover the lens basics in a separate article in the near future.
Another feature on the DSLR was the mirror mechanism housed in each camera body. Before you would press the shutter-button, you would compose you image through an optical viewfinder. Light that entered the camera was redirected against a mirror, up to a prism, and on to your eye. Once you have framed your photo, you would press the shutter-button, the mirror would flip up, and the sensor would start recording.
As the camera was also large in size, you would have a better grip on the camera, which helps with stability. The more stability you have, the less blurry your photos would be. This is a great plus.
However, nowadays, more and more people are starting to use Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Cameras. These cameras are smaller, allow for lenses to be interchanged, all while omitting the need for a mirror system like in a DSLR. A huge plus when you want to maximize portability and mobility.. but is it really?
Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Cameras
The Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera is sometimes referred to MILC, or simply a mirrorless camera. Like DSLR’s, the mirrorless cameras have the same features, however without the mirror system. This allowed for smaller and lighter cameras, with some distinct additional features.
As there is no mirror system, there is no optical viewfinder. Light that entered the lens would be directly recorded by the image sensor, and relayed to the LCD screen on the back of your camera, or.. to the electronic viewfinder. This feature allows you to give an accurate representation on what your exposure would look like directly in the viewfinder. This is a great feature to have, especially when it comes to fine-tuning your exposure. You wouldn’t have to take multiple photos to see how each exposure adjustment would reflect in the final image, as it would already be accurately represented.
Having, pretty much, everything electronically in your camera, means that the camera would require a lot more power to operate for longer periods of time, compared to a DSLR. Your sensor would be powered non-stop, as long as you have turned on your camera that is, and the representation would continuously be displayed in the electronic viewfinder or on the back of your camera. This has resulted in a significantly reduced battery life compared to the DSLR. This meant for some people to invest in multiple batteries if they went out for extended periods of time, which sometimes mitigates the entire purpose of having a smaller setup.
Additionally, though the camera itself could be reduced in size, you still require to invest in lenses, which were not much different in size, and sometimes even larger, than those used on a DSLR. Though the technology for DSLR cameras have slowly reached its saturation point, the development in mirrorless camera technology is still rather going fast paced.
If you think that the mirrorless camera is the way forward for you, then by all means, go for it. A good thing to know is that more and more lenses are being developed for the mirrorless system, while fewer lenses are being developed for the DSLR, as more camera manufacturers are putting their efforts into mirrorless cameras.
Compact cameras
Ah, the compact camera. This type of camera was, and still is, a lot of fun to play with. Though the use of compact cameras have worldwide been reduced, there are still camera manufacturers who still breathe life into this segment. The compact camera has swiftly been replaced with the camera on your phone. Phone cameras have gotten so good these days, that it does replace the compact camera for the function that is was meant to.. a camera that was so small.. so portable.. that you could bring it everywhere with you.
Now, these cameras were not meant to high quality photos. Instead, they could do with an even smaller sensor than an APS-C one, engineer a fixed lens on, and make the entire package as small and as compact as possible. What type of phone fits this segment as well? You guessed it, the mobile phone camera.
Recently, certain camera manufacturers still produce compact cameras, which feed the market of people who want a small and portable cameras, while still being able to take high quality images. This due to larger and more sophisticated image sensors than those you would find in mobile phones.
Bridge cameras
As the name suggests, this camera type lies between two other camera types. Could you guess which ones they are? Indeed, they sit right in between the compact camera, and the DSLR. The bridge camera had the body and handling of a DSLR for a more tactile, more manual control and feel, while integrating a fixed lens. This camera is perfect for those who care about image quality, the control over their exposure, while not being bothered by the necessity of interchanging lenses.
Of course, as the lens was fixed, should you wish to take photos that would require a different type of lens, then that would not be possible. Nowadays, the market for this type of camera is incredibly small. People would either purchase a DSLR with a more versatile lens, to keep the option open to change lenses in the future, or get a premium compact camera. However, the latter also sees a declining market.
Mobile phone cameras
Now we will cover the most popular camera. More people own a type of camera that is compact, takes decent quality photos, and.. get this.. is a mirrorless one. No one can get around the mobile phone camera anymore. As we have mentioned before, this camera has gotten so good over the years, while it is something that you bring with you every day, and.. it even fits in your pocket.
Though they have always had small sensors, far smaller than their DSLR counterparts, they still produce great images for most people’s needs. Smaller sensors do have their limitation, simply due to their physical size. Dynamic range, high-ISO capabilities, and depth of field are clear examples where the saying of ‘bigger is better’ clearly applies. Will we ever see mobile phone cameras which are backed by an APS-C sensor or larger? Who knows. Perhaps in the future, we will be walking around with mobile phones the size of a small Tupperware container. Though this may be a possibility, it would completely cancel out the advantage of being ‘pocket-able’.
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