What's The Best DSLR For You?

There's lots of talk out there about all of the Digital SLR cameras being advertised in the media and you're probably thinking about whether you should purchase one, and if so, which one is right for you. I hope this article will help you in making your decision to find the correct camera.

Do you really need all of the bells and whistles (features) that are being advertised by each of the manufacturers? The answer to that is simple: No, you don't. Now here's the rub; what features do I really need and how much do I want to pay? You first need to decide whether you need a DSLR that takes great photos or just photos that you want to print, put into an album or some other digitized media, and forget about it. Or, do you want a DSLR that will "WOW" your family and friends and more importantly, yourself. If the latter is true, then you probably want a DSLR over the point-and-shoot because it allows you, as the photographer, to control much of the way the camera takes the photo.

The next thing you need to decide is whether you also want the camera to take great video shots. Many of the newer model DSLR's out there offer the capability of taking full-motion video, and some even full HD video as well. The more features you want in a DSLR, the more it's going to cost and there's no getting around this. Some DSLR cameras also offer full auto-focus while taking the video and this is another feature that has a price tag.

Most of the DSLR cameras out there come standard with either just the body (no lens) or a zoom lens. These standard zoom lenses come in various degrees but most are in the 18-150mm category and also offer more in the digital zoom area which increases the capability. I'm not talking about the giant lenses you see on the sidelines of the football and basketball games here since those lenses are in the 250-1,000 mm range and will probably break the bank for most of us. You need to look at the standard lens offering coming with the basic DSLR to get started. The beauty here is that you can upgrade to a different type of lens now that you've already purchased the base camera, unlike the point-and-shoot cameras.

Don't overlook the ISO feature of the camera. Back in the days of film, this used to be referred to as the ASA. What ISO denotes is how sensitive the image sensor behind the lens is to the amount of light present. The higher the ISO, the more sensitive the image sensor and increases the possibility to take pictures in low-light situations.

I think that one feature often overlooked by the consumer is the feel of the camera in your hands. If you have small hands, then you're going to find that some of the larger DSLR cameras are just not going to feel comfortable in your hands and you may not be able to control all of the features without taking the camera away from your eyes. Conversely, if you have very large hands, the smaller sized cameras are going to get lost in your hands. In most cases, the sizes of the camera has a direct relation to the weight of the camera, and believe me, having one of these "big-boys" hanging around your neck for an hour or two is going to feel like a bowling ball. You may have noticed that many pro's carry their camera around the shoulder, not the neck because of the weight and they have more control since the camera is not swinging around your chest bumping into every obstacle they come across. This may sound silly but believe me; I've seen many a lens ruined because of all this mishandling.

What's the Best SLR Entry Level Camera?

If your thinking about getting a new camera, and wondering what the best SLR entry level camera might be, I have a few suggestions. If your a Canon fan, then the Canon Rebel Xsi, or newer T1i would be excellent choices. If however your partial to Nikon, that have a look and the D90 or D40, depending on your budget.

One of the desired options of single lens reflex cameras, is their flexibility to accommodate several lenses for unique picture taking scenes. Lots of serious and starting photographers enjoy the simplicity of using unique lenses when taking pics. Those enthusiasts that choose not to use a SLR camera end up seeing a skewed representation of their Kodak moment. It's not as bad as you may think, if you don't use zoom, but things can get a little trickier if you try to zoom a picture and are experiencing difficulty with focal length. The DSLR camera removes this obstruction simply because the man and machine share the same scene through the one lens.

While single lens reflex purists may be staging a revolt, the determination by most camera makers including Nikon and Canon to allow customers to use the LCD or viewfinder to set up their images is a positive thing.The beginning of the procedure in Live View, is to engage an additional peripheral sensor to handle the image initiated in the prism mirror. Then, rather than delivering it to a capture sensor, it will be sent to the display screen, which can make the operation slower by quite a bit. While live view has been extremely popular, it often meant forgoing autofocus which seemed a shame. The the newer Canon Rebel has made some progression towards correcting this.

The Many Faces of DSLR Cameras

The SLR Camera That Allows For Multiple Lenses

Traditionally speaking, the SLR camera is represented by this genre. For our purposes, these are the ones we will be hashing out here. As you would anticipate, these DSLR cameras allow for the variety of lenses. With the option of a mixture of lenses, you can capture photographs from just about any distance, focal length, or view.

For example, the majority of cameras with the digital single lens reflex label would fall into this class.

The Best SLR Entry Level Camera Features Without Expensive Lenses

While the DSLR is a grand camera in concept, many individuals are put off by the thought of expensive and heavy lenses. These types of cameras are rare and harder to find and aren't really manufactured much anymore.

As with considering any digital gizmo, it seems logical to look on the internet for sales, and product selection. Specialty neighbourhood camera shops simply can't contend with their over priced retail space and small makes and selection.

LCD V Plasma - What's the Best Choice of HDTV?

Okay, so you're looking to upgrade your TV to something far more impressive. You've heard about LCD and Plasma, but you're not quite sure which is the best choice for you.

Okay, so let's take a look at some vital aspects of TV's...

Contrast

LCD TV's are much better than they used to be, but Plasma TV's still have the edge on the contrast issue. This is due to the fact that LCD cells are lit from behind even when showing black, whereas Plasma cells are completely switched off when showing black.

Color

Plasma tends to be better for color, but it does depend on the light, the manufacturer, and the particular model of TV. Plasma color is better in rooms with normal or lower lighting, whereas LCD color is better in rooms that are brightly lit, due to their brightness and built-in anti-glare technology.

Viewing Angles

LCD TV's have better viewing angles than they used to have, and you can expect the best LCD HDTV models to have about 120 to 130 degree viewing angles. However, Plasma TV's still win on this at the moment.

Computer Use

LCD screens are the best for computer use, as they are great for displaying static images without having flicker, and most importantly, no screen burn-in as can happen with Plasma screens. They are also great at displaying lots of data with wonderful precision and clarity, for example large spreadsheets.

Fast Action Sequences

Plasma wins when it comes to fast action, due to their ability to handle fast-moving images, and also their high contrast levels. LCD screens are better than they used to be for fast action, but still not quite up to the standard that Plasma has set.

Power Consumption

LCD's use approximately half of the power than their Plasma counterparts. This is due to the fact that LCD's are illuminated by florescent backlighting, whereas Plasmas use a lot of electricity to illuminate each individual pixel on it's own.

Screen Resolution

LCD's win here, as they have higher screen resolutions per screen size. For example, a 40-inch LCD screen would have a resolution of no less than 1366 x 768, whereas a 42-inch Plasma screen would have a resolution of only 1024 x 768.

In Conclusion

So, which type of HDTV should you choose? Well, think about what you are going to most likely be using it for. For example, if you are a fan of watching fast action movies in the dark, or you are a sports fan, then Plasma is the choice for you. However, if you are more into slower-paced shows, or would like to be able to use your screen for computer use, then LCD is the one you need to get.