Technological progress does not stand still, every day the photo and video equipment is becoming more accessible to ordinary people. Of course, this was not always the case, because two or three decades ago, only professionals or people of very high rank could use photo and video equipment.
But what we see now: almost every family has their own “family camera” at home, not to mention the individual owners of modern digital technology. Cameras are changing with astonishing speed - almost every month we see new models and series of photographic equipment on the shelves. But until now, the question remains as to which cameras are better - SLR or digital?
What is a SLR camera?
SLR cameras are a huge step forward in the development of the photo and video industry. Yes, it’s video business, since most Russian TV shows of our time are shot on modern mirror-type cameras (for example, Canon 7D). And this is quite justified, since photographic equipment is more compact, and gives a picture no worse than a huge professional video camera. Therefore, we can say with full confidence that SLR cameras are our future! Or not? Let's get it right.
As a rule, knowing how to photograph with a SLR camera is a guarantee to get a high-quality and beautiful picture. But pay attention to the fact that the usual digital "soap box" can give out images, sometimes no worse than a "mirror". Even if we take the fashionable and current camera of the Gopro series for example. She does not position herself as a SLR camera (photos and video files are made on Gopro in approximately the same ratio). But despite this, the fisheyes effect (fisheye) - makes this small camera very popular.
The difference between "SLR" and "numbers"
What is the difference between SLR and digital cameras? There are differences, and they are significant. SLR cameras are a fashion of the new century, but before everything was different. Previously, a person had only 5 megapixels on the HP camera, and in the first place was the capture of a moment, and not beautiful frames with your cat. Digital cameras are a good budget option for people who use it once or twice a month (when friends arrive or their daughter has a haircut).
Do not be mistaken that if it’s cheap, it means poor quality, it’s not at all. A lot of digital cameras cost $ 300-500, they have high-quality glass (lens) and other distinctive features (for example, they can be easily removed under water). Therefore, digital technology has a lot of advantages, but if you want to do photography more professionally, then you should still think about buying a digital SLR camera rather than a digital one.
Classification of SLR cameras
The simplest classification of photographic equipment can be considered branding. Now there are quite a few companies producing photo and video equipment. There are a lot of them, but probably the most common and well-known brands are long-standing rivals - Canon and Nikon. It’s like the great war between Coca-Cola and Pepsi - a war without sacrifices that lasts for centuries. It’s quite difficult to say which SLR camera is cooler - Canon or Nikon. Yes, there are differences between them, but, despite them, they are kept at approximately the same level. If someone says that the Nikon cameras are yellowing the frame, others say that the Canon produces photos with a bluish tint.
Here, a very important role is played by how to properly photograph a particular manufacturing company with a reflex camera. Since each organization wants to make its equipment unique, it often adds individual settings, or, in its own way, draws up a picture viewing window. This is largely due to the fact that to accustom a person (no matter how rude it may sound) precisely to his technique, so that he gets used to one particular brand. Consult with professional photographers, it is unlikely that you will meet among them the one who changed several times the company that produces photographic equipment. And if you meet, then be sure to give us his contact details later - everyone should know about such a person.
Overview of SLR cameras, the difference from them is a full-frame series cameras
The cameras in this series are now at the peak of their popularity, and there are a number of reasons for this.
It may well be influenced by the fact that SLR and other cameras of the APS-C format have a very impressive competitor on the market - cameras of a bezekralnogo type, which contain a combination of such characteristics as a budget reasonable price, as well as a shocking compactness of the device.
On the other hand, we can see that now SLR cameras are a desire to get closer to a more professional segment, getting stuffed from their older comrades. As a result, they are getting cheaper, and then they move from the category of professional cameras to the category of the more massive sphere of advanced cameras for amateurs.
Which companies produce cameras from the full-frame category?
Throughout the entire photo story, full-frame SLR cameras are the brainchild of only three companies - Nikon, Canon, Sony. Such cameras exist in only a couple of dozens of models, and the last such camera was released already in 2004 by Kodak. Also, such cameras are very difficult to call a “budget option”, since a camera of this format Leica M9 without a lens costs about one hundred and forty thousand rubles. Pretty impressive amount, right?
How to photograph a beginner photographer with a DSLR?
If you decide to start your career as a photographer right away with a professional camera, then be prepared to meet a number of difficulties and obstacles in your path.
The first thing worth mentioning is that the camera itself will not give you the perfect picture in terms of composition and lighting. Therefore, in order to get good shots, try to follow a few rules.
Horizon rules
The SLR camera is your window into the real world, a semblance of your view and understanding of the world. Make sure that the horizon is not cluttered in your shots. Fashion skewed space has long gone out of fashion. Look at the street - you see all the objects directly, all the streets are located exclusively horizontally, and the columns - vertically. It should also be in your picture, if it's hard for you, then in the viewfinder, focus on straight lines, this will help you a lot at the very beginning of your journey.
Also emphasize the rule of the golden ratio. Mentally divide your horizons into 9 identical rectangles (by glancing at three vertical and three horizontal lines). After that, select the extreme points of the rectangle located in the center. Done? Excellent! The thing is that these four points (conditionally, of course) are for our eyes the most favorable and convenient for perception. Therefore, when you take pictures, pay more attention to them, this will help you a lot.
Manual settings on the SLR camera
SLR cameras are primarily distinguished by the fact that they provide the owner with the opportunity to fully build their future picture, starting from the light and ending with the focal point.
If you have never worked with SLR cameras in person before, we strongly advise you to start by reading as many tutorials and watching video tutorials as possible. At the same time, pay more attention to such details as:
- aperture;
- exposure;
- focusing;
- zoom.
All these values can be adjusted even in the simplest and most inexpensive SLR camera; the size of these parameters is one of the main components of the price of photographic equipment.
Composition and proper frame construction
In the end, I want to talk about how to properly configure the parameters of your camera - that's not all. How to photograph with a SLR camera depends on the correct construction of the frame. To understand this issue well, read about the types of composition (closed, open, and so on). And also pay attention to the size and plans: targeted, general, medium (medium plan for the waist, medium plan for the chest), close-up and, finally, a detailed plan.
All these rules and recommendations will definitely help you in the future to take good quality pictures. But do not forget that the rules are a very arbitrary thing, and sometimes they do not interfere with how to break. Therefore, experiment, since it is experiments that will help you make high-quality and original pictures, which you can then be afraid to send to a wide variety of exhibitions.