Thin digital cameras are all the rage, and are grabbing ever more market share. Manufacturers have taken notice, and today's offerings rival relatively bulky digital SLR cameras in certain features and feature sets. Thanks to advances in electronics, many capabilities that were once the exclusive reserve of an SLR is now to be found on many thin digital cameras as well.
Take for instance the matter of the LCD screen; resolution used to be a major selling point for SLRs and thin digital cameras, but the latest releases can claim just about as many megapixels as the best SLR. Of course, megapixels don't tell the whole story behind image quality, and it's possible for a 10-megapixel compact camera, say, to be outperformed by a dedicated SLR with only 8 megapixels. This could be due to any number of variables, but one very likely culprit for such a situation - which is not entirely hypothetical - is the quality of the image sensors.
After all, thin digital cameras have to be compact and thus smaller, meaning that their sensors can be some twenty-five times smaller than those found inside SLRs. Each pixel in the sensor therefore collects smaller photons, resulting in pictures that are less sharp and less clear, with more noise and grain likely.
This is one important reason why the old compact versus SLR debate won't subside any time soon even though technology keeps blurring the distinctions between the two. There are many subtleties involved in any serious consideration of hardware and equipment, and experienced professionals tend to prefer SLRs for finer control and versatility. And, truth be told, there are many reasons to go with an SLR over a compact, not the least of which is resell value. A line of thin digital cameras may go through two wholly new product versions in one year!
But nothing beats the convenience of a compact. Unless you need something like the ability to switch lenses, particularly for true telephoto zoom, lightweight compacts are the way to go for all-around practicality and affordability. And technology advances every year, continuing to "cross-reference" features and feature sets such that SLRs are getting more compact while compacts are getting more powerful and robust in their capabilities. Only some real-world hands-on experience will determine which is best for you - though, of course, with prices continuing to fall after a product debut, you could simply purchase one from each category!
Author Resource:-
Written by Paul Wise, who has used thin digital cameras, recommends Go4Cameras.com for digital SLR cameras and other photography equipment.
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