What types of digital cameras are there besides point-and-shoot and DSLR?
Asked 12/12/2011
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While researching digital cameras, I mostly see two categories mentioned: point-and-shoot and DSLR/SLR. What other general types of digital cameras are there, and what are their typical advantages and disadvantages compared with point-and-shoots or DSLRs? I’m looking for a broad overview of mainstream digital camera categories, not niche single-purpose cameras, and not film cameras.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
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Other camera types that I can think of, in terms of digital, would be:
Cell Phone - Destined, I think, to ultimately replace, or at least supplant, the point and shoot. They currently represent what is the most likely camera for a person to be carrying and that is what gives them advantage: the camera you have with you is infinitely better than the one that you do not. :) At any rate, they're getting better.
Bridge - The basic body structure of an SLR with a built-in lens and P&S features. The name, as implied, is about bridging the point and shoot to the SLR. In my opinion, and it is strictly opinion, you end up with the disadvantages of both (bulk of an SLR, image quality of a P&S) without their advantages (lens interchange of an SLR, portability of a P&S).
Medium Format - Big, powerful, and a price to match. The cheapest of these start at $10,000 and it skyrockets from there. The advantage? Image quality. The medium format camera represents the best of image quality, but they're bulky, have slow frame rates, and more restricted ISO ranges. So, there are trade-offs there, even for the price.
Mirrorless - It can be micro four-thirds or the more radical Nikon V1 and Pentax Q, but these are interchangeable lens cameras without a mirror. They're often equipped with electronic viewfinders. Their advantage over P&S is usually in lens options and image quality, their advantage over the SLR is in size.
Rangefinder - Not an SLR as it doesn't have the moving mirror. Leica is the king of this market. Big advantage is smaller body over an SLR, but they don't lend themselves well to zoom lenses because of the rangefinder.
However, even in the two you really know about, the variation is enormous. Not all P&S cameras are made equal and for the SLR world you have:
Entry Level - Almost a point and shoot, but with interchangeable lenses. The Canon 600D/T3i or the Nikon 3100 are great examples of this.
Prosumer - Pro level features, consumer styling. The Canon 60D or the Nikon 5100 are examples.
High-end Prosumer - More pro features, such as weather sealing, faster frame rates, etc. The Canon 7D or Pentax K-5 are good examples.
Professional - Usually full-frame sensors the size of 35mm film. These are top of the line cameras such as the Canon 1DX or the Nikon D700.
Note that some of these cameras blend or bleed between tiers, but the feature sets on the cameras do tend to lend themselves to one of those 4 tiers.
Anyways, that's my synopsis. I'm sure others could expound upon this much more.
Originally by user472. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user472
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—beyond point-and-shoots and DSLRs, a few other digital camera categories are commonly discussed:
- phone cameras: Their biggest advantage is convenience—you’re likely to have one with you, which often matters more than anything else. Image quality has improved a lot, but they’re generally limited compared with larger dedicated cameras.
- bridge cameras: These look somewhat like small DSLRs but have a fixed built-in lens. They aim to sit between point-and-shoot and DSLR. The trade-off is convenience and all-in-one design, but without interchangeable lenses; they can also be bulkier than compact cameras.
- medium format digital cameras: A higher-end category with larger sensors, generally aimed at professional use. The usual trade-offs are size, cost, and reduced portability.
- light field cameras: A less common type that records extra light-direction information, allowing focus adjustments after capture. Interesting in concept, but not a mainstream category.
So the broad digital landscape includes phones, compact point-and-shoots, bridge cameras, DSLRs, and medium-format systems, with some experimental types as well. In general, the main trade-offs are portability, image quality, lens flexibility, and cost.
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