Ethical Consumerism

If you are interested in digital photography and want top quality photographs you could do worse than look at purchasing a single lens reflex (SLR) camera. Successful digital photography with SLR cameras is achievable even by those relatively new to the medium. Firstly you should understand how this type of camera operates and how you can influence the outcome by choosing the exposure rather than using the auto function. It may take a little more work at first but the images that a digital single lens reflex (DSLR) can produce far outweigh those produced by a point and shoot compact digital camera.A DSLR has a mirror that directs the light entering the lens up onto a prism for you to view the image. Once you press the shutter release the mirror pivots up out of the way just as the exposure is made. This is the same movement used in a traditional film SLR. To aide viewing the image the aperture remains at its maximum, for example f2.8 this allows the maximum amount of light to enter the lens. However, when you press the shutter the aperture will stop down to the required calibration (pre-adjusted) so that the combination of the aperture and the amount of time the shutter is open (speed) is combined to make the exposure. You have control over how the image will be recorded. for example, a larger aperture in combination with the required speed may throw the background out of focus and make the main subject of the shot more prominent.The different camera manufacturers provide a wide variety of interchangeable lenses from which to choose. However, it is not usually possible to use a lens from one manufacturer on a different camera. There are lens manufacturers that do produce different fittings for various cameras. A dedicated lens from a specific manufacturer such as Canon or Nikon will usually be more expensive than a lens from this type of manufacture but the quality is often comparable today.With an SLR you are easily able to view the scene in front of you as is. This means that if you place a filter over the front of the lens you will be able to view how this alters the image, you will also be able to see if you have left the lens cap on!There are some disadvantages to using a single lens reflex camera, notably the weight. The prism and the optics do add to the overall weight of the camera and you may need to have a strong camera bag and even a tripod to use it if you are using a long telephoto lens. These cameras can also be noisy when the prism lifts up out of the way when you are taking your shot.For successful digital photography with an SLR you need to get to know your camera as well as possible so that you can easily use all the options available rather than have to keep looking at the instruction book. If you put some little time into doing this the results you achieve will far outweigh your best shots taken with a digital compact camera.