hey guys, im lookin at buyin a new camera. and im lookin in the 600-700 price range. but whats the difference between an SLR, and just an advanced camera that isnt SLR?

 

search, this question gets asked once a week, theres some rather detailed info and camera suggestions that have already been posted.

Based on your question alone, I would suggest a high end point and shot, like the Canon A series, people over hype dSLR

actually for what your willing to spend a G7 or G9

 

^^ No way

For 6-700 dollars you can get a very good entry level DSLR. You can go with either a Canon Rebel or Nikon D40 kit. Even for a noob, your pictures will be a bit crisper shooting on program modes versus a regular point and shoot.

And more importantly, once your experience grows, your camera can grow with you....

 

http://www.ecost.com/detail.aspx?edp...=ewbperformics

 

SLR = single lens reflex
regular ( point & shoot ) digital cameras normally don't have interchangeable lenses.

The Canon & Nikon cameras mentioned above have much more latitude for improvement and control over the lighting conditions & focal lenths.

You just need to understand if you want a point & shoot camera or a larger investment in lenses and a body that can do nything you want it to do.

 

How exactly would a dSLR make pictures "crisper" if anything there is more features to get wrong. Likely it would just be left in Auto mode anyways, giving no advantage over a PnS in the majority of situtations

A PnS will not limit any picture taking, there is no sense in spending large amounts on a camera for someone new to them.

OP if you want to drop that kind of money then might as well get a dSLR, however if you want to save a bit, get a nice PnS and I promise you there will be no real difference in their ability to shot pictures--its all about skill, not equipment

 

 

 

Potentially, a point and shoot's only limitations are it's lenses, as you can't change it and go to specialty or sharper lenses... and usually, they are not as good a quality as standalone lenses. The lens' other qualities like aperture and Auto Focus makes a huge difference in just being able to take the picture, among other things, which include creative shots too.

When you buy a DSLR body, you are mainly looking at Image Quality of the sensor... ie: noise and resolution.

But the real investment is with the lenses.

A canon rebel 350D (XT) along with the kit 18-55mm and Canon's 50mm f1.8 lens would fall into your budget... or even the Nikon D40 with the kit lens.

A DSLR also lets you shoot long exposure shots up to 30 seconds, which again, lets you be more creative. The wide aperture of the specialty lens's let's you take razor sharp Depth of Focus shots which lets you blur the background into smooth, creamy colors.

Granted, you can take a great picture with a point and shoot in some situations, but if you like creativity and want to go beyond just snap shots in the garage or on the side street, get a DSLR.

I would suggest getting a point and shoot mainly for travel/portability reasons.