10 Reasons NOT to buy a DSLR
I have recently read an article on the tech lounge that quickly became very popular with more than 1000 diggs about 10 reasons to buy a DSLR. I have to say up front that I do agree with most of the points expressed in that article, however I’d like to add something DSLRs are NOT for anybody no matter how cheap they are becoming.
So here are 10 reasons NOT to buy a DSLR
1. They are big and bulky: Most of us who own a DSLR will end up buy buying an additional point and shoot digital camera because DSLRs are just too bulky to carry everywhere. Just very few people, like myself, will accept showing off at a restaurant table, or other occasions, carrying a big Canon EOS 30D and a set of lenses.
2. You are not going to use it: This point was already brought up in the tech lounge article but this point is so valid I just can’t skip it. Many people spend money to buy a DSLR and end up by just using the Pre-programmed modes, so if you don’t count to go deep enough into photography to forget
3. Lens quality: Most branded compact digital camera you buy will ship with a high quality lens capable of delivering images of great quality. Most kit lens are a joke, and if you are not ready to invest BIG money in lenses, just don’t buy a DSLR.
4. Equipment care: DSLR will require much more care and cleaning than the compact digital camera. You’ll will have to buy cleaning kits, clean those lenses and the sensor too anytime you start seeing dust spots on you images, and I know just too well that it happen too often.
5. No LCD live preview: Yes I know why, but most people will expect to be able to preview the picture they are about to take live on their LCD, that’s the whole idea behind going digital isn’t it? So you need to know that in a DSLR you will not be able to preview the picture on the LCD screen.
6. Lens versatility: When you buy that point and shoot you will have just one versatile piece of equipment specially build to fit most of your photography situations. When you buy a DSLR you will have to buy a lens for each and every kind of shooting. Landscape/portrait/wildlife/indoor, you name it. I know it is a feature, but it is on costly feature, so again if you are not ready to pay money more than just the price of the camera DSLR are not for you. Good lenses costs a lot more than entry and midrange DSLRs
7. Bandwagon: Don’t just buy a DSLR because everyone else is doing so, think about why you want a camera to start with, if what you need is a camera to carry everywhere and keep those memories captured forever, then you probably don’t need a DSLR, but if you genuinely love photography and ready to spend time and money learning it, then DSLR is a surely a good choice.
8. It is NOT the camera but the photographer: If you think that a DSLR will make you a better photographer, think again. It is note the camera that takes the pictures, but the person behind the lens, check the internet and you will find a lot of breathtaking pictures taken with point and shoot digital cameras. Of course a DSLR will give you more opportunities and more tools to work with, but it won’t make you a better photographer.
9. Life span: Once you get your DSLR you will most probably want to upgrade to the new model ever other model release. You can still find a lot of people shooting with they Canon G5 even after the G6 and G7 are released, but you will notice that most DSLR owners will rush to upgrade their camera finding any and every excuse possible to justify its cost.
10. You will still be able to buy it later: Like everything else if you are just starting in photography it is only the logical path to start small and then, when you feel you reached the limits of your equipment, you can always buy a more pro one and you will always find someone in your family happy to get that compact digital camera you want to get rid off.
As a conclusion, if you have a good photography background
- Top 10 reasons why you should NOT buy the Canon EOS 5D
- 10 things to test before buying a used DSLR
- Top 7 reasons why buy the Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8 over the 24-105 f/4 IS
- How to calculate very long exposures
- Tips on how to take successful moon pictures
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8 comments on this post
“…most people will expect to be able to preview the picture they are about to take live on their LCD, that’s the whole idea behind going digital isn’t it?” - No, the point is to directly be able to look at taken pictures without having to go to a shop and let them develop them. Plus to be able to directly delete bad ones. That was the no. 1 argument, why people went to digital cameras, not the live picture, which was a nice addon to them, but not nearly as revolutionary as the other thing. And this feature *is* there on the digital SLRs.
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worst list ever. you sound like the type of person who only purchased a dslr so that you could keep it around your neck as a symbol. that’s lame. i think i liked the part about how you shouldn’t just buy one because everyone else is… yet then you say that “ou can still find a lot of people shooting with they Canon G5 even after the G6 and G7 are released, but you will notice that most DSLR owners will rush to upgrade their camera finding any and every excuse possible to justify its cost.” which is clearly bandwagon pandering.
seriously, who writes this crap?
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@heiko check the date of this article @ that time live view didn’t even exist. And, if you tested live view, you would know that it is far from being something u can use “daily”
@lagos “who writes this crap?” well me :). And giving an opinion is free just like dropping on a blog for the first time and feeling you have the right to show some authority.
I am totally convinced with my list. I never said that DSLRs are bad they are just not for everybody or everyday. A lot of DSLR owners have a P&S for “daily” pictures.
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This list is right on. Wish my wife had read it and believed it. She won’t spring for the lenses and wonders why her pictures are mostly no better than point and shoot.
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This is truly out-dated.
DSLRs now DO have live-view.
There are now Dust Sensors on new DSLRs (i.e. Canon Rebel XSi)
And from personal experience, DSLRs are the best cameras to have, even if you’re not a pro-photographer who shoots pictures for the national geographic.
Lenses on DSLRs have varied view perspectives and are really great for photography ranging from Scenery and Macro.
Try it, you won’t regret it.
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DSLR’s are not for everybody, true….but doesn’t the title of this list say otherwise? Even most points have crazy titles.
Big and bulky? There are far too many photographers who accept the stability of a nice heavy camera.
Who the hell cares about who’s not apperciating you at a restaurant? You take your pictures home…screw them! You’re probably never going to see them again in your life.
You aren’t going to use it?
You’ll shoot a million times more with a DSLR than you would with your point and shoot.
Most kit lenses are no ****in joke…think Nikkor 18-70…
think nikkor 18-135 ( My own )
think even the basic nikkor 18-55… very very good lenses….there are also lots of affordable lenses out there that are very versatile.
Canon lenses by the way, are crap. Don’t generalise.
Cleaning…alright, all those lazy people out there, plese go and get a P&S…if you’re too lazy to take care of your camera, you’re probably too impatient for photography anyway.
Live View? Personal choice…if someone finds looking through the view finder a good experience…then let him decide….and that isnt the whole point of going digital for chrissakes…
You can shoot landscape portrait and indoors with the same lens…why the lies?
the wildlife…on your P&S…you’ll go home with an MMS sized picture with “8x digital zoom”
which is too crappy to see any wildlife anyway…
so in any case…you can do what you want with an SLR…with one lens.and good lenses dont cost more than midrange slrs, not even entry-level ones.
bandwagon…good point.
It’s not the camera, it’s the person behind the lens…good point.
but whats not true is the fact you can do everything with a P&S, all the time…all those pictures on the net are a combination of PERFECT. shooting conditions and opportunistic people…let the conditions get a little tricky and let’s see what they do with their P&S.
Life Span?
Well..you still find photographers clinging to their FILM SLR’s….forget about your stupid canon G5…
we love our cameras…no matter how old they are.
The Nikon d70s…3 years old!
Most photo studios i’ve been to use them, and so do lots and lots of exceelent photographers i know!
10. Good point…but even if a person is just starting out..as i’ve just said…some of these points are exaggerated and could change somebody’s mind unnecessarily…
Ever consider sensor sizes? having one that fits on your palm would obviously give you far, far, far better detail than one that fits on your fingertip…come on!
But in the end…like you said…if you just want some souvenirs for fun or you’re not serious…then get a good P& S.
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These are some good points though…
Anybody who is serious about photograpy will not use a PAS when a DSLR is available. Why? DSLR are far more flexible and therefore offer a great deal more options when shooting.
PAS are more transportable and there would definately be some situations where carrying a giant camera around would not be ideal but then again there are many times when it would be.
The lens in a PAS is designed to do everything ok and nothing well (at least compared to a dedicated lens for a DSLR). If you are only interested in 1 type of photography then you will only need 1 or 2 types of lenses. If you are snap happy and love everthing photography then yes a big investment will be required to get great shots (the ones you can blow up).
Apart from that if you have a passing interest in photography and no real desire to delve into the technical aspects of photograpy then I fully agree with you, save your money and buy a PAS. For those who want versitility and flexibility and desire to learn the technical aspects of photography get a DSLR.
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What about speed? It’s the one thing I’ve heard that people really want. Most people I know go to DSLRs for the SPEED, the continuous shooting.
Sure, you could spend a thousand bucks on a P&S that will shoot at high fps…
or you could get an entry DLSR with the lenses you need… and see an improvement in your image quality.
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