Get a creative high with the new digital SLRs

Tired of the restrictive world that is point-and-shoot photography? It’s time to give the dSLR a shot, says R Krishna

It’s rare to come across anyone who doesn’t own a digital camera. While there are many point-and-shoots available today with advanced features, the serious photography enthusiast will easily tire of the basic functionality such cameras offer.

The digital Single Lens Reflex (dSLR) camera is meant for such a buyer, and is catching on in India in a big way. According to Alok Bharadwaj, senior vice president, Canon India, “The growth of our digital SLR cameras almost matched the growth of our consumer cameras.”

Buying a dSLR, however, is like marriage — you have to consider the family… the lens family, that is. Camera lenses are made for specific brands (there are adaptors available, but their use is usually not recommended).

The first thing you need to consider is the number of lenses available for the camera — not only from the parent company but also third-party lens manufacturers such as Sigma and Tamron. 

You also have to factor in the cost of the lens while purchasing the dSLR, since high-quality lenses are expensive. If you have a budget of, say, around Rs1,00,000, K Madhavan Pillai, executive editor, Better Photography magazine, recommends: “The quality of the lens is very important. Purchase a camera worth Rs50,000 and spend the rest on some good quality lens.”

The lens you buy depends upon what you want to use the camera primarily for. A standard lens in the 35mm to 55mm range suited for general photography is a must.

Apart from this, if you are interested wildlife photography, opt for a telephoto lens with a focal length of more than 200mm. If you love architecture, go for wide-angle lenses whose focal lengths range from 15mm to 35mm. And if you to go really close to capture patterns of, say, a flower then go for macro lenses.

Regardless of the lens type, high quality lenses cost usually in excess of Rs40,000 — the best lenses cost more than Rs1,00,000.

The sensor too contributes a lot to a high quality photograph. A bigger sensor size is better, especially when the megapixel count is high. But cameras with largest sensor — Nikon D3 and Canon 1Ds Mark III — cost about Rs4,00,000.

The difference between such high-end sensors and mid-end sensors usually matters only to professionals.

A higher megapixel count means that the file-size of the image is huge. Hence you need powerful processors to cope with such images. Canon’s 1Ds Mark III uses two processors in parallel to cope with 21 megapixel images.

While big daddies such as Canon and Nikon flex their muscles when it comes to technology, so-called underdogs such as Pentax, Olympus and Fuji offer innovative features in their cameras. Thanks to advances in digital technology that drives component prices down, the latest cameras from these companies deliver good performance as well.

Olympus’ recently launched E3, for example, has a swivelling LCD screen with Live View, which means you can use the LCD screen to compose your photograph (this feature is not usually seen in dSLRs).

The camera also has a built in image stabilisation in its body, making it less susceptible to shake. The Pentax K200D, on the other hand, boasts a weather-sealed body.

While all these innovations are welcome, a better looking SLR seems nowhere in the offing. Bharadwaj says, “It’s like the Harley Davidson — it may not be the best looking bike, but it gives a very macho, rugged feel. A dSLR is supposed to give a very robust feel to the user.”
 r_krishna@dnaindia.net