A digital SLR camera is used by photography professionals and serious hobbyists. Major manufacturers include Canon, Nikon, Leica,Pentax, Sigma, Panasonic, FujiFilm, Kodak, Konica Minolta, Olympus and Sony to name a few. SLR segment has a wide range of choices from models meant for beginners/amateurs/hobbyists to professionals.

 

Canon beginner range includes: 350D(model discontinued), 400D, 450D, 500D, 1000D

Medium range includes: 40D & 50D

Pro range includes: 1D Mark III & 5D mark II.
*You can google the prices for individual models.

 

SLR camera is sold with two units in the box, one is the camera body and the other one is the lens. The lens is detachable (that means you can remove the lens from the camera body and fit in another lens in the socket) and usually the lens supplied with the camera is called the "kit lens" and is an average performer when compared to other expensive lens which are sold separately by vendors. We will learn more about lenses later in this section.

 

Lets now move ahead with the BASIC TERMINOLOGY of the visible parts of a DSLR.

Inbuilt flash

I am sure most of our readers are aware of what a camera flash is and what its function is. However for those who don't know, camera flash is a small light emitter attached to the camera which acts as a source of light when there is extremely low light or no light at all in the shooting environment. Since the camera, to capture an image properly requires good amount of light, FLASH is provided on every camera so that photographer at least has a reserved source of light. Flash depends on the camera battery and is the biggest consumer of the battery.

Use it wisely else you may drain out the battery and shoot lesser pictures than you expected.

Hot shoe for external flash

The inbuilt flash discussed above is low powered and can throw light up to a limited distance and has other practical limitations. To overcome these, external flashes are used. Range of external flashes are available in the market from various manufacturers ( Canon, Nikon, Sony, Vivitar) and the price range of these vary according to the power and features. Some of the flashes by few manufacturers are compatible with most of the DSLRs available in the market today. To attach the flash to a camera, there is one slot provided just at the top of the camera body. Photographer just needs to slide in the bottom of the external flash into this slot and the camera is ready to use the flash.

Beware: The hotshoe of Canon is different from the hotshoe of Sony DSLRs. So don't expect the flashes compatible with Canon to fit into the hotshoe of a SONY directly.

Auto focus/Manual focus switch

There is a small switch on the lens close to the end of the lens near the camera body. MF/AF is marked on it signifying which mode is to be selected for the lens to operate. Autofocus is the mode in which when you press half the shoot button, the lens automatically moves to and fro and focuses the subject and defocuses the background. While when MANUAL MODE is selected, the photographer himself/herself has to focus on the subject and fix the focus depending on his/her own wisdom.

AF is widely used and better in the sense that it is made for the purpose of clear focus.

Model

Model name/number is provided by the manufacturer to distinguish between the different variations. SLR cameras look the same.

Detachable lens

As mentioned above the SLR camera lens can be detached from the camera body and another compatible lens can be attached to the body. Readers may have observed professional photographers sitting at the periphery of the playground with long lens cameras. These lenses are called TELE LENSES and are again one type of detachable lenses where as a wedding photographer has a small lens mounted on his camera. Range of lenses are available from various manufacturers and the respected names are Canon, Nikon, Sony, Leica, Pentax, Olympus, Sigma and Tamron. Usually the Canon, Nikon, Sony & leica lenses are compatible with their own company manufactured camera bodies, but Sigma and Tamron manufacture affordable, reasonably good quality lenses which can be good alternate to same feature expensive lenses from the big players in the field.

Camera body may be same, but different lenses are manufactured and used for different purposes.

Zoom ring

The lens is encircled by a ribbed ring which when rotated moves the lens to and fro, zooming out and zooming in the lens. On this ring is also marked the focal length in millimeters (mm).

Lens specifications

One of the most important things to notice while buying a lens. This also applies to people who intend to buy simple point and shoot cameras. The lens specs almost invariably is there at the top of the lens. On a close look readers shall see the manufacturer name, type of lens (zoom or fixed focus), range of focal length, aperture range, and minimum focal distance required by the lens.

Lens detach button

There is a small button on the body which when pressed unlocks the lens and user can remove the lens from the camera body.