The age old question when you go to buy a camera is Do you want a Point and Shoot or SLD/DSLR camera?  Though most consumers rarely know the difference and decide to choose convenience over quality, I am here to lay out the differences between the two so you can make a educated decision when shopping for your next camera.

So what is the difference between the two?  Well Point and Shoot cameras are the most common cameras that consumers buy due to their convenience.  You guessed it you just turn it to auto and point and shoot the picture you want to take.  While convenience is great it is almost a crap shoot if the picture you took will turn out the way you want it.  As a matter of fact most of the time you'll want to take it again if you have that luxury, so the thing you end up paying for here is convenience.  If you want a camera that is small and easy to operate then this is the way to go.  Below is a list of features of a Point and Shoot camera:

• Metering systems, which calculate the amount of light entering the camera
• Variable shutter speed
• Variable aperture
• Zoom lenses
• Automatic focus
• Preset controls for various photographic situations such as:
  
  • landscapes
  • nighttime
  • people
  • close-up or macro

Now on the other side we have our SLR/DSLR cameras.  This is the pros choice when shopping for cameras.  Don't believe me well turn on the TV and watch your favorite sporting event.  See all the cameras the professionals are using with the big lenses?  That is an SLR/DSLR camera.  So what does SLR/DSLR stand for?  SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex and DSLR stands for Digital Single Lens Reflex and refers to how the light enters the camera.  If you decide to buy one of these types of cameras you can throw convenience out the window.  These cameras not only are bigger then the Point and Shoots, but the lens will rotate to allow you to adjust the amount of light entering in the camera.  While a lot of the newer models are automatic, they can still be tweaked to the type of exposure you prefer.  I have to say this camera allows many options and the flexibility to express yourself when taking photographs.  The control features you'll find on these cameras are:

• shutter speed
• aperture
• film speed
• focus point
• magnification (through the use of various lenses)
• capability for add-on flashes
• remote releases
• additional battery packs

That pretty much sums up the difference between the two types cameras on the market today.  As for myself I have a Point and Shoot currently because it makes it easy for all of my family members to enjoy the art of photography, but my next camera will be a DSLR and that one will be only for me. :)

So now it's time to ask yourself this question, which camera will you get and why?  I hope you all get the answers you're looking for and I look forward to seeing your photographs.