Small Sized Digital SLR Camera

Page updated: October 2009 Share on Facebook

When it comes to small-sized digital SLR cameras, you really have two options:

1. Get a "true" digital SLR that is compact
2. Get a "partial" digital SLR that is very compact

I'll explain more about each one of these alternatives in just a moment.

For now, consider this: the easiest way to decide which camera type is best for you is to have a sense of what types of photos you want to take.

Clearly, portability is an important factor - otherwise you wouldn't be reading this page.

But make sure that you don't give up some important features just for the sake of a camera that fits into your pocket.

DSLR or Micro 4/3rds?

At the top of this page, I mentioned that you have two main options when it comes to small-sized digital SLR cameras.

• Digital SLR - the letters SLR stand for "Single Lens Reflex" and what this really means is that inside the camera there is a system of mirrors designed to reflect the image captured by the lens up to the viewfinder. This entirely optical system ensures that when you look through an SLR viewfinder what you see is what you'll get when you take a photo. Even if you move the camera quickly to track a moving subject, the image in the viewfinder will remain clear.
• Micro 4/3rds - also called Interchangeable Lens Digital Cameras or ILDCs, these cameras omit the mirror system entirely. While this dramatically reduces the size of the camera body, it also means that the main way to compose photos is to use the camera's LCD screen - an electronic viewfinder rather than an optical one.

So which is better: optics or electronics?

The answer to this question depends on what types of photos you take and how often you want to carry your camera with you.

If you want to take action shots, then ILDCs are not ideal. Since you can't track a fast-moving subject using the viewfinder, it makes it harder to capture the peak moment of an action sequence.

However, if you want to take portrait and landscape shots during your family vacations then an ILDC should work just fine.

Of course, the portability of an ILDC depends entirely on the type of lens you stick on the front of it — it will no longer fit in a pocket if you attach a huge telephoto lens.

Small Sized Digital SLR Cameras

Digital SLRs

I'll begin with the "true" digital SLR cameras: these still have optical viewfinders and work like every other digital SLR on the market.

Their main advantage over other DSLRs is that they are small and light.

They won't fit into a coat pocket, but they also won't require a dolly to tote around all day long.

Micro 4/3rds / ILDC

Just by looking at the bodies of these cameras, you can tell how much smaller and lighter they are than true digital SLRs.

Even though they are compact, you can still change lenses, and they have the increased image quality that you'd expect from a digital SLR.

With a small lens attached, these cameras are compact enough to fit into a spacious jacket pocket.

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