People often use the professional v/s amateur equation to simplify the choice between a DSLR and a compact camera. According to this distinction, the compact camera is ideal for the common man out there who is interested in clicking photographs on birthdays, anniversaries, holidays etc. However, for anyone who is passionate about photography and wants to experiment with the technical elements, a DSLR is the obvious choice. While most of this stands true, a lot of professional photographers are beginning to embrace compact cameras as the quality of their lenses has improved tremendously in the past few years.

Let’s take a closer look at each of them individually:

1. Digital Single Lens Reflex Camera or DSLR

While there is no denying the fact that compact cameras are now offering several features which were earlier exclusive to DSLRs, there is one crucial feature which swings the balance quite decisively in the favour of the latter- a DSLR allows you to change lens unlike a compact camera. This feature widens the possible range of flexibility as you can modify the focal length, speed, amount of light ec and this flexibility is a must-have for a professional photographer.

If you have ever tried taking photographs with a compact camera with low light, you would have noticed that the photos never come out well. This is one of those scenarios where only a DSLR can help you take exceptionally sharp photographs. Therefore, it can safely be said that if you want complete control over photograph settings, a DSLR is what you are looking for.

On the flip side though, a DSLR can cost twice or even thrice as much as a compact camera. Additionally, DSLRs are usually bulky and it can be difficult carrying them around. And finally, they can prove to be a little too complicated sometimes and might just intimidate the common man out there.

2. Compact Camera

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that compact cameras are perfect for a beginner- they are easy to use, they are light-weight and portable and the settings are usually automated. You can simply slip a compact camera in your backpack and use it on a holiday, or you can capture those precious family moments with amazing ease. A layman can have no complaints with the performance and efficiency of a modern day compact camera.

But, there are things you can’t do with a compact camera. For starters, they don’t allow you to change lenses thus restricting your choice in other sectors. To add to that, they come with smaller sensors which means that even if the megapixel count is as high as a DSLR, the image quality would still be inferior as compared to the latter as the nature of the pixels is different.

One can go into the core technicalities like viewfinder mechanism, shutter lag etc. and the debate will never end. But the choice depends on what you are looking for. When you begin to feel that a compact camera is limiting you from trying new things with photography, it’s time to save up some money and get yourself a DSLR.

It would be highly sceptical of us to declare out rightly that megapixels don’t matter at all. However, it can be said with a lot of conviction that the megapixel count is just one amongst many features which matter. And even more so, there are other features which are more crucial and must be taken into account while buying a digital camera.

So, what exactly is a megapixel? One pixel actually stands for a PICture ELEment and refers to the number of such units a camera’s sensor can capture when it is exposed to light. A megapixel refers to thousand such pixels. Thus, in very basic terms, a higher megapixel count means that the camera’s sensor can capture more pixels which should translate to a more detailed picture. Based merely on this assumption, one can say that more megapixels equate to a sharper picture. However, this is one of the most popular misconceptions about megapixels.

While studying the megapixel count of a camera, we have to consider that not all pixels are uniform in nature or size. Smaller cameras like the ones installed in phones come with small sensors and thus the pixels are more concentrated in such a camera. A phone camera can boast of a 41 megapixel camera (Nokia has recently released one) but the pixels will remain tiny. On the other hand, a digital camera will always give you better quality photos as compared to a phone camera simply because of the better quality of pixels even if the megapixel count is lower.

DSLR cameras are equipped with huge sensors and top quality lenses, thanks to which they deliver such amazing photos not because of the megapixel count. As a matter of fact, the kind of lens has a huge impact on the camera and should top your list of factors-to-be-considered in a digital camera.

Having said this, pixels are not completely worthless either. They work wonderfully as the very basic standards of judging a camera but again, basic is the key word here. A lot also depends on how and where you are going to use your camera. If you are a professional photographer and want to take poster size shots, megapixels can make a lot of difference. But if you are going to use your camera to click photos for your next Facebook display picture, don’t be fooled by the cameras offering you a higher megapixel count. Our advice-save yourself a couple of hundred dollars. If you have to choose between a 21 megapixel and an 18 megapixel camera, look instead for the quality of the lenses they use. Never judge a camera solely by its pixels