• Do you feel like you want more control over things like shutter speeds and aperture settings. (the camera lens aperture controls the amount of light reaching your camera image sensor. It also controls in part how much of your picture will be in or out of focus)
• Do you wish you had access to interchangeable camera lenses? The type of lenses that would allow you to take pictures of distant subjects as well as close up shots only an inch or two from the subject?
• Do you look at pictures in magazines or professional pictures and think to yourself: I can take pictures similar to those but their pictures seem to be of a higher quality.

If you answered yes to all three of the questions then it might be time for you to consider buying a Digital SLR camera. The following reasons are in reference to the 3 previous questions.

• Digital SLR cameras will allow you to control the shutter speeds you use. You can choose fast shutter speeds to “freeze” action or you can choose slow shutter speeds for dimly lit scenes. You can also control the camera lens aperture setting which can help in blurring backgrounds while keeping the subject in sharp focus.
• Changing lenses with a Digital SLR camera is easy. Just twist one off and twist and snap a different one into place. You will have the option of purchasing any type lens that fits your particular needs. It can be a super wide angle lens, a super telephoto lens, or a zoom lens with a range that is suitable for you.
• Digital SLR cameras have larger image sensors than compact cameras. The larger image sensors can absorb more light and record it more accurately than a compact camera image sensor. The larger image sensors along with better quality lenses are the reason professional pictures have that extra crispness and sharpness that you don’t get from a compact camera.

Now I am not saying that a low end Digital SLR camera will give you the same quality as a $5,000 professional Digital SLR camera. However, you will definitely see the difference in quality from just about any Digital SLR compared to a basic compact camera.

Now for those of you who are thinking that a Digital SLR camera might be too complicated to operate, consider this.

All Digital SLR cameras have a Fully Automatic mode in which it operates the same as a basic compact camera. All you have to do is point and shoot. Is that easy enough?

While you are learning how to use the camera, there is also a Program mode which allows you to manually change things like the White Balance and ISO settings. However, even in the Program mode, the Lens Aperture and Shutter Speed are automatically set for you. So you can still take pictures while you are learning.

Now when you get ready to start controlling other things, you can use the cameras’ Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority modes. These are semi-automatic modes.

In the Shutter Priority mode, you just choose the shutter speed you want to use and the camera will set the aperture and other relevant functions. Is that too easy?

If you are more concerned with the camera lens aperture setting, then use the Aperture Priority mode.In this mode you choose the lens aperture setting and the camera will automatically set the shutter speed and other functions to create a correct exposure.

Lastly, there is the Full Manual mode in which you control and set everything. Just keep in mind that even advanced photographers don’t use the full manual mode for every shot. However, the Full Manual mode is there for when you want to use it, whether for creative reasons, or just to make the pictures come out right.

Of course there are other features in Digital SLR cameras. They have extra bells and whistles just like compact cameras. However, the most important thing is to remember that you can start taking better quality pictures even while you are learning how to use your Digital SLR camera.

So if you are already taking pretty good pictures with your compact camera but feel its time to take another step forward, try a Digital SLR camera.