Before I got into Journalism I'd never really given much thought to cameras. I'd messed around my my dad's point and shoot, sure, but not to any great degree - they just weren't a part of my world. So when my teacher told us we'd be using a digital SLR camera, or DSLR, I was completely confounded. "DSLR? What the devil does that mean?"

Well, it means Digital Single Lens Reflex. Basically it refers to a moving mirror inside the camera that reflects what's coming through the lens into the viewfinder. In other words, you know exactly what you're going to get by looking into the viewfinder, because the camera lines the image up nicely for you.

That's not the only difference, though. I can come up with at least five others (I guess I have to scratch that first one off the list) that should convince most readers as to the inate superiority of DSLR cameras over those plain old point and shoot brand cameras you see at tourist attractions and family picnics.

1.) They're bigger. Much, much bigger. DSLRs are used by the big boys of the photography world. As such they're jammed with all sorts of manual technology, carrying space and extra doohickeys that you won't find on a point and shoot. More, though, they're usually built to be more durable: because they cost a lot more and have a lot of extra, sensitive technology crammed into them, their frames are made to withstand impacts a little better, and they come with extra grips so you can shoot on the go with a great deal more accuracy.

2.) Which brings us to the next difference, they're much more expensive. Since DSLRs invariably give a much better quality picture they cost a ton more money. Expect the average camera to reach at least $600 or $700, with better versions ranging well into the thousands. You get what you pay for, though, and a DSLR will last a lot longer than any point and shoot.

3.) Much greater array of manual options. If you're just taking quick snaps of family members standing in a row then you won't care too much about this. But what if you're trying to catch a bird flying at a dozen paces away? You can probably catch it with a point and shoot, but all you'll get is a little blur. With a DSLR you can tamper with the settings so you can freeze that bird in place, lighten or darken the picture accordingly and do a dozen other things besides. Veteran photographers would get annoyed by the repressive lack of options on a point and shoot very, very quickly.

4.) Wide array of lenses. I've yet to see a point and shoot with different lenses. DSLRs allow you to purchase and attach all sorts of crazy lenses that will widen your pictures, narrow them in and allow you to zoom from great distances and apply strange filters that make for really neat shots. Always expensive, but always worth it.

5.) Better quality. DSLRs are always light years ahead of point and shoots when it comes to megapixel quality. They're used for newspaper and magazine photographs, after all: were you to try and capture any of those with a point and shoot your magazine would look pretty crummy.

If you're at all serious about photography, forget point and shoots. They're for the casual shooter. Go straight for a nice 10 megapixel DSLR and you'll never look back.

Learn more about this author, Matt Bird.
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