Compact cameras vs D-SLRs vs CSCs
Why is choosing a camera so difficult? If you already know what kind of camera you want, of course, you can go straight to our Camera Channel home page for all the latest camera reviews. But for most users it's not so easy. The range of cameras on sale is massive, stretching from cheap and cheerful compact models competing with your smartphone, right through to professional-spec SLRs that cost as much as a decent used car.
It doesn't help that makers of low-cost cameras also want to boast about 'professional' features, while the makers of more advanced SLR and mirrorless compact system camera want us to know that they're still easy enough for beginners.
It sounds like every camera is brilliant at everything, which of course it's not. So here's our guide to the whole digital camera market, the different camera types available and what to look for, because once you break them down into just three main types, it all starts to get a lot simpler. They are:
Compact cameras: perfect for portability and general snapping, but can be more advanced too
Digital SLRs: bigger sensors, interchangeable lenses and the pros' favourite
Mirrorless compact system cameras: SLR-sized sensors and interchangeable lenses, but in a smaller, lighter and more novice friendly design
We'll look at the pros and cons of each type so that you've got a better idea which one would suit you best, and we'll explain some of the jargon and key technologies along the way.
Compact cameras
This is the biggest group and the one with the widest variety of cameras. Traditionally, these are called 'compact' because they are smaller than the digital SLRs the pros use and mostly you can slide them into a coat or trouser pocket. The sensors are much smaller, though, so while the quality is fine for point-and-shoot snapshots it falls some way short of the quality you get with more advanced cameras.
At the same time, there's been a big growth in 'bridge' cameras with SLR styling and very long zoom ranges. They are indeed a kind of 'bridge' between pocket-sized compacts and powerful SLRs. You can shoot a much wider range of subjects and with more photographic controls.
These bridge cameras won't fit in your pocket, though, and they mostly use sensors the same size as those in regular compact cameras (though there are exceptions). This means you do get more scope and options, but not necessarily more picture quality.
There's also been an increase in the number of high-end compact cameras, sometimes with large sensors or fixed focal length lenses. Designed for experts, these can get close to the quality and control you get from an SLR.
So-called 'compact' cameras aren't always compact and don't always have small sensors, then! But they do have one thing in common – the lens is permanently attached to the camera. When you choose a compact camera you need to pay extra attention to the lens to make sure it covers the zoom range you need.
There's more about this in our Best compact camera guide. And because compact cameras now come in so many shapes and sizes, we split them up into broad groups to make them easier to categorise.
Regular compacts: pocketable snapshot cameras
High-end/advanced compact cameras: SLR features and/or quality in a pocket-sized body
Bridge cameras: huge zoom ranges, SLR styling – 'do-it-all' cameras
Travel/superzoom cameras: the size of a compact but the zoom range (almost) of a bridge camera
Waterproof/adventure cameras: compact and waterproof, shockproof, even freeze-proof!
Basic compact cameras are perfect for beginners, and there are more advanced models with bigger sensors aimed at enthusiasts and experts too.
If you are a keen photographer, though, a compact camera will only take you so far, however advanced it is. It might be worth considering as a 'second' camera to carry around, but it probably won't be enough as a main camera. This is where you need to start looking at interchangeable lens cameras, or 'ILC's. Until recently, these came in just one type – the SLR.
Digital SLRs
Single lens reflex cameras have been around for decades and have long been the top choice for professionals and enthusiast photographers.
Digital SLRs use the same tried and tested design as SLR film cameras. You compose your photos using an optical viewfinder on the top of the camera, and the big innovation when SLRs were first invented was that you were looking at the scene through the camera's own lens, not a separate, external viewfinder.
This is still how the SLR design works. A mirror inside the body reflects the image up into the viewfinder, right up until the moment you press the shutter button. At that point, the mirror flips up out of the way and the image passes straight through to the back of the camera, where the shutter opens to expose the sensor.
It sounds complicated, but camera makers have had decades to perfect this design, and SLRs are fast, responsive and durable, and give you an excellent view of the scene you're photographing.
Digital SLRs use two sensor sizes. Cheaper models use APS-C sensors, which are about half the size of the full-frame (35mm negative size) sensors in professional models.
There are just three SLR makers still active in the camera market. The big names are Canon and Nikon, but there's another brand in the mix too – Pentax is often overlooked as an SLR maker, but produces some great cameras.
Canon and Nikon produce cameras to suit all budgets and levels of expertise, from low-cost entry-level cameras for novices and students, right up to professional powerhouses designed for press and sports photography.
The range of new SLRs from Canon and Nikon shows little sign of slowing up, and you're almost certain to find an SLR to suit your particular needs and interests.
There's a huge range of lenses for these cameras, too, and across the whole price spectrum – from basic budget lenses cheap enough for beginners to expensive specialised lenses for professional use.
But one of the biggest advantages of the SLR design can also be a limitation. Because the sensor is not in the light path during viewing, SLRs have use separate 'phase-detection' autofocus sensors underneath the main mirror. These are extremely fast and responsive, but the moment the mirror is raised, they're out of action.
Digital SLRs do offer a live view mode, where you compose your picture on the rear screen, not in the viewfinder, but the focusing in this mode is swapped over to a slower contrast AF system.
Canon has found an interesting solution with Dual Pixel AF technology built into the sensor itself, but for the most part live view autofocus is not a D-SLR's strong point.
The SLR design is also quite bulky because there needs to be enough space in the body for the mirror mechanism.
The is why 'mirrorless' compact system cameras are catching on. You still get the advantages of interchangeable lenses and a big sensor, but you also get full-time live view, just like a compact camera. Indeed, many compact system cameras are aimed at people upgrading from a regular compact.
To find out more about these cameras and which would be best for you, read our Best D-SLR article.
Compact system cameras
Want the portability and convenience of a compact camera but with the ability to attach different types of lenses? Then you should think about an interchangeable-lens compact system – or mirrorless – camera.
If you've decided this is what you want, see our Best mirrorless compact system camera guide. If you're still not quite sure, keep reading.
As the name suggests, the don't use the mirror arrangement found in SLRs, but they do include the same kind of high-quality sensors and processors found in digital SLRs.
The lack of a mirror allows a much slimmer body design, and some mirrorless compact system cameras are barely larger than a regular compact.
Like digital SLRs, most compact system cameras use APS-C size sensors. The big exception is the Micro Four Thirds sensor used by Panasonic and Olympus. This is a little smaller than APS-C, but still much larger than the sensors in most compacts, so the quality level is still much higher.
This slightly smaller format means that Micro Four Thirds cameras and lenses can be amazingly compact. the Panasonic GM1 is no larger than a high-end compact camera, and the Olympus OM-D E-M10 offers the look and feel of an SLR in a far smaller package.
The bigger sensors in compact system cameras mean bigger lenses too, but some makers are now kitting out their cameras with 'power-zooms' – the zoom retracts when the camera is switched off to make the camera/lens combination much more pocketable.
You only get this with certain kit lenses, though – once you start using telephoto lenses, macro lenses or other types, you'll soon realise they are almost as bulky as SLR lenses, so the size advantage of mirrorless bodies will diminish if you like to carry lots of different lenses.
As with compacts and SLRs, the CSC sector now caters for every type of photographer, from non-technical beginners to professional users. If you're considering a CSC, there are some key considerations to help your buying decision.
The main thing standing in the way of a much broader uptake in the professional market is lens availability. If you're a pro photographer, you will occasionally need specialist lenses that may not be available for this kind of camera – yet.
At the moment, most compact system camera makers cater really well for the beginner/enthusiast market, but are only just getting up to speed with lenses and accessories for pros – though this is changing fast.
Another key factor to take into account with mirrorless compact system cameras is that they don't all have viewfinders. The mirrorless design means that all the viewing is done using LCD displays – there is no optical viewfinder – but some models do come with electronic viewfinders, or 'EVF's. These can be very useful in bright lighting, when a screen on the back of the camera can be quite hard to see.
Compact system cameras also use technologies from the compact camera and smartphone markets, notably touch-screen control and wireless (Wi-Fi) remote control and picture transfer. These features are creeping into the digital SLR market too, but mirrorless compact system cameras are taking the lead with these new technologies.
They also lead the way in live view autofocus. They can't use the conventional phase-detection autofocus sensors used by SLRs, but the makers are finding ways to introduce hybrid 'on-chip' phase-detection focusing, and advances in regular contrast autofocus, both of which deliver autofocus speeds that match or even exceed those of SLRs.
This is especially important for shooting video, where you need live, real-time autofocus while you're filming. Many professional videographers currently use video-enabled SLRs, but mirrorless compact system cameras like the Panasonic GH4, Fuji X-T1 and Sony A7 are luring users away.
So which do you choose?
That's a lot to think about, so here's a quick summary:
If you want an easy, undemanding snapshot camera to carry around with you, you need a compact camera. This group also includes 'bridge' cameras with the look and feel of an SLR and a huge zoom range, and high-end compacts that give you serious quality and control in a camera you can put in a jacket pocket. See our Best compact camera guide.
If you're serious about photography, however, you should look at a digital SLR instead. They offer interchangeable lenses and more direct manual control, so they're ideal for taking your photography to the next level – and an SLR is a must-have if you intend to take up photography as a living. See our Best D-SLR guide.
But mirrorless compact system cameras now offer a compelling alternative to both compact cameras and digital SLRs. The cheapest are small, inexpensive and easy to use, while the best can match the quality, features and – soon, we hope – the lens range of a digital SLR. See our Best mirrorless compact system camera guide.
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