Camera Types and Selection

Currently, there are a wide variety of cameras on the market, each with its own merits. To step into the door of photography, you must understand the types and positioning of cameras. The types of cameras can be roughly divided into four categories: SLR cameras (digital single-lens reflex cameras), mirrorless cameras, small DC cameras, and film cameras.

Single lens reflex viewfinder camera (Single Lens Reflex Camera, abbreviated as SLR camera) is also called a SLR camera. It refers to a camera that uses a single lens, and the light shines on the reflector through this lens, and the view is taken through the reflection.

The so-called "single lens" means that the exposure light path and the viewing light path of photography use one lens. It is not like a rangefinder camera or a twin-lens reflex camera that has an independent lens for the viewing light path. "Reflection" refers to a flat reflector in the camera that separates the two light paths: the reflector falls down when viewing the view, reflecting the light from the lens to the pentaprism and then to the viewfinder window; the reflector quickly lifts up when shooting, so that the light can shine on the film Or on the photosensitive element CMOS or CCD.

How SLR works: In the SLR camera working system, the unique design of the reflector and prism allows the photographer to directly observe the image through the lens from the viewfinder.

As can be seen in the structural diagram of a single-lens reflex camera, after the light reaches the reflector through the lens, it is reflected to the focusing screen above and forms an image. Through the eyepiece and pentaprism, we can See the outside scenery through the picture window. Light passes through the lens and is reflected by the reflector into the frosted viewfinder screen. After being passed through a convex lens and reflected in a pentaprism, the final image appears in the viewfinder. When the shutter is pressed, the reflector moves in the direction shown by the arrow, the reflector is lifted, and the image is captured on the CCD, consistent with what is seen on the viewfinder screen. The advantage of a SLR camera compared to a rangefinder camera is that what you see is what you get, and the imaging angle in the viewfinder is the same as the final angle of the film. However, compared with rangefinder cameras, the back focus of an SLR camera lens must be able to image at the position of the reflector and the focal plane of the photosensitive element at the same time, and a false focus must be generated before the imaging focal plane. This causes the problem of SLR cameras. The structure of the optical lens is more complex and larger, and the imaging effect is not as direct and transparent as that of a rangefinder camera. At the same time, the size of the "reflector" must be large and bulky.

A mirrorless camera is a camera without a reflector, also known as a semi-lens camera. As early as the film SLR camera period, optical manufacturers such as Canon have designed The purpose of semi-lens mirrorless technology is to eliminate the vibration, delay, long blackout time of the viewfinder and other disadvantages caused by the up and down movement of the traditional SLR mirror during ultra-high-speed continuous shooting.

Sony officially released the world's first full-frame mirrorless cameras, the A7 and A7r, on October 16, 2013. From the appearance, they are almost identical, equipped with an EVF (electronic viewfinder) top viewfinder that replaces the SLR pentaprism structure, and a wide handle. It can provide a comfortable grip.

The biggest difference between the two cameras is that the A7r is equipped with a 36-megapixel sensor without a low-pass filter, while the cheaper A7 has a resolution of 24 million pixels. It supports phase difference detection focusing and has faster continuous shooting speed.

Although the two cameras still use the traditional Sony E-mount, in order to cover the full-frame sensor, Sony has developed an additional "FE" series of lenses. , and equipped with BIONZ video.

In addition, Sony’s existing APS-C format E-mount lenses can be used normally in cropping mode (Sony officially does not recommend this), but vignetting problems may occur. Through two adapter rings, LA-EA3 and LA-EA4, Sony A-mount lenses can also be used.

DC is the English abbreviation of digital camera. Since there are many types of digital cameras, including compact cameras, portable digital cameras, digital SLR cameras, etc., in order to distinguish them, the current common name is to use the English abbreviation of digital SLR camera. DSLR, DC is generally used as the abbreviation for compact, non-changeable lens cameras such as compact cameras and portable digital cameras.

Film cameras are traditional cameras. Film cameras are divided into single-lens cameras and binocular cameras. Film cameras only use negatives. Therefore, in terms of cost, consumers have to pay for the negatives and develop them into photos. In addition to the cost of film development and photo paper, the cost of each roll of negative film is about 60 yuan, and if it is a positive film, it is about 40 yuan.

There is not much difference in the working principle between digital cameras and film cameras. They both use the light emitted or reflected by the subject to pass through the lens to form an object image on the focal plane.

Regarding the choice of camera, there is no saying which camera has the best performance and which camera has the worst performance, but one principle can be followed: the higher the price, the more professional the camera. If finances allow, naturally choose the most professional camera. Another point is that it is unprofessional to say that Canon is better at taking portraits and Nikon is better at taking landscapes.

Any camera is suitable for shooting landscapes and portraits. Although the effects of famous brands will be different, in essence, they are all excellent.

The choice of camera mainly depends on what cameras your friends around you use. If most of your friends around you have Nikon cameras, then buy a Nikon camera, because there will naturally be more topics to communicate in the future, and the lenses can also be exchanged. , after all, it is impossible to buy all the lenses. If all your friends use Canon, then buy Canon. The second point depends on your actual situation. Generally speaking, SLR cameras are still the mainstream. If you want to know the camera professionally, it is best to buy a SLR. Of course, this is not to say that mirrorless and DC are not good. They are both excellent. However, many functions of SLRs cannot be reflected in mirrorless cameras, and many mirrorless cameras on the market are now very expensive. There are also various SLR cameras with different prices. If conditions permit, it is recommended to buy the best camera at once, such as Nikon's D5, Canon's EOS 1D, etc.