Battle of the Digital Camera Categories
Pro D-SLR vs. ProAm D-SLR vs. Advanced Zoom vs. Compact
How to Find the Camera That is Best for You
By Jeff Wignall
There's a scene in the movie Broadcast News where
William Hurt and Holly Hunter's characters are arguing about the
ever-shifting line between honest journalism and good ratings. Hunter's
character accuses Hurt's of crossing over that line and he retorts
angrily: "It's hard not to cross it; they keep moving the little
sucker, don't they?"
In a lot of ways trying to draw a clear line between digital camera
categories poses a similar dilemma. Just when you think you understand
the features that make each category distinct, a new wave of cameras is
introduced and, voila, your existing guideposts have vanished--only to
hop across an invisible boundary and re-appear elsewhere.
Dividing cameras into seemingly unambiguous groups is, of course,
largely a marketing device because manufacturers do need to target
their audiences. It's silly to advertise Corvettes to grandmothers
(most grandmothers, anyway). But understanding how these categories
differ can help you decide which camera group is right for you. And, of
course, you don't have to confine your camera search to one category.
Look instead for the features you need and can afford and then find a
camera--in whatever category it happens to be--that fits your needs.
After all, while an 10-megapixel zoom camera might be the perfect
one-stop solution for the serious vacation shooter, it's also great for
a pro who needs a lightweight backup camera. And there are many serious
consumer shooters who pack lots of pro gear--you only have to spend an
afternoon at a high-school football game to see that.
If you start to read about a particular type of camera below and
suddenly think "What's he talking about?! I don't need that much
camera!" then move on to the next category--but I think if you read
about each different type of camera you'll get a better overall picture
of what is currently on the market.