Compact System Camera Guide

Although DSLR cameras have long been promoted as providing the best image quality, many people see them as too big, too heavy and too complex. But the latest ‘mirrorless’ Compact System Cameras (CSCs) are seriously challenging most of these perceived performance advantages and providing some quantifiable benefits of their own. Today, the differences in performance between CSCs and DSLRs are largely irrelevant. A resolution of more than 16 megapixels from a Micro Four Thirds or larger sensor is of little importance to anyone who doesn’t make gallerysized prints. In most situations, CSCs will reproduce fine detall and deliver colour accuracy that’s as good as – and sometimes better than – a typical DSLR. Weight-wise, most CSC systems would be a better choice than a DSLR, particularly if you’re travelling or…

Why Buy a CSC? Camera designers have had a field day since the first 'mirror1ess' models were introduced. The market has now matured to provide an interesting array of body styles that use sensors from tiny 6.2 x 4.6 mm chips to the 36 x 24mm size used in professional DSLRs. There’s a camera to suit photographers at all levels of interest and expertise, from snapshooter to professional. Many cameras are still designed primarily for snapshooters (and often come in colours other than black or silver). But manufacturers with a serious interest in the market are producing elegantly-designed, superbly-built and highly capable cameras, some of which offer more capabilities than the average professional camera. If you’re in the market for one of these cameras, you’re probably doing at least one…

When you purchase a CSC you’re buying into a camera system based upon lenses. The kinds of photos you can take will be dictated by the lenses you have. Choosing a system on the basis of its lens offerings, both now and in the future, is the best strategy for serious photographers. Leading manufacturers publish ‘roadmaps’ showing both currently available lenses and those that are in development and expected to be released within the next 12-18 months. These documents are easily located with a Google search on ‘lens roadmap’ and selecting the brand that interests you. Lenses for CSCs have been designed to use the main image sensor to provide autofocus (AF) information plus a live preview of the scene. This is different from the AF systems in DSLRs, which…

Aside from lenses, there are plenty of other accessories to build up your CSC kit. The options available for different cameras vary widely with different manufacturers. Viewfinders While electronic viewfinders (EVFs) are usually built into high-end CSCs, users of entry- and mid-level models have to rely on the monitor for both shot composition and adjusting shooting parameters. But even if you prefer framing shots on the camera's LCD, in bright outdoor lighting monitor screens aren't bright enough for you to discern any details in a scene. A viewfinder eliminates this problem. It's generally better to have the viewfinder built Into the camera body. Add-on 'finders inaeese the camera's body size, compromise its sleek design and can make it tricky to get the camera into and out of a bag or…

Different cameras provide different levels of control, ranging from very basic to highly sophisticated. More sophisticated cameras have external mode dials, although the functions that can be accessed via these dials can vary between simple and highly automated and professional standard. Cameras that lack dials may provide the 'professional' P, A, S and M shooting modes but they are accessed via the menu. Snapshooters' cameras are largely automated. The P, A, S and M shooting modes provide different degrees of control and are used in the following ways. The Programmed auto exposure (P) mode sets the aperture and shutter speed automatically, while allowing users to over-ride everything else. In this mode you can set ISO sensitivity, adjust exposure compensation (to control overall scene brightness) and white balance (to control colour…

Although most entry-level CSCs require their LCD monitors to do double duty for framing shots, higher-featured cameras almost always include dedicated viewfinders. We've covered viewfinders in Chapter 3, so we'll begin this chapter by looking at how to use monitors to frame and evaluate photographs. We’ll then move on to cover viewfinders in more detail, then outline some popular framing aids and provide some tips on shot composition. Live View Shooting Using the monitor for shot composition Qivev iew shooting) has some significant advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side live view shooting provides: 1. Communication with subjects. For portraiture, live view shooting allows you to maintain eye contact with your subject. This can be useful when photographing babies and young children. 2. You are more aware of activities happening…