Point-and-shoot cameras are easy to use, relatively inexpensive, and adequate for everyday use.
We compared DSLR vs. point-and-shoot cameras to help you choose the camera that’s best for you.
Overall Findings
Offer many manual control options.
Have more power, speed, and features.
Best for hobbyists and professional photographers.
Work best with automatic configs.
Easy for novices to use.
Best for casual users.
The best choice for you depends on what kind of photographer you are.
Both types typically offer manual control, but the depth of those options is greater with a DSLR.
Creative Control and Flexibility: DSLRs Offer More
Allow finely tuned parameters.
Use a variety of interchangeable lenses for various effects.
Lots of accessories and custom options available.
Best used on automatic tweaks.
Typically offer several preset modes, such as nighttime, portrait, and sunset.
Lenses aren’t swappable.
One of the biggest differences is in creative control.
A point-and-shoot camera is sometimes called afixed-lens camerabecause it cannot swap lenses.
The lenses are built directly into the camera body.
Ease of Use: Just Point and Shoot
Require more know-how and technique.
Viewfinders allow instant previews of shots.
Very simple to use.
Not much of a learning curve.
Small (or even no) viewfinders mean more guesswork.
You point the camera at the subject and shoot in fully automatic mode.
A key difference between the two models involves what you see while framing a shot.
With a DSLR, you’ll typically preview the image directly through the lens.
A series of prisms and mirrors reflect the lens image to the viewfinder.
A point-and-shoot camera often doesn’t offer a viewfinder.
Most of these tiny cameras rely on the LCD screen to help you frame the photo.
Availability and Cost: A Tradeoff
Widely available.
Fewer available as camera phones advance.
Such drops in demand typically result in cost reductions.
DSLR cameras, with greater capabilities and options, are more expensive.
These add to the cost for serious photographers but add versatility and creative options.
Final Verdict
The best camera for you depends on the way you plan to use a camera.
Professional photographers use high-end DSLRs.
These work well as transitional cameras between DSLR and point-and-shoot cameras.
Some ultra-zoom cameras can be considered point-and-shoot cameras because these are simple to operate.
Another good punch in of transitional camera is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera.
The price point for a mirrorless ILC sits between those of point-and-shoot and DSLR cameras.
