This article is an extract from our Online Photography Course Get More from Your Camera
Remember – all cameras are fundamentally the same. They are just boxes, with holes in them and something to capture the light.
The single main difference between DSLR cameras and Compact System, Bridge Cameras, Compact cameras & smartphones, is how the viewfinder works.
With DSLR’s the light travels through the lens and is directed to the optical viewfinder.
With all other camera types, the light reaches the sensor and the images in the viewfinder are electronically generated from what the sensor sees, which means that it can be very slightly delayed, although this has become less of an issue as the camera technology has become much faster.
Because Compact System Cameras do not have a bulky Pentaprism, it enables them to have much smaller and lighter camera bodies and more compact lenses.
Cameras shown above are:
left – Nikon D3500 with 18-55mm lens (view on WEX Photo / Video)
right – Fujifilm XT-3 with 18-55mm XF lens (view on WEX Photo / Video)
It also enables the cameras to shoot many more pictures per second as it doesn’t have to wait for the mirror to flip up between exposures and are great video cameras.
