DSLR stands for “Digital Single Lens Reflex”. In simple language, DSLR is a digital camera that uses mirrors to direct light from the lens to the viewfinder, which is a hole on the back of the camera that you look through to see what you are taking a picture of.
1) What do DSLR cameras consist of?
Take a look at the following image of an SLR cross section (image courtesy of Wikipedia):
- Lens
- Reflex mirror
- Shutter
- Image sensor
- Matte focusing screen
- Condenser lens
- Pentaprism
- Eyepiece/Viewfinder
2) How do DSLR cameras work?
When you look through the viewfinder on the back of the camera, whatever you see is exactly what you are going to get in the photograph. The scene that you are taking a picture of passes through the lens in a form of light into a reflex mirror (#2) that sits at a 45 degree angle inside the camera chamber, which then forwards the light vertically to an optical element called a “pentaprism” (#7). The pentaprism then converts the vertical light to horizontal by redirecting the light through two separate mirrors, right into the viewfinder (#8).
When you take a picture, the reflex mirror (#2) swings upwards, blocking the vertical pathway and letting the light directly through. Then, the shutter (#3) opens up and the light reaches the image sensor (#4). The shutter (#3) remains open for as long as needed for the image sensor (#4) to record the image, then the shutter (#3) closes and the reflex mirror (#2) drops back to the 45 degree angle to continue redirecting the light into the viewfinder.
Obviously, the process doesn’t stop there. Next, a lot of complicated image processing happens on the camera. The camera processor takes the information from the image sensor, converts it into an appropriate format, then writes it into a memory card. The whole process takes very little time and some professional DSLRs like Nikon D3s can do this 11 times in one second!
The above is a very simple way to explain how DSLR cameras work.
To read a lot more about DSLRs, check out this great article at Wikipedia.
Nasim Mansurov
Wow! And to think that it all started with me trying to find a new “sambusa” recipe for my Navruz table:) I found so much more than that!
Thank you so much, Nassim and Lola for creating this wonderful site! It is full of useful information, beautifully and skillfully made, well maintained, and is just pure inspiration for a lot of young families, especially, the once whose roots are so far away from this land, often feeling lonely and isolated, misunderstood, under appreciated, foreign.
Just look at you two! I don’t even know you guys, but you make me feel proud of where I come from once again!It’s not your “achievements”, or your obvious wellbeing that is stirring these special feelings in my heart, but the way, how you just make everything seem so effortless! You just do what you like, and it’s beautiful! You and your wife are beautiful beautiful human beings, and your children are blessed to have parents like you. This is the way you should live a life-pursuing your dreams, without pretension, whining, expectations.
It’s also funny how many things in common we have…We’re also a young Uzbek couple with a 3 year old daughter living in the States. I’m a stay at home mom (well, I work from home occasionally), my husband runs his small company. And this year, after years of speculations and pondering, I decided to go back to school this year to learn Photography and Graphic design, putting my International Marketing Degree and many years of experience as a translator on the shelf for a rest. So many doubts, so many things to consider, a young child, growing way to fast, a great loving husband to take care of… How to do it all at once? One step at a time I tell myself. But life is too short, and you’ve got to follow your calling.
Sorry, I got carried away!:) But, thank you, thank you so much again for being an unforgettable Navruz gift for me this year, a good sign from the Space:)
Navruzingiz muborak bulsin!
P.S I know this is not exactly a relevant comment to this particular page, but I just felt like pouring it all out here and now:)
I wish you guys lived in Oregon, we would love for our daughter to grow up around great Uzbek families like yours!
Feruza, thank you for visiting our website and dropping a lengthy comment!
We appreciate your warm words and feedback about our work, we truly appreciate it. Let us know if you happen to visit Colorado, we would love to host you and your family for a dinner.
Best of luck to you and your family!
Sincerely,
Nasim
woosh ! complicated yet brilliantly articulated..
Sir, i am a student. I saved my pocket money and took up tuitions to buy a digital camera.. my mind is boggled with the variety n complexity the cameras offer..
i know u are an extremely professional photographer (your website says it all :)) and its a petty issue for you …. but i ll be highly obliged if you wriggle me out of this issue.. i HAve shortlisted Nikon coolpix S3000. s570, Sony cybershot DSc W320…
Salil, honestly speaking, I do not know much about the current point and shoot cameras. I would certainly not recommend Nikon for P&S though…
Take a look at some of the Panasonic FZ series, specifically the Panasonic FZ-35 – I have some friends that bought it and they are very happy with their purchase.
Hi Nasim,
I’ve been thinking about purchasing a d300, but I have a few questions. On Amazon.com they have the regular d300s CMOS body for about $1500 and the d300 DX camera for about $1800. Can you please tell me what the difference is between those two? I am trying to figure out why there is a price difference between them two.
Thanks!
Xin, check out my Nikon D300 vs D300s article to see the difference between the two :)
Hope this helps.
Hi Nasim, i accidentally found this site and so really happy reading.
As a beginner I really want to buy a canon Eos Rebel T2i 18.0 MP but upon reading on your site I changed my mind to Nikon. So i was planning to buy this D90 rarther than D5000, because of some features that are present in D90. But this slr is for semi-prof and im a beginner.
Ive read in one store that they are selling in package deal of D90 which includes 18-105 mm f/3.5- f5.6 DX that is connected to the body, and another additional lense of 70-300 mm f4.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR telephoto lens.
I want to take pictures more on landscapes, portraits, those with blur and from everyday use…
So Nasim my question are these?
1. Is D90 aslo suitable for us as a beginner?
2. This additional lense in the package deal is worthy to be bought?
3. What lenses can you advice?
Your respond is highly appreciated.
Thanks Nasim for sharing your talent and knowledge with us and more Power! Your really a VERY great help for us beginners.
Jeff, I apologize for a late response. The Nikon D90 is a superb camera and it is a world ahead of the Canon T2i.
1) Yes, D90 is suitable for a beginner.
2) Absolutely, the Nikon 70-300mm VR is a great telephoto lens.
3) The above two lenses are great to get you started.
Currently, the Nikon D90+18-105mm+70-30mm is selling for $1,459.90 (normally it is $1700+), which is an unbelievable price. B&H also has in stock and they can ship it to you tomorrow morning.
Hope this helps!
HI Nasim,
In addition to the question of mine, upon reading your site again i’ve gained new knowlegde, this two lenses that I was planniing to buy the aperture of both are not far from each other.
What is the nice picture can be taken in 70-300 mm f4.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR telephoto lens?
thanks again
Jeff, the Nikon 70-300mm is a telephoto lens, which means that it is good for capturing pictures of birds and animals from a distance. The kit lens 18-105mm is good for everyday “general” photography.
What you might need in addition to these two lenses, is a fast prime lens like the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G, Nikon 50mm f/1.8D or Nikon 35mm f/1.8G. The first one is a little expensive and might be too long of a focal length for the D90, so the 35mm would probably be ideal for you. It is a cheap lens and costs only $200.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Hi Nasim thank you for your response, its really a great help for me.
Ill take your advice and im going to buy them.lol Yeah I think Ill just get this 35mm f 1.8G cause its more cheaper than the others but why is this more cheaper than those two wherein it has a smaller aperture?
Is this good to to make bokeh? I love your pictures with bokeh its all fantastic.
This 18-105mm can also make a picture that let the backround blur?
Ive learned a lot in your site… Knows some terms already.hehehe
Thanks again and More Power…
Jeff, you are most welcome! The 35mm has the same aperture size as the 50mm f/1.8D. The Nikon 50mm f/1.4G has the largest of them all.
Yes, these lenses are good for bokeh, but the 50mm f/1.4G is the best. The Nikon 18-105mm is not good for bokeh, because it is designed for that and has a rather small aperture size (f/3.5-f/5.6).
Hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions.
sir,
i am beginner in photography and after dedicating a lot of time trying to gain information regarding DSLR cameras especially frm ur blog, i finally decided to buy NIKON D 3000. i luv D 5000 but don have that much money :-(. it seems u r a great fan of nikon D 5000.. may i know if i buy D3000 can u help me to improve my photography techniques by guiding me to the diff techniques and settings. plz help me and i want u to be mu guru in photography. :-) god bless u :-)
Arun,
I would love to help you as much as I can, but I can’t offer to dedicate my time, since I have too many things on my plate. I write articles almost every day and I recommend that you subscribe and ask questions when you have them – I will do my best to respond.
Sincerely,
Nasim
sir,
thank u very very much for replying to my blog. 7 days b4 i bought Nikon D3000 and is studying little by little. i do have a lot of query regarding my DSLR. does the camera don click if there is not enough light? and i luv taking photos of sceenery, birds and small animals and species. which type lens i ve to use so that i can get optimum results? nw am using lens type 18-55 VR kit. can u guide me to which type of photos i can take with this type of lens?
Arun, you can take any types of pictures with the 18-55mm VR lens, except for maybe long range. Use it for landscapes/architecture and portraits, although if you want to have a nice bokeh, you will have to get a separate portrait lens like the Nikon 35mm f/1.8G.
First of all I want to thank you for this wonderful site that you have. I am also a beginner in photography and wanted to do photography for long time. I finally bought a Nikon D3000, also. I would like to learn the basics and then want to upgrade to one of the more expensive camera, like the d300s or d700. Again thanks for the info you provided to all the beginners like us.
Manu, you are most welcome! Thanks for visiting our blog!
After reading your recomendation. I sold my d3000 and bought a D90. And I love this camera. This one takes much better pic than the d3000. Thanks again for your support.
Manu, I’m glad you like the D90 – it is one hell of a camera, much better than the D3000 :)
Wow! And to think that it all started with me trying to find a new “sambusa” recipe for my Navruz table:) I found so much more than that!
Thank you so much, Nassim and Lola for creating this wonderful site! It is full of useful information, beautifully and skillfully made, well maintained, and is just pure inspiration for a lot of young families, especially, the once whose roots are so far away from this land, often feeling lonely and isolated, misunderstood, under appreciated, foreign.
Just look at you two! I don’t even know you guys, but you make me feel proud of where I come from once again!It’s not your “achievements”, or your obvious wellbeing that is stirring these special feelings in my heart, but the way, how you just make everything seem so effortless! You just do what you like, and it’s beautiful! You and your wife are beautiful beautiful human beings, and your children are blessed to have parents like you. This is the way you should live a life-pursuing your dreams, without pretension, whining, expectations.
It’s also funny how many things in common we have…We’re also a young Uzbek couple with a 3 year old daughter living in the States. I’m a stay at home mom (well, I work from home occasionally), my husband runs his small company. And this year, after years of speculations and pondering, I decided to go back to school this year to learn Photography and Graphic design, putting my International Marketing Degree and many years of experience as a translator on the shelf for a rest. So many doubts, so many things to consider, a young child, growing way to fast, a great loving husband to take care of… How to do it all at once? One step at a time I tell myself. But life is too short, and you’ve got to follow your calling.
Sorry, I got carried away!:) But, thank you, thank you so much again for being an unforgettable Navruz gift for me this year, a good sign from the Space:)
Navruzingiz muborak bulsin!
P.S I know this is not exactly a relevant comment to this particular page, but I just felt like pouring it all out here and now:)
I wish you guys lived in Oregon, we would love for our daughter to grow up around great Uzbek families like yours!
Feruza, thank you for visiting our website and dropping a lengthy comment!
We appreciate your warm words and feedback about our work, we truly appreciate it. Let us know if you happen to visit Colorado, we would love to host you and your family for a dinner.
Best of luck to you and your family!
Sincerely,
Nasim
woosh ! complicated yet brilliantly articulated..
Sir, i am a student. I saved my pocket money and took up tuitions to buy a digital camera.. my mind is boggled with the variety n complexity the cameras offer..
i know u are an extremely professional photographer (your website says it all :)) and its a petty issue for you …. but i ll be highly obliged if you wriggle me out of this issue.. i HAve shortlisted Nikon coolpix S3000. s570, Sony cybershot DSc W320…
Salil, honestly speaking, I do not know much about the current point and shoot cameras. I would certainly not recommend Nikon for P&S though…
Take a look at some of the Panasonic FZ series, specifically the Panasonic FZ-35 – I have some friends that bought it and they are very happy with their purchase.
Hi Nasim,
I’ve been thinking about purchasing a d300, but I have a few questions. On Amazon.com they have the regular d300s CMOS body for about $1500 and the d300 DX camera for about $1800. Can you please tell me what the difference is between those two? I am trying to figure out why there is a price difference between them two.
Thanks!
Xin, check out my Nikon D300 vs D300s article to see the difference between the two :)
Hope this helps.
Hi Nasim, i accidentally found this site and so really happy reading.
As a beginner I really want to buy a canon Eos Rebel T2i 18.0 MP but upon reading on your site I changed my mind to Nikon. So i was planning to buy this D90 rarther than D5000, because of some features that are present in D90. But this slr is for semi-prof and im a beginner.
Ive read in one store that they are selling in package deal of D90 which includes 18-105 mm f/3.5- f5.6 DX that is connected to the body, and another additional lense of 70-300 mm f4.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR telephoto lens.
I want to take pictures more on landscapes, portraits, those with blur and from everyday use…
So Nasim my question are these?
1. Is D90 aslo suitable for us as a beginner?
2. This additional lense in the package deal is worthy to be bought?
3. What lenses can you advice?
Your respond is highly appreciated.
Thanks Nasim for sharing your talent and knowledge with us and more Power! Your really a VERY great help for us beginners.
Jeff, I apologize for a late response. The Nikon D90 is a superb camera and it is a world ahead of the Canon T2i.
1) Yes, D90 is suitable for a beginner.
2) Absolutely, the Nikon 70-300mm VR is a great telephoto lens.
3) The above two lenses are great to get you started.
Currently, the Nikon D90+18-105mm+70-30mm is selling for $1,459.90 (normally it is $1700+), which is an unbelievable price. B&H also has in stock and they can ship it to you tomorrow morning.
Hope this helps!
HI Nasim,
In addition to the question of mine, upon reading your site again i’ve gained new knowlegde, this two lenses that I was planniing to buy the aperture of both are not far from each other.
What is the nice picture can be taken in 70-300 mm f4.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR telephoto lens?
thanks again
Jeff, the Nikon 70-300mm is a telephoto lens, which means that it is good for capturing pictures of birds and animals from a distance. The kit lens 18-105mm is good for everyday “general” photography.
What you might need in addition to these two lenses, is a fast prime lens like the Nikon 50mm f/1.4G, Nikon 50mm f/1.8D or Nikon 35mm f/1.8G. The first one is a little expensive and might be too long of a focal length for the D90, so the 35mm would probably be ideal for you. It is a cheap lens and costs only $200.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Hi Nasim thank you for your response, its really a great help for me.
Ill take your advice and im going to buy them.lol Yeah I think Ill just get this 35mm f 1.8G cause its more cheaper than the others but why is this more cheaper than those two wherein it has a smaller aperture?
Is this good to to make bokeh? I love your pictures with bokeh its all fantastic.
This 18-105mm can also make a picture that let the backround blur?
Ive learned a lot in your site… Knows some terms already.hehehe
Thanks again and More Power…
Jeff, you are most welcome! The 35mm has the same aperture size as the 50mm f/1.8D. The Nikon 50mm f/1.4G has the largest of them all.
Yes, these lenses are good for bokeh, but the 50mm f/1.4G is the best. The Nikon 18-105mm is not good for bokeh, because it is designed for that and has a rather small aperture size (f/3.5-f/5.6).
Hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions.
sir,
i am beginner in photography and after dedicating a lot of time trying to gain information regarding DSLR cameras especially frm ur blog, i finally decided to buy NIKON D 3000. i luv D 5000 but don have that much money :-(. it seems u r a great fan of nikon D 5000.. may i know if i buy D3000 can u help me to improve my photography techniques by guiding me to the diff techniques and settings. plz help me and i want u to be mu guru in photography. :-) god bless u :-)
Arun,
I would love to help you as much as I can, but I can’t offer to dedicate my time, since I have too many things on my plate. I write articles almost every day and I recommend that you subscribe and ask questions when you have them – I will do my best to respond.
Sincerely,
Nasim
sir,
thank u very very much for replying to my blog. 7 days b4 i bought Nikon D3000 and is studying little by little. i do have a lot of query regarding my DSLR. does the camera don click if there is not enough light? and i luv taking photos of sceenery, birds and small animals and species. which type lens i ve to use so that i can get optimum results? nw am using lens type 18-55 VR kit. can u guide me to which type of photos i can take with this type of lens?
Arun, you can take any types of pictures with the 18-55mm VR lens, except for maybe long range. Use it for landscapes/architecture and portraits, although if you want to have a nice bokeh, you will have to get a separate portrait lens like the Nikon 35mm f/1.8G.
First of all I want to thank you for this wonderful site that you have. I am also a beginner in photography and wanted to do photography for long time. I finally bought a Nikon D3000, also. I would like to learn the basics and then want to upgrade to one of the more expensive camera, like the d300s or d700. Again thanks for the info you provided to all the beginners like us.
Manu, you are most welcome! Thanks for visiting our blog!
After reading your recomendation. I sold my d3000 and bought a D90. And I love this camera. This one takes much better pic than the d3000. Thanks again for your support.
Manu, I’m glad you like the D90 – it is one hell of a camera, much better than the D3000 :)