Most folks who buy a digital camera are just looking for an easy way to atake high quality photos of their family, friends, and special events that can be shared with others. But others are interested in other aspects of photography as well, perhaps landscapes, closeups, still lifes, or art photography. For them, the compact digital camera can be used to create a fine image if they are skilled enough, but a digital single lens reflex camera gives them the ultimate of control and versatility instead.

The image quality in many digital SLRs is much greater than that found in most smaller compact cameras. The digital image sensors are usually larger, and therefore yields more information on each photo taken. For all but the most demanding of users, a 6 - 8 megapixel camera will be fine, yielding very high quality images on up to about 11 X 14 inch sizes. There are higher resolution digital SLRs avilable for those that need it though, but just expect to pay more for these higher end cameras.

Digital SLRs are capable of being used in manual mode, allowing you to have total control over the composition and settings of each photo, but they can also be operated very successfully in fully automatic mode too, making using one almost as simple as a point and shoot camera. This can come in very handy for those folks that need a camera that can be used by more than one person with differing photographic skill levels, and still get great results either way.

Digital SLRs are usually bigger than other normal digital cameras, but many people see that as a plus because they often feel more substantial and solid in the hand, and the controls can even be easier for those with larger hands to use comfortably.

Of course, a great advantage of digital SLRs is the ability to switch lenses easily and quickly for different kinds of shots, and the good news is that many film camera brands of lenses can be used on the same brand of digital SLR saving you the cost of extra lenses.

Another solid benefit of digital SLRs is that they usually power up almost instantly and have almost no shutter lag between the time you press the shutter and the moment that the photo is actually recorded. Some regular digital cameras can take a few seconds to power on and then have up to a second or so of shutter delay on top of that. So if you like to shoot fast action scenes, a digital SLR can be a big benefit.

So if you like having more creative control or want to have the flexibility to expand your photographic skills in the future, a digital single lens reflex camera can make a great choice.

Thad Pickering writes on many consumer related topics including digital photography. You can find digital slr camera reviews and a digital cameras comparison by visiting our Digital Photography website.