You may have noticed the extra cash required to buy a pro SLR over the great looking so called Simi-pro or prosumer DSLR cameras found at big box stores. DSLR budget cameras are often called “entry-level models,” These DSLRs were designed with the serious amateur in mind and are a giant leap above point and shoot cameras and are priced in the $500 to $800 dollar range. That’s quite a bit of cash over point and shoots but one to three thousand dollars less than the pro versions!

The entry-level or prosumer DSLRs have plenty of great features that allow you to control aperture settings, focal-length, and shutter speed and look pretty much like the Pro versions on the outside. These cameras also take great photographs and do pretty much anything a photographer needs. Lots of pros use these cameras for back ups and even on some assignments.

What’s the advantage of a PRO DSLR over a less expensive Simi-Pro Camera?

Why all that extra money for a camera body that’s a little faster and has a few more features? The answer is that pro camera bodies are stronger, tougher, better protected from the elements and have extra features to help you get that important photograph. Pro bodies will last far longer and tolerate the thousands of pictures some pros dish out. The viewfinder is larger and more accurate and the electronics much better protected from weather and shock.

But they won’t take better photographs. Only you can do that with your experience and hard work. Remember that the most important part of any camera is the LENS. If a choice must be made go for the better glass because it will give you good things like color and contrast and little or no distortion.

Those prosumer DSLRs come with what is called a boxed lens. This lens is good for little more than the trash dump. (in my opinion) It’s included because of competition in the camera business because most people won’t buy a camera without one. That’s why Pro Cameras are sold body only. To get a good lens call a big camera store in a big city like LA or New York and ask for a good quality medium zoom. Want to learn a lot and have fun at the same time? Visit a huge (HUGE, LA or New York) camera store and ask questions.

Many times when a photographer gets a new expensive pro camera body his photos get worse. It’s like going from a nice normal car to an all out race car and it takes a while to get used to.

Construction and Environmental Seals

Pro Photographers never know where they may be working. What if they get an assignment to a far away rain forest? Pro Digital Cameras will work in extreme cold, heat or dusty desert conditions up to a point if taken care of. They have much higher quality components and environmental sealing. Most have a magnesium body under high quality plastic and super strong strengthened seams with environmental seals.

Most pro level cameras use at least an APS sized sensor or even a full frame sensor. This larger size increases the quality of the megapixels in the sensor. One advantage of a larger sensor is much better performance in dim light that makes for more natural looking pictures. These sensors also handle highlights without purple fringing and distortion.

That $500 SLR may work for a day or two and then come up with green fungus growing inside. Moisture creeps inside the body and all the pictures have a nice fog over them. A little cleaning may help for a while but sooner of later the darn thing shorts out and won’t work at all.

Now this may not happen and won’t if your gear is well taken care of and kept dry and clean. But the point is that prosumer level cameras were not designed for use in jungles and war zones or extreme desert conditions. Most advanced amateurs take good care of their cameras and probably won’t have any problems.

I once knew a photographer that spent most of his time rock climbing in the High Sierra. At the time he was using a Nikon film F4 camera that looked like it had been drug behind a truck. He had a habit of hanging the camera on a small rope so taking pictures was quick and easy. Of course it received a good rock banging over the years and a few drops into rocks didn’t do it any good either. We used to kid him about it and the camera store owner couldn’t believe the quality of the photos that came from that pro quality but beat up camera.

Although prosumer cameras won’t stand this level of abuse they have improved much from the days when manufactures used to glue the lenses in place and the slightest bump would knock them out of alignment. Today photographers demand better quality but it’s still not likely a prosumer digital camera would take severe bumping around so take good care of them.

I’ve had people tell me that they went to extreme climates on vacation and their inexpensive DSLR camera worked fine and they didn’t have any problems. But that’s the big difference you see because they were on vacation and didn’t use their cameras in the same conditions as a pro does.

A pro can take more photographs in a few days then most people do in a lifetime. Also they go to the worst places at the worst times and the equipment takes a real beating. If this happens then the problem will take care of itself because you will be smiling all the way to the bank.

If you aren’t sure how serious about photography you are or are just starting to earn some money taking pictures, it’s best to buy the less expensive DSLR and spend any extra money on a better lens. You can decide later if you need a better quality body and trust me you will know when that time comes. By far the biggest tool you need to earn money with photography is education. Many people earn cash with a simple point and shoot.

From Ezinearticles.com